It's a new year - let's do it!

Vern is getting some exercise. With his wrestling and all. Today I was on the treadmill and low and behold here comes Vern wanting to climb on too. I told him he could after I was finished.

He starts unbuttoning his shirt, "Mom, I have to get outta this shirt."
He comes back 2 minutes later in shorts and a tshirt ready for action.
"Sweetie, you have to wait until mom is finished."
"Well how long is that going to be?"
"5 minutes."
"Okayyyyy"

He goes to sit down, reading a magazine like waiting for a doctor appointment.

When I finally let him on with all the rules he was SOOOOO excited!

He got on and did great and followed the rules...pretty well.

Good times for Vern.

Good Days

Vern has been having quite a few good days. No big troubles in school. No disasters on the school bus.  I have not succeeded in getting him to do his jobs without being nagged about it. Ideas???

Tonight he wanted on Webkinz soooo bad. He was not allowed until his jobs and school work were done. That left all of 20 minutes before bedtime. Then we had a temper tantrum because the computer wouldn't work right. HOW do I make him understand if he does his chores he would have more play time? Nothing phases that boy.

He gets to attend the reading party tomorrow, this will be the 2nd one I believe. He is pretty excited about that.

Otherwise Vern and the rest of us are just stuck in the wintertime rut. Looking forward to spring!

Pinewood Derby

Vern had his pinewood derby competition this weekend. He used his car from last year as he couldn't do Pinewood Derby last year because of all the trouble he was getting into.  You can't tell from the photos below but it looks a lot like an old car his dad used to have - 1978 TransAm. Gold and everything.  His car was pretty fast. He won quite a few of his heats but not enough to place in the top 3. The top winners were only .001 second off each other so good races.  John, my oldest, also entered a car in the open class. He got consistently second but no trophey for him either. They had a fun time. 

Think Sheet

So when the kids are naughty they get to fill out "think sheets".  It is kind of funny because I have been in work place situations where the same type of thing is filled out when some one f*cks up and has to explain what went wrong and why it won't happen again.

Here was Vern's. (Not verbatium as I had to send the sheet back signed.)

Problem:

I climbed on a snow pile when the teacher told me not to.

Solution:

Listen to Mrs. Jones the first time she tells me something.

As I am signing this I ask Vern "How many times have we gone over this same thing at home Vern. If you just listen and do things the first time you do not get into trouble?"

"Yes Mom I know."

I'm sure he was or will be back on the snow pile soon. UGH!

Not another one!

Yes another one.

Another NO SCHOOL day. This one was unexpected so DA MOM did not have any chores or activities planned for the kids and did I pay.

I was blessed with repeated phone calls. "MOMMMMMM, he did..."

"MOMMMMMM, she hit..."


"MOM, would you tell those two to..."

and when I was in meetings, the same thing over again in a voice mail.

Their dad came to pick them up early afternoon and the rest of my day was much quieter.