Summer Strategy

It's officially here! Summer vacation begins! woo-hoo! After Joseph got home from school yesterday, I called a Mom & Kids Summer Strategy Meeting. 'Cause most of the summer plans we do can be decided by us, since Corey's summertime work schedule is very similar to his school year work schedule. SO, this is the plan.

#1 - Toys all put away downstairs in the basement.
#2 - Kids have certain chores to do each day.
#3 - After doing their chore, they earn their Bonus Buck and are free to to play (playing with friends is free of charge). (But they stole all the Bonus Bucks for Kids Town, I haven't found the bank vault where they stashed those yet)
#4 - If they want to play with toys, they have to rent them from the Toy Library with their Bonus Buck. If they return the toys, they get their buck back. If they leave the toys out and I pick them up, I keep the Kid Buck.
#5 - Wii time can be purchased sometimes, other times the Wii store will be closed. Computer time or youtube videos (Studio C) will also cost Bonus Bucks. A ride in the Mom Taxi is also a buck.
#6 - On Saturday, any Bucks that they did not spend may be traded in for real cash.

And as for any possible "I'm Bored" moments, we're putting up a sign similar to this:

Plus a new plan we're doing ~ we're hanging clip boards for each kid where their Chore Boards used to be. If they need something to do, I refer them to their clipboard. The Clip Board will hold papers that contain the following:

1 - Daily Tasks to earn their Kid Buck
2 - Have a list of Summer Service suggestions (ice cream party at the end of summer for how much they do)
3 - The Family Challenge (I'll post what that is later, but it involves reading and learning things I've chosen for them, and doing things on "the Plan")

I spent the day yesterday working hard in the Dungeon, which I've renamed to something more noble, since I've turned myself into the Kids Town's Country's President. Haha. The kids asked me if they can declare war against me. I said you can't declare war against your own country, but you could stage a coup... they were interested in more information on how to do that. I said they better not, I've got a brutal military commander and it wouldn't be pretty for them. They worked hard too yesterday. Wait, nevermind, they didn't. Well, just the little girls did... with the toys mostly put away in the Toy Library, they worked hard to meet their "mess" quota through leaving piles of clothes all over. Lily and Sophi are changing out of their dresses about 5 times a day. So I'm gonna put all the other clothes (that they don't wear anyway) in the basement downstairs. They are allowed to retrieve an item from the boys clothes bin and the girls clothes bin in exchange for a chore.

Natalie is helping with mess quota by destroying toilet paper and wipes.

I intentionally gave her the wipes knowing she'd make a mess with them, cause I knew they'd entertain her long enough to for me to get ready for the day.

She like to eat them.

She's eating lots of things these days. 

(Enjoying her cousin Jordyn's hat during Mel's ballet recital, silly baby)