Dinner Jobs

Quite awhile back I read this post about dinner jobs. I thought it was a great idea. I loved how she planned the jobs that one person's job didn't rely on another persons...always a problem. I've been wanting to start jobs at dinner, currently we're hit and miss but the person who gets up from the table first without being excused is who has to clear the dishes. Not the best way...though it does keep everyone at the table until dinner's over and it teaches manners.

But I wanted a more routine way of dinner jobs. At our old house I had an S and a C cut out of construction paper that I rotated between the kids for setting and clearing the table. But the ones on the post were cuter and more detailed. I made up what would have been 4x4 cards but I never got them printed.

I put "dinner jobs" on the kids' checklists for each day. Each day they ask me what their dinner job is...I'm not ready for that part yet I'd say. And so everyone shoveled food into their mouths and walked away from the table. Actually everyone took their plate to the sink but I was still the one doing the dishes, putting everything away and taking care of the table and floor.

Today I sat in the easy chair for my couple of minutes of quiet time, the few minutes while everyone is supposed to sit on their beds looking at books, or if you're under 4 lay down and take a nap. I looked at the table and thought about the dinner jobs again. How we needed to get that started. How I wanted it to look.

My old computer files made in my beloved Microsoft Publisher are not compatible with the new computer (a mac) so I sat down to recreate them. And now that I have Internet I thought fondly back to my limited experience with picnik. So I shot a few staged shots. Uploaded. And created some really fun (I think) dinner jobs lists.

I'm not really ready for today...

There's nothing special about it and that's probably my problem. Just the mundane of a Wednesday in August.

Have I ever told you August is my least favorite month? It is. The lawn I meant to keep green is not. Everything just wants water. The summer lazy routine is old and not working anymore but it's too early for the school routine. Yeah, not a big fan of August.

There was an awesome thunder storm last night as I made dinner. At one rumble it felt like the thunder was RIGHT over our house. #4 was helping me with dinner and every time the thunder would roll he'd want to go see...nothing to see buddy, we just get to hear it! After dinner we went and stood in the rain. It was refreshing. While out there I found this. I love cloud breaks, to see a glimpse of heaven.

This morning as we're trying to get ready for the day. I'm feeling August. In need of a new routine. Looking for the sweet and good and memorable for the day though.

Chubby, dimpled baby hands will do.

Following the light

One of my favorite things about our rental house is the light that we get. The morning is nice and bright without glaring into the windows and the afternoons...

oh the afternoons...

light comes from across the fields that will filled with flowers this summer and gives wonderful golden light to the front of the house. I followed it around quite a few days ago...

A clean basket

#4 and I were in the playroom the other day and, even though I tried to talk him out of it, in true 2 year old fashion he dumped out the whole basket of cars and trucks.

Not a scene a mommy likes to see, but I decided to make the most of it.

I broke out the Clorox wipes, handed one to #4 and let him go to town.

He forgot all about the cars, well actually he never was playing with them…dumping them out was all he was about. But he did spend a long time scrubbing the basket.

When he was done we had a nice shiny basket ready to refill with cars…he wasn’t into that either.

What I love about Sundays...

A clean bathroom...and everywhere else too.

We started having a family cleaning time Sunday afternoons awhile back. Everyone has a job so the whole house is tidy, dusted, vacuumed, aired-out and looking good and it doesn't take too long. It helps get us ready for a new week.

The only draw-back...the part I don't like...

Lest you think I don't do laundry during the week. Everyday #3 is supposed to bring all the laundry to the laundry room so #2 can sort it and I can do 2-3 loads. Now not everything is done like it should be but I remember #3, #2 and #4 all doing the laundry jobs on Thursday AND Friday! So all this laundry was hiding in the depths of untidy rooms and/or is what our family creates in a weekend! Ugh...


Yesterday's particular Sunday was also full of this...

And I'm loving this!

Spring Break Recap

Oh my has it been busy around here!

We enjoyed a family day at Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Interpretive Center. We went to the tide pools and found all sorts of fabulous shells and even saw some rock seals resting on the rocks. We had a second day at the beach with Grandma D at Neskowin. Digging in the sand and making a sandcastle. It didn't rain on us the whole time but #3 got knocked down by a wave and was so drenched we had to go back to the car and changed. By the time we got loaded up and to the car it was raining.

After Yaquina Head we drove down to Florence to visit my cousin and family. #1 and my cousin's oldest were SO excited to see each other. And everyone got to hold the new little. We had dinner and then at bedtime we drove home. It made for a LONG night but everyone slept better in their own beds.

Part of coming home from Florence in the night was that the next day we'd have time to do some of the home projects we'd planned. One of the home projects was shelving in the closets we got during the remodel project. I keep much of my craft supplies in one of the closets and it was quickly becoming unusable as I piled more and more into it without a organization system. The shelves are WONDERFUL! I'm not quite done putting everything away but I've enjoyed being able to move around in there. And get to my stuff...especially my scrapbooking, it was becoming a heap without any hope!

