Household Responsibilities, VBS, & Library Fun

Sunday was an interesting day.  The boys started off playing A.Q. (Adventure Quest) and I kept reminding them that if dad saw this he'd be upset.  Upset, mainly because on Saturday after we got back he was mowing the grass and something was 'kicked up' and caught the belt.  The item was dad's, but the boys were asked to clean up the yard.  Which lead to an argument between dad and Pumpkin about who's responsibility things were and doing things since he works and we are home all day to help him out.

After a while Pumpkin & I went grocery shopping.  When we came back he made lunch, grilled hot dogs.

Fireball Coyote was giving dad a hard time helping outside, while we were out, making dad Very Frustrated.  Dad was at his whits-end with him.  So, sitting in his shop, thinking, I came up with an idea.  Try asking the kids how they wanted to contribute to the house.  They tend to be more likely to do somethings easier than others and prefer somethings more.
I started out by asking what mom & dad do without thinking about it to show we care, love and help everyone.  They came up with a good list.  ( Going to classes they liked, staying homeschooled, staying up late, having food and a house, doing their laundry, letting them play in the woods, and more.)  Then I asked what did they do to show the same thing. They came up with 3 things.
I asked what they wanted to do weekly to help out and be responsible for.  I let them know that this would also free up time for mom & dad to be able to do more with them.

 They came to the decision that Pumpkin would check the yard twice a week at night, cook on Mondays, and clean the bedroom twice a week (that QUICKLY changed! on Monday).  Fireball Coyote chose to vacuum threes times a week, do laundry twice a week, cook Fridays (later he added Wed., too).  Both would keep up the animal duties, all would do the garden, and Wed. were the boys unload and load the dish washer.  Pumpkin, frustrated with the bedroom chose dishes for Mondays instead of the bedroom, even after saying Fireball Coyote would do Thurs.  Fireball kept his Thurs. bedroom day and Pumpkin's changed to Sunday.

 Hopefully this will help with household things and dad knowing the boys are 'doing something' to help.


Monday was L.J.'s last day with us (till the end of July?).  In lieu of last weeks bickering, all day computer/PS2 days, I 'kicked' the boys off the electronics while L.J. was here.  The boys decided to go creek exploring and came back with a baby (what they believe to be a) gecko.  We all went for a walk.  Played with L.J. and did PS2 while he napped.  Since it was Monday, Pumpkin made grilled hamburgers.  After lunch they went back outside and played till it down poured on them.  When L.J. went home, after lunch, they wanted to get on the computers, but they couldn't since they didn't do their household responsibilities.  After the laundry was done, bedroom straightened a bit, vacuuming was done, dishes put away and run, then we all played Animal Jam till a bit after 5 PM.  Then it was time to wrap up responsibilities and get ready for VBS.

The theme
"Under Construction"

Building utility boxes.

After VBS, I let the boys play in the yard till late.  They had a great day and loads of fun, I believe.

Tuesday

some of the 'old' toys came out .
:-)

But the computers came on eventually.

Before VBS, my gasman fill the tank a bit.

There is always a good amount of people here.

Fireball was chosen to hold a song card ~ "Kids Under Construction".

The second and third nights they painted their boxes.

Pumpkin was HUGH on the tether ball!  Every.  Night.
He even has bruises to prove it.

Here comes a monkey.

 Wednesday 

We went to the local library and saw Scales and Tails, again.

Fireball Coyote was the photographer for this event.

The bearded dragon.

American alligator.

Chinchilla. 

After they looked up some books they wanted and requested some.

 Thursday

I was a "wonderful mom"  (  :-)  )  and they were on the computer All. Day.

So, when the time came to get ready, some had melt downs, and Fireball Coyote chose to stay home and help dad work on our neighbors tiller.

Painting tool pouches.

There is Always a great spread served!
(LOVE not having to cook this week!!!)

 Friday

The last night is PIZZA night!

It's neat to see the variety and fun ways the kids do their work.

There is a P.E. time every night too.
On the last night everyone played "Prisoner's base".

Saturday

We went to the feed and seed, bought some tomato plants, bell pepper, and a lavender plant.  Then we went grocery shopping, Fireball Coyote was a 'runner' and Pumpkin did the adding.

 There was some yard work to be done by them, but it didn't happen. :-/ (The household responsibility list on this day isn't working. ) :-/

Fireball Coyote "said" dad was done with him outside and was 'asked' to make dinner.

Found out later, that wasn't the case.
He was "doing his own thing".
(VERY frustrating when you are depending on him to do something, that HE agrees to, and he doesn't follow through!)

 It leaves me with a major headache, crabby and yelling, between dad Flipping Out and getting FRusTRateD with him and Fireball Coyote, not doing what he said he do or helping in Any Way.  "I just want to play," he says.  (And get everything his way.)

UGH!

Tether ball bruises and proud of them.

Next week ~ Father's Day, an AG. simulator at the library, hopefully the movie Oceans, and ????

Found this COOL map on the AG simulator web page.