Saving for a goal!

Teddy wanted to buy an i-pod touch which cost over $300. Now I don't buy things for the kids, they get gifts from family members and us for Christmas and for Birthdays. Grandma will buy special gifts for them every so often but that has decreased in the past years.

When Teddy wanted to have an i-touch for his music and games I suggested that he started saving his money (honestly I thought this would take well over a year). Teddy asked for Apple Store gift cards for Christmas, and his birthday. He also did a weeks worth of work in the yard cutting down prarie plants, raking wet leaves, and all other wet, cold yucky work. We paid him $100 for this work (well worth it).

Well this gave Teddy in less than a year enough money to buy his i-touch. He ordered it and learned many computer tricks over this experience. I am currently wrestling with the descition in limiting time on it or allowing unlimited amount of time, in hopes he will peter out and become bored with it. Who knows.

I did tell him I would be observing him to decide what the best choice would be, and I would like his thoughts and input in what kind of schedule we should have.

Where has the time gone?

Well it is official, I haven't written on this blog for 1 1/2 years and I have an official teenager. As I read back throughout the few post I noticed a pattern. Lack of time. In order remedy this I have become only a sub for coaching, I just finished doing the homeschooling conference and I will not do the planning committee again so that leaves me with my curriculum job 2 days a week and ESL classes for my commitment outside of my children.

With more time to observe my children I watched as L.S. hugged "Teddy" (a pet name she gave her oldest brother) on the couch. I don't know what was more sweet her smile as she cuddled on top of his growing teenage chest or his smile of ahhh as he looked down on his little sister. Then "Froggy" (a name little sister gave because her 9 year old brother would jump around a lot) wanted in on the hugging action. He climbed on top of the two and hugged them. Then Froggy saw he may be squishing L.S. he suggested that she layed on top of him and he got in the middle.

How did I get these children to have so much love for one another?

Was it really me, probably not but I did use a lot of the methods from the book Siblings without Rivalry. I read it twice and listened to it on tape one (yes tape, showing my age).

99% of the time I will not take a side. 1% of the time is for human error. I will help verbalize the problems the children are having with each other and I empathize for their situations but I do not pick who was right in the situation. This is not always an easy task when you see the child doing something wrong to the other child.