Family Project: Summer Reading Contest

Today is the first day of summer vacation! On a whim, I told the girls we should start a reading contest. It has suddenly ballooned into a major family project, and we are so excited about it!

First of all, I want to give credit where credit is due. This project is modeled on a classroom reading project my daughter’s kindergarten teacher did this year. I’ve made some modifications to suit a family, but the ideas behind the project are hers. So Mrs. Koontz–thank you for this inspiration.

I was also inspired by a teacher friend’s middle school house cup contest–thank you too, Cap!

Teams: We are working in teams. As a family, we chose parents against kids, which we hope will help our daughters feel closer to one another instead of competing with one another. Depending on your family, you may want to team up as boys vs girls or mixed teams. The key is what works for your family.

Points: My daughters are still young and reading short chapter books, early readers, or picture books. We decided that every book (without chapters) or every chapter earns one point.

My older daughter is starting to read silently, and my younger daughter primarily reads aloud. So that we can guarantee that they’re actually reading everything they say, we alternate between asking them to re-read a page to us, asking them questions about each book or chapter, or simply asking them to tell us about what they read. If they’re so inclined, they can ask us to do the same.

Reading Journals: Though this is team contest, we are tracking books individually, too. We first created a large chart for the wall so that everyone could record their books. I very quickly found that this would be impractical, and we modified our program to include individual reading logs instead. Everyone has their own, we decorated our covers (even dad did his!) and there are lined pages inside for recording books or chapters.

Team Tallies: Daily, or several times a day, you should record everyone’s progress on a large team tally board. Make a big deal out of this family time–cheer for every participant and count up the tally marks (math lesson!).

Prizes: Our project is going to last for 8 weeks (we think). The grand prize is a trip to Chuck E Cheese (if the kids win) and Cheeseburger in Paradise (if we win). I’m also planning smaller “pop prizes” for the first team to 50 books, first team to 100 books, first person to 50 books, most books read in the first week, etc. Some of these pop prizes will be team prizes and some will be individual.

I think that’s it, so far! I’m sure I’ll modify as I go and we see what works and what doesn’t. My biggest concern is the length, so I’m hoping we can
keep the kids motivated for the entire 8 weeks.

If you and your family want to join us, please do! I’d love to hear about how your family does their summer reading project, so please use the #summerreadingproject tag!

Start reading!

Guest Post by ‘Piggy Banks to Paychecks’ author Angie Mohr

I’m really excited to be able to share a guest post with you some words of parenting and financial wisdom by my friend and fellow writer Angie Mohr.  Angie’s book, ‘Piggy Banks to Paychecks’ is being published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside and hits the shelves later this month.  She offered to stop by and offer some words of wisdom to my blog readers about parenting and how kids learn their first (and most important) financial lessons at home! Please read along.  If you’re interested in learning more, you can also follow the ‘Piggy Banks to Paychecks’ FB page!

I have been graciously invited by Kelly to write a guest post on her blog today. Thanks, Kelly!

I would like to talk a little bit today about why it’s so important that parents take control of their children’s financial education. Many parents feel that it is something best taught by the school system. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught in most curricula in either public or private school and most children leave high school woefully unprepared for the financial life ahead of them. This leaves them vulnerable to digging themselves into serious debt without a plan on how to get out.

Without your guidance or formal lessons, kids are left to their own devices to pick up information about how money works. They usually absorb their beliefs about money through television, the playground, and what they think that you are doing with your money. Your financial habits impact how your kids learn money skills. Are you a feast or famine family? Spend it when you have it and do without when you don’t? Your kids may learn that money is in the driver’s seat and they can only react to their fortunes or lack thereof. Are you a careful budgeter, always ensuring that your purchases are planned and accounted for? Your kids will learn to organize their financial lives and plan for the future.

You don’t have to be a financial expert or have done everything perfectly in your life to be able to show your kids important money skills. Don’t be afraid to open up to your children about the family’s financial situation and budget. This gives kids a hands-on look at how a real family operates and the financial challenges it faces. Don’t worry about disappointing your kids with how little income the family has or how large the expenses are. Show them how you are managing on what you have.

There isn’t a more important skill you could pass on to your kids!

© Angie Mohr 2012

 

The Stories Writers Tell

Writers tell stories. Whether the pages are filled with hundreds or thousands of words, it’s likely that you’ll find some facts mixed with some fiction, some truth mixed with some lies, and some happiness mixed with some tears.

Sometimes the stories I tell are my own. Whether they’re my experiences or my inventions, they’re shared by me and made real when you read them.

And sometimes the stories aren’t mine to tell, either because someone else can tell them better, or because someone else should tell them first.

However you dice it, today, I’m an aunt.

Changing Times?

I can remember, quite vividly, the day we got an Internet connection at our house.  We set up our Prodigy accounts, my father doing the work and me assisting.  Fascinated, even then, with the idea of connections with people around the world via the Internet, I specifically remember the guidelines he and my mother set down.  I should never give out my real name, never give my address or other personal information, and certainly never agree to meet in real life anyone that I met on the Internet. Though it was full of information, the message was clear–the Internet could be a scary place.

