Fun Fun Fun & a little hard work

I just got back from visiting my parents and along the way I visited with my good friend Kate from High School & Kristen who is also a great friend. I also visited with my brother James and my brother Ben and his cute fam. We are going to miss them. They are going to be moving far away and we won't see them hardly.
When we were up there my parents were extra nice to spend special time with us. My Dad slept out in the tent with Byron. He was grinning from ear to ear and loved every minute of it. We went to the splash park one day. Oh ya and I was able to go to the temple with my Grandma. I made sure to take a lot of mental pictures of the special time we had together. She is 80 now. She is such a sweet heart. We went to McDonald's with my aunt and two second cousins (my cousin Michelles girls), my grandma, and my parents. We watched a few movies, which was relaxing at the end of the days. Wes didn't come with us on the trip. It was challenging at times. Today my kids were pills, but I tried to stay patient. I love my life. I have such great family and friends. It's good to be back home in my own bed and with my sweet husband. My kids act their best when they are in their own environment. Ta ta for now. Signing off. Becky

The Friend Website

What a blessing this new site has been to our family. You just go to LDS.org and on the home page there is a button that says "Past Features". You just click on that and then click on the article about the friend website. I just bookmarked it, just because the website has a long address. We like to have individual time with each of our kids on Sunday mornings. This is usually what we do. It plays hymns while they do the puzzles and games. Our boys love it! I would highly recommend it.

