Back to the Grind

Ugh, summer is ending hence fall is coming. I love fall but hate for the kids to go back. I'll miss our lazy beach days. Fall is my favorite season of the year in terms of weather. Why? I love rain. Husband hates the rain. We tease each other back and forth when fall comes around...more like me saying "I ♥ the rain!!" and him saying "you're crazy! You like to be drenched and clean up wet dirt spots on your floor?!" - he always knows how to get me to re-think rain...with the reference to a WET DIRTY FLOOR. Ugh, that part is not cool about rain.

Anyway, fall is approaching. Last Sunday, we had our Back to School Family Meeting. We went over the following:

• New Schedules: getting up when our alarm goes off...Isa is super amazing at this. She would pop up at 6:30am when her alarm would go off and get her sister up - she was awesome, haven't had to pry her out of bed...yet. They have to make their beds, get dressed, eat breakfast, wash faces/brush teeth and have their lunches packed.
• No TV during the week...(I know, I know - I'm a mean Mommy) except for Movie Night on Fridays. HW and reading must be done after their snack. They get off their bus at 4:15pm so it's like an appetizer to dinner really. :)
• Chores: Dev is old enough to help out so he has volunteered (shocking, right?) to do take out the recycle and collect/sort garbages around the house so Nana can take out the garbage. Isa has moved up to vacuuming, dusting and cleaning their bathroom. They received their chores well and were actually excited about getting back into a schedule. They did chores this summer but it wasn't as structured as to who did what until last Sunday. It was really who ever was around...but now the girls are old enough to notice that they put the dishes away twice and start arguing. So, we needed to work out a better plan. So far so good.
• Sports: having our soccer gear ready the day before practice/game so we aren't scrambling from school to the field and still forgetting something.
• We hit our most important part; that all of us are team players and need to treat each other with respect no matter how hectic or crazy it gets. We need to be patient and speak with kindness. Good reminders for Mommy and Daddy too. Sometimes our Mommy/Daddy Voice (a little lower than yelling but definitely louder than the kids like) slip out when we are stressed and trying to get here and there so reminders for all never hurt.
  
  

My Mister so proud of taking out the garbage. He asked to switch with Nana for that run and she happily took him up on it. :) The little house in front of him is our playhouse...still need to take pictures of that. I want to fill it with some cool activities that will be easy enough for them to clean up after themselves. I certainly don't need one more room to clean.

All the kids were so good this week doing their chores keeping up with their new responsiblities but our little Madi was lounging playing Dev's Leapster. She'll get there soon enough. In her defense she does throw her diapers away sans poopy - poopy ones get thrown outside in the garbage. She is even sweet enough to wash her hands aka play in the water after she throws it away.

Fall is on its way and I'm jumping with excitement for Halloween and all the eating holidays to start. I love to see that the leaves are already changing and that my kids are cuddling up in their slippies aka slippers and robes/blankies aka blankets. Here's to an awesome school year 2009/2010.