Is It Naptime Yet

The alternative title would be: How much the little things my husband does, has made a big difference.

Lately I feel productive. Like most of what I want to accomplish is getting accomplished, even though there are things that don’t get done, but those things aren’t the important ones, or are the things that will be OK if I neglect. (Yes, I meant for that to be a run-on sentence.)

Here’s my list of things to do each day:
get dressed
school
cello practice with Lilah
make dinner

Like really. It’s a good day if I get dressed, we do school together, practice Lilah’s cello, and I make dinner. I suppose that’s why I feel like I’m getting things done, because I set my bar low and if I do more, it’s an awesome day. It’s not like any one thing takes us all day, but with other distractions my goal is to do each of these things, and whatever else needs to get done.

There are other things I toss into the mix each day, depending on what we have scheduled for the day:
hand wash dishes
laundry
shopping/errands
random cleaning around house
check realtors.com for houses
talk to friends
avoid doing things by being on the internet.

Here are the things the girls and Jon do each day to help out:
dishes
sort recyclables
clean random things that I tell them too.

Jon has been the big motivator in having the girls do more around the house, and it helps tons. I now have children who can: do laundry, load and start the dishwasher, fry an egg, make me toast, take out the trash, sweep, mop, vacuum, clean toilets, and do other random things around this house. All because he decided to start making the girls do more, and the patience to teach them. Of course, I’m teaching them too, but I’ve decided this is a magical time in our lives. It’s the age the children start pulling their own weight, and even do things for us.
Hallelujah!

Lilah:
Saving your allowance for Sea World. It helped that you got a little bit for your birthday, but you faithfully spent very little so you would reach your goal of $30. With your birthday money you saved $43! (With only getting $5 in allowance a month, this was a long term goal.)

Talking about the illegal fireworks and wanting to get a license so you could put on your own aerial firework show, legally.

Being excited for the noise of cicadas. You love finding their shells. You said the sound of cicadas meant Summer really was here.

Waking up nicely for Daddy the morning we left for Sea World. You said he was nice and I was annoying.

Something happened and your reaction was, “Shit.” then, “Schucks…” It went so fast, Carolyn, your dad, and I had to confirm silently with one another that you had said what you said. We didn’t say anything because you knew it was not a word you’re suppose to say, and corrected yourself.

Eden:
The Tooth Fairy missed taking your tooth one night. You vowed to not put your tooth under you pillow the night before a holiday, because the Tooth Fairy must be on vacation.

Staying outside for all the fireworks. You usually go inside. You even tried a sparkler this year, and got hooked! You enjoyed two more after you got over your fear of them.

Being a big trooper on the Sea World sleepover. I heard you rolled up all your gear and took care of yourself. I was so worried about letting you two go without me.

You were waiting to give daddy a hug when he came home. I finished giving him a hug and saw you so I said, “Aw, you’re here to give me a hug?” You then straightened you body up with your arms to your side like soldier and proceeded to not give me a hug as I lifted you in the air for our normal monkey hug.

Making up rules about when I can zerbert you, or tickle you. I can only zerbert you once a day at bedtime, and there is a small time frame I can tickle you. I tickle you whenever I want and mostly stick to zerberting you once a day. (Not sure how to spell zerbert, but it’s when I blow on your belly to make the farting noise.)

Turning 7 years old! You’re getting too big.

I got you a fan on your birthday, and decided to give it to you for your birthday, and you still liked it. I guess you haven’t learned to not like practical gifts. (You get pretty hot being on the bottom bunk.)

Jon:
Cutting up the watermelon for dinner when I just could not do one.more.thing. for the dinner for your extended family. (It was because of other craziness of the day that I was so stressed, not because they were coming over.)

The morning we left for Sea World I asked if you would go wake up the girls since it was so early. I then remembered it might be the one day Lilah would enjoy being woken up, and you then raced to the room and woke her up before me.

Teaching our children work and having them become a part of more of yours and our daily chores. While I don’t have them help me load the dishwasher, you’re a wonderful example of patience as you teach our girls work and service in the home.

Taking 499 pictures at The San Diego Zoo. You wanted a picture of every animal and the description to remind you about the animal. Then we had only two low batteries at the safari park and got only a handful in comparison.

Both:
Helping me with canning. You picked cherry stems off of cherries and you both shucked a lot of corn for me. Lilah also enjoyed pitting the cherries and was a little faster at shucking the corn.

I had asked who wanted to vacuum the rug and who wanted to clean the toilets. I heard two, “Vacuum!” I then said I would show how to clean the toilet and I got two girls who wanted to clean the toilet. Since we have two toilets, I taught you each clean how to clean a toilet.

All:
Sitting in the Soak zone during the Shamu show. Laughing about the other side getting so wet, then we got soaked. Daddy got the worst of it.

Carolyn:
Being patient with me and my house craziness. Real Estate is such a game, and it’s definitely one that gets me stressed. I’m grateful to have a real estate agent whom I can take my worries and thoughts to.