A cool book

Lately I have been reading a really good book that I got at our Bookmobile called, "The Parenting Breakthrough" by Merrilee Browne Boyack. It has inspired me so much. This summer the boys have been earning money by doing work for me. Such as doing their normal chores and also by doing "Money chores". Like weeding, picking rock, helping mommy make dinner, set the table, and other odd jobs I have them do. I am trying to get them to be able to do a lot on their own. Lilly has actually been helping a bit too with the rock picking (our soil is so rocky up here!) and weeds.
Last FHE we sat down and made a list of meals they wanted to help me with throughout the week and they would trade of every other night. It has helped me get closer to each of them. They feel so special and I let them do a lot of the meal. It helps make the meals more entertaining. Sometimes cooking gets tedious when you have to do it so much. Here is a list of things that children should be able to do by each age (according to Merrilee)(My boys made sandwiches the other day by themselves. It helps to have a check off list and get ideas of what they should already know.
2005 – Merrilee Boyack Training Children To Be Independent
“The Plan”
Page 1
THREE YEARS OLD
Dress self
Toilet trained
Beginning brush teeth
Pick up toys
Say prayers
FOUR YEARS OLD
Brush teeth
Make bed
Make own breakfast
Make sandwiches
Beginning to clean room
Clean glass tables
Unload dishwasher
FIVE YEARS OLD
Straighten room
Vacuum
Empty garbage cans
Set table
Clear table
Make own lunch
Canned food warm-up
Get allowance
SIX YEARS OLD
Take shower
Dusting
Load dishwasher
Empty dishwasher
Clean sinks
Run microwave
Water plants
Make and answer phone calls
SEVEN YEARS OLD
Wash dishes
Floss teeth
Clean toilets
Pull weeds
Savings account
Read with comprehension
Memorize phone/address
EIGHT YEARS OLD
Grooming nails & hair
Get up by himself
Team sport or club
Personal talent development
Clean mirrors
Read scriptures daily
Care for pet
Do hair
Begin piano lessons
“The Fabulously Brilliant Flexible and
Comprehensive Plan for Raising Independent
Children Who Will Be Able to Take Care of
Themselves as Adults and Be Able to Have a
Family of Their Own Plan.”
2005 – Merrilee Boyack Training Children To Be Independent
“The Plan”
Page 2
NINE YEARS OLD
Mop floor
Clean pictures
Bake cakes
Bake cookies
Read scriptures daily
Baptism
Emergency prep
Learn first aid
Fill car with gas
Wash car
Vacuum interior of car
Hammer nails
Saw wood
Cook vegetables
Write letters
Understands puberty & sex
Use e-mail
TEN YEARS OLD
Do own laundry completely
Set personal goals
Musical instrument
Maintain personal journal
Exercise program
Rent video
Clean stove
Clean oven
Make several salads
Basic nutrition
Use blower
Plant plants
Place a collect call
Use a payphone
Place a long distance call
Know articles of faith
Write creative writing
Basic science understanding
Wrap presents
Sew buttons
ELEVEN YEARS OLD
Arrange for own haircuts
Clean refrigerator
Clean cupboards
Straighten drawers
Straighten closets
Sew hems
Bake pies
Bake bread
Make several main dishes
Ironing
Meal planning
Mow lawn
Use weed-wcker
Garden maintenance
Place credit card call
Mission preparation
Good basic math skills
Use a camera
Learn to crochet or knit
First aid training
Babysitting class
TWELVE YEARS OLD
Shop for clothing
Basic fashion awareness
Wardrobe planning
Develop reading program
Read newspaper
Public speaking
Weight control habits
Make/keep dentist appt.
Make/keep doctor appt.
Keep personal calendar
Understand basic filing
Some computer experiences
Order something by phone
Order something by mail
Order something on internet
Read Book of Mormon through
Priesthood or Young Women's
Check fluids in car
Paint interior/exterior house
Babysitting
Mending
Clean windows
Use internet (filtered!)
2005 – Merrilee Boyack Training Children To Be Independent
“The Plan”
Page 3
THIRTEEN YEARS OLD
Sew simple items
Shopping & sales
Bargain hunting
Party planning
Has own recipe files
Grocery shopping
Plant care
Simple budgeting
Pay household bills
Use ATM
Certify for CPR
Type without looking
Go to movies w/out parent
Understand prescriptions
Learn meat-handling rules
Learns etiquette rules
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD
Basic interior decorating
Food storage basics
Memorize S.S. number
Understand debit cards--use
Learn interest, debt, securities
Learn about make-up (girls!)
Identify business skill to get
Some experience with sales
Learn basic civics and politics
Accompany parent to vote
Thorough car detailing
Change flat tire
Basics of car operation
Structural household repairs
Put up wallpaper
Memorize Seminary scriptures
Clean garage
Sell items on the internet
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD
Get driver's license!
Understands credit cards
Learn retirement plans
Resume preparation
Interviewing
Understand advertising
Career planning
Arrange for car insurance
Household repairs
Assist in purchase of car
Checking account
File tax return
Deal the auto mechanic
Landscape planning
Use cell phone (they pay for it!)
GET A JOB!!!
EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD
Spontaneously quotes scriptures in Sunday
School
Stops by to visit parents and offers to help
Starts buying parents really expensive gifts
File insurance claim
Shall I go on? I love dreaming!
Rather incredible, isn’t it? We have to know a LOT before we can be
successful adults. Some of you may be reading the list and thinking, “Gee, I still
need to learn some of this.” It’s never too late!
As I said before, feel free to add to this list all you would like. If you would
like an electronic copy of this list, feel free to send me an e-mail and I’ll send it to
you. Spend some time both by yourself and with your spouse and family reviewing
the list and seeing if anything particular to your family needs to be added to come up
with your own Master List.
You may certainly want to add some items that fit your own family’s spiritual
values as well and your family’s personality. You may be big sports buffs and not
care at all about music. You may love to have your daughters do dance or whatever.
Make it fit who your family is and who your children are.
Good Luck!
Merrilee

Hope this helps inspire any of you with Kids. I know I am always looking for new ideas to help me be a better mom.

Who said we had to leave our house to go camping?

Last Friday night we set up the tent in our backyard and had a great camping trip! :) We roasted marshmallows over the stove(make sure if you do this that the parents are there at all times, it gets really hot!), read books, told stories (one of us would start and then the next person would add on), laughed, the boys and Wes watched a movie on our portable DVD player, and at the end of the night Lilly and I went inside to bed. I don't get any sleep in the tent. We all had such a great time. Wes said it was windy and a bit rainy through the night. I remember when I would sleep out when I was younger. It was so fun.

Our little boy's growing up

The other day Byron graduated from Kindergarten. It was hard not to get teary eyed. It was so cute how he knew the words to his program so well! His grandma was able to come with us and Lilly stayed home with Aunt Katie and her girls. Thanks Katie! Otherwise we would be out in the hall the whole time. It's crazy how time goes by so fast and if you don't stop and smell the roses once in a while, moments just pass by. I'm so proud of Byron for successfully passing kindergarten. :)