Pen-pals

The girls' school stresses the importance of reading, which I feel the same. I just feel like there is more to it than that, I know they need to practice writing & with conversations as well. I had thought of getting them journals or diaries, but at 8 & 7 what would you say to yourself??? So last week I came up with a brilliant idea. Since my Sissy is so far away in Arkansas (she has 2 daughters as well, Gretchen 10 & Sydney 8) the girls only get to visit 2-3 times per year. I would love nothing more than for them to be best friends, but how can they know much about each other with all this distance?? So voila they are pen-pals!!! I LOVE IT!!! They wrote them letters last week asking all kinds of questions & telling about their school. They received letters back & have started on their second letters to them!! This way they can learn more about their cousins, conversations, writing, spelling & such!

Timers & Tally Marks

So, I have decided to go back to using a timer for my pokey little Abby-do. Thank you very much to my friend & blogger buddy Lana. I used one last year & it worked wonders, but we just haven't used it this school year for whatever reason. What is normally a 30 min shower is now 10!!! I have also decided to go with positive reinforcement & I started a tally mark system. I got a dry erase board & put the girls' names at the top. They have the chance to earn a tally mark each day! This means; no fighting, no arguing, no being pokey, no leaving-clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, etc. lying on the floor!!! The best part...it's working!!!! They did great the first night, so the last few evenings they have been making comments like, Lilly after her shower last night said "I nearly turned off the bathroom light, but then I looked at all my stuff laying around & thought now what could I do to get a tally mark, so I cleaned it all up". Ahh, the little things that make a big difference, I get sick of cleaning the bathroom 10-20 times daily, or asking 50+ times to put their shoes & jackets where they go. So once they get 10 tally marks they either get a prize or get to do something fun!

Breakfast It Is

I am going to try this. Not quite sure how it's gonna go though. Last night the girls started a dance class & loved it! I am so happy that one opened up nearby. I love living in the middle of nowhere, but it makes activities difficult, especially since I work also, we were just lucky that it was slow at the hospital & I was able to leave early. It is still slow so I am on call today. Which means Doug took the kids with him, he drops them off at daycare, just down the road from the elevator & the girls get on the bus there since we live out of the school district. Gray has to go also because I wouldn't be able to make it to the hospital in an hour if I got called in & had to drop him off before going in. I miss him, but it has been a productive day! I worked on some Christmas gifts I'm making, got laundry & dishes done, so I guess it's alright to be on call every so often. The kids often make me laugh, on our way home from dance class Lilly asked what was for supper so I told her pancakes, Abby then says what's tomorrow night french toast?? I had to laugh since we had had biscuits & gravy the previous night for supper. Sometimes though breakfast just sounds good & it seems like we never have time to have breakfast for breakfast, so breakfast for supper it is. I gotta say the kids always eat good when breakfast is on the table, no matter the time of day!