Today, I think about my Facebook and Twitter accounts.  I contemplate my blog and my Ravelry groups.  I ponder the online parenting forums I’ve frequented.  I think about the writing I’ve done for Associated Content and other online venues.  I think about the women I’ve met through the Internet, social networking, and through email/forums/blogs–some in person, some only online.

From a simple Prodigy account, where even the email address was a combination of letters and numbers so you weren’t identifiable, I’ve gone to having a presence on the Internet.  Much of that presence is associated with my real name.

It’s amazing how the times have changed, isn’t it?  And it’s gotten me wondering about what they’ll be like when the girls grow up.

Because, though I’ve gone against my parents early Internet rules and met people, offered my name, and shared the personal details, I’ve always retained that underlying concern–the Internet is scary.  So if I meet someone for the first time, I meet in a public place.  I leave details of where I’m going and who I’m supposed to be meeting.  I leave my login access behind, so if something happens, my husband has details.

I worry that the girls won’t feel that way and won’t take the precautions I do, because more and more, the Internet isn’t seen as that scary place.  It’s seen as fun.  It’s social.  It’s networking.

My husband and I will try to instill a bit of that fear of the Internet into the girls, the way my parents did in me.  Maybe it’s overprotective…but maybe it will keep them just a little bit safer.  I care about that more than anything else.

Out Like a Lamb

Well, March is over.  I’m 30, the craziness that is Malabrigo March has ended, the weather has finally started to turn nice here in Yorkshire, and we’ve just changed the clocks.  We’re hosting our last set of visitors from the states, and it’s occurred to me that when the leave, I can simply start readying the room for the movers, rather than re-making the bed and tidying for more guests.

So, there’s been knitting, birthday parties, travel, and lots of “doing” this month.  Though April will involve our move to the states, it will actually be a relatively calm month by comparison, I think.

Here’s a peek at some of this month’s exploits…

Shalom Cardigan, Malabrigo Chunky, Hollyhock

Chunky Dean Street Hat, Malabrigo Chunky, Oceanos

Too Lazy for Thumbs, Handwarmers, Malabrigo Worsted, Taureg

Belated Shot of an Excited Me at My 30th Birthday Parth

The girls at Easby Abbey

Sam and I at Easby Abbey

Whew…in like a lion, out like a lamb, that’s for sure.  Here’s to April…

Put a Cork In It!

Tee-hee…I couldn’t resist a little pun. It doesn’t really go with this post (because I opted not to blog about the woman whose face I wanted to smack tonight when she belittled my “job” as a stay at home mom and my “hobby” as a “writer”…pardon the excess quotation marks!). But this post is all about Cork, the place!

We spent the weekend with Mom in Cork, Ireland, and had an absolutely incredible time. For the most part, the weather cooperated, and I cannot believe what a great job the kids did! We tried hard to pay attention to their cues and their needs, and instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off, we set realistic goals for what we could accomplish in a given day.

It was incredible. Except for the last day when the girls were starting to wear down, and the flights home (Why did we try to do a connection? Haven’t we learned?), they were really good. In fact, someone even commented to us at a restaurant that the girls were so well behaved.

They really are growing up…sigh!

I haven’t taken the time to upload the pictures yet. We did a driving tour of Cork City, spent a day in Cobh, walked around Youghal, and visited Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. Hopefully, I’ll have some photos for you to look at later this week.

So, expect Cork to come to you in the next few days. And to the woman who doesn’t get what a stay at home mom and writer does all day long…stick a Cork in it!

The Journey

Well, as I mentioned yesterday, we are here in America safe and sound and relatively unscathed by the transatlantic travels.  

Of course, there’s always the build up to the big trip, which this time, was riddled with holiday gatherings on Tuesday.  The girls had their toddler group Christmas party first thing Tuesday morning, including a stop in to see Santa, some face painting, and some playtime.

Erica, having her face painted

Sam and Kicka in the ball pit

Then we headed to Moms and Tots Mass, where Father Apollo treated for pizza after mass, and the kids all made gingerbread houses.

Getting the Gingerbread Houses "Just Right"

They were exhausted by the time our travels arrived the next morning, and, in rare form, Marcus managed to read and watch three movies in flight, and I managed to knit, read, and watch some Sex in the City.  Woo-hoo.

I finished a pair of socks for a friend, too, which is always exciting.

Pom Pom Peds in Lorna's Laces Solid

So, now the travels continue as we head down to North Carolina until Tuesday.  It should be a relaxing few days, thank goodness!  After all, we need it!

Finding Time to Blog

I have often had people ask me how I make time to blog, to knit, to write, and all of the other things that fill up my stay-at-home-mom days.  Thankfully, my girls go to nursery 2 1/2 days a week, so that gives me time to keep the house in (some) order and to do the web writing and editing of my novel.

But the other stuff…well, I make time.  I knit while we’re watching a television show, while the girls are eating lunch, and while we’re sitting in the car between activities.  I find the time, because I love it.  Most of my knitting happens after the girls are in bed at night, because I find it so easy to do while watching a movie with Marcus or while he plays video games.  But I make time for it during my day because it keeps me sane.

As for blogging, I make time for that too.  I usually like to blog while the girls are at school (like now) or when we just wake up in the morning.  The girls wake up, eat breakfast, and watch a show or two, and I’ll catch up on emails, the news, and blog if I have something blog-worthy to say (and sometimes, even if I don’t).

I might get interrupted, and have to leave the blog alone and return, but typically, I can whip one out fairly quickly if I’m so inclined.

Yesterday morning, however, I laughed out loud and knew you’d appreciate what truly goes on in my house while I’m blogging.

I heard Kicka go into the kitchen.  I heard her riffling in the bread bag and getting a piece.

And then…nothing.

I finished writing, ears poised to hear and intervene in whatever trouble she might get herself into, but heard nothing.

And then, in she walked.

Proud Kicka, after buttering her own bread!

Yes, that’s bread in her hand.  And those globs all over it?  Butter.  That little stinker got the butter and butter knife (which I’d left on the counter…bad mommy!) and buttered herself a slice of bread.  Bless her, she was so darned proud of herself!

I make time for blogging, knitting, writing, and all the other things that make me who I am.  But my girls…they just are.

A Family of Five

Disclaimer:  No, I’m not pregnant.  Just wanted to put that out there, in case that’s what you were thinking.

Of all the experiences that we’ve had as a family since moving abroad in 2006, one of the greatest and most life-changing has been to realize that we are a family of five, a family in Christ.

When Marcus and I met, I liked that he was Catholic too, though neither of us was practicing.  We went to church on holidays, for baptisms and weddings, and on the occasional Saturday or Sunday when we were up, moving, and so inclined.  But we weren’t religious or spiritual.

That changed slightly when we had our children, because I knew that I wanted them to grow up in the church.  But we still went to church sporadically, and didn’t include Christ in our day to day life.

When we went to Marriage Encounter, Marcus and I both took reassurance in the idea that our marriage had three people in it–me, him, and God.  But when the weekend memories faded, so did that idea from our lives.

Moving abroad has breathed new life into our ideas about spirituality, religion, our faith, and our personal and familial relationships with the Lord.  Originally belonging to a large Catholic church in Harrogate, we may never have been active or had this experience.  But on the recommendation of our friends, we decided to attend the parish on base.

It was not an easy transition for me from a large parish, where I was a face in the crowd, to a small, faith-driven community where people knew and interacted with one another.  In fact, I felt uncomfortable with this time of church at first, and our attendance was sporadic.

In addition, my children were not well-behaved at mass.  I felt like all eyes were on us, and was embarrassed that they had misbehaved in front of God, as well as people we would see on a regular basis and who did, in fact, know us.

Over the past year, however, everything has changed.  I wish I could pinpoint who, what, or when, but the fact is, it was a combination of everything.

We started attending a Moms and Tots Mass weekly on Tuesday mornings, connecting me through Christ with other women and children that I have come to love and cherish, and who have impacted me and my relationship with my girls.

Marcus became the parish council’s treasurer, allowing him to become involved in the church and it’s decision making.

I started doing the Children’s Liturgy, sharing the word of the Lord with children and drawing on my background as a teacher.  This opportunity has also allowed me a deeper understanding of God’s word.

Add to all of this the fact that, as many of you predicted, the girls are learning about church, God, and our faith.  As a result, they are behaving in church, asking questions, and praying.

We are growing as a family through Christ, thanks to our parish community and our experiences living abroad.

We are, without a doubt, a family of five thanks to the Lord.

I am truly blessed.

Mothers and Daughters

A dear friend recently blogged about Mothers and Daughters.  I was quick to respond, commenting that though my relationship with my own mother is excellent, I spend most of my days now worrying about my relationship with my daughters.

I wonder if they’ll remember the days I was depressed and couldn’t get out of bed, or the days I took them to McDonald’s as a special treat and we ran around the playground.  Will they remember the mistakes that I made as a mother, or that I tried so hard to be the mother I wanted for them?

My girls are my life.  But I’m quick to accept that there are days where I want nothing more than to be selfish.  For someone to help me with them.  For them to just play quietly and let me knit one more round.

Add in, of course, the struggles that I’ve had as a mother.  Should I discipline more, or less?  Should I spank or not?  Will one more lollipop really hurt them?  I don’t want them talking back…but how do I handle it?  Should we let them sleep in our bed?

Parenting is no easy task, that’s for sure.

Mostly, I hope that the girls know how much I loved them. That even with all of my shortcomings, they’ll remember that.

I flash back to a fight I had with my mother once when I was in high school.  Driving home after school still mad at her, and finding a note that she, my quiet and reserved mother, had placed on the seat next to me.  Reading it and hearing her say that she knew that she wasn’t perfect but that she tried her best.  And when I sit her trying to remember the bad, I can’t.  All I remember is this.

I pray that when my girls sit down to remember me one day, they’ll have the same realization.  That I wasn’t perfect, but that I tried my best.

My Girls

My Mother, My Girls, and Me