The kids have gotten to get out some of our messier craft supplies as well. Mr. Wiedz found some great watercolor paper on super sale at the University Bookstore the last day of classes before the break. There have been some great masterpieces come out of our dining room table.

We've really enjoyed our Spring Break! We have one last great part to experience. This weekend we're having a party for my brother who will be deployed in May to Iraq. My whole family is getting together at the parents to let the kids play, visit, eat, be together and enjoy our family.

Have a great weekend.

What we've been doing...

So Saturday I was by myself with the kiddos at home on a cold, drizzly day. We did nothing. I think the TV was on the entire day and #2 had that blasted DS on all day. Mr. Wiedz was cutting up a tree that fell over from the storms at his dad's house. And he and Papa went on a dump run (they did take #3 with them on that trip, small blessings).

But after that LONG boring day we've been busy!

Sunday, after a beautiful church service where a fabulous lady shared her gift of music with us, and a quick lunch Mr. Wiedz took the big kids outside with him to unload all the wood thanks to that tree in Papa's front yard. #3 and #4 were, of course, napping during this.

I HATED loading/stacking wood when I was little. HATED. IT.

I even remember telling my parents Sundays were to be a day of rest and we shouldn't be hauling/stacking wood. Didn't work. Now, here are my kids, dutifully hauling/stacking wood on Sunday!

While they were out there I stayed in. I tried to make some order in the kitchen and in attempt to stay with the "extra something" I tackled this:

And turned it into this. I don't think I got rid of anything just resorted, re-stacked, wiped down and made a little more organized.

I even did another cabinet and I did purge some old lids that don't match anything and a burnt up pan that I don't use anymore.

Before dinner the kids got their monetary reward for all the hauling and stacking.

#1 is saving up for some more American Girl accessories (including getting Kit's ears pierced) so she'll do anything for a quarter. Don't tell her it'll take FOREVER to get anything at that pay scale!

To add to #1's cuteness right now she asked me for some handkerchiefs, "since it is getting to be runny nose time". Sunday night we cut up an old sheet (had holes and stains) and after bedtime I hemmed them and sat with Mr. Wiedz watching basketball (or football, I don't remember) while I added some embroidery.

She was very excited the next morning when I had them sitting at her breaky spot. She's carried one each day in her pocket!

Monday, I was helper in #2's preschool class. There are 9 preschoolers (joined by a kindergartner when her class is done with recess) and I am wiped out at the end of the day with them.

There are a couple of boys who turned four mid-September so they are right on the line of going into Kindergarten next year. They test me big time! Being the helper is a big deal for the teacher, who loves parents to help each day. And #2 was really excited I was going to be there!

The biggest news is Mr. Wiedz has gone back to school! Today was his first day of classes. He was able to register for 16 credits at the University of Oregon (1.5 hour drive from our house). Luckily all those credits are Tuesdays and Thursdays which cuts down his travel time and therefore our gas bill.

He is excited about the opportunity to complete his degree. It is a lifetime goal and he is now one step closer! He'll have another term to go, for sure. He's majoring in Policy, Public Planning and Management (PPPM) which has some courses only offered each term. Because of work he missed Fall term so he may have to wait and complete some of the required courses next fall but it'll only take a term or two of 16+ credits and he'll be DONE!

I am proud of him for working so hard to get to this point. It'll be a real challenge to balance all the school work, the driving to school and the being at school with the work he still has to do, basketball to coach, wrestling practice to attend, family, home, church, parenting and life but I know he can do it!

Now I'm off to try to complete her other request. A bag to tote her basketball supplies to school/practice. I made a wrestling bag for #2 and now she needs one of her own.

Still snowing

It is still snowing. And still quiet and calm outside.

Quiet and calm is not how I'd describe inside but we are enjoying our time in for the most part. A lot of games and puzzles. A lot of running around...#4 loves to chase his big siblings. A lot of reading and snuggling. A lot of DS playing. Some crafting. Some school work. A little laundry. Very little cleaning. A couple of red envelopes with fun movies have arrived.

I am ready to leave the house. I have big plans for this weekend. They are calling for more snow so my plans may be interrupted. I'll keep you posted.

Snow Day

We've been hit by the "Arctic Blast", that's what the media is calling our 7 to 8 inches of snow. Everything is closed down, my mid-west neighbors roll their eyes but us Oregonians don't know what to do with the white powdery stuff...we're used to liquid sunshine!

Here's a little glimpse of what we've seen and done on this day shut away!

A little home project

***Friday's edit: I'm linking this post for my "Company Girls" Coffee.




Before:

Mr. Wiedz and I bought our home over 6 years ago. Prior to moving in Mr. Wiedz did a major renovation. Left out of the remodel at the time was a long narrow hallway that was original to the house and was weird. But it was something no one knew how to get rid of so it stayed. Last weekend Mr. Wiedz and I were talking about reorganizing our closet/purging old clothes that haven't seen the front of the closet in some time. This discussion led to dreaming how nice it would be to have a bigger closet...well lets knock out the wall and make a bigger closet right here... That train of thought led us through that entire side of the house, making changes and talking about what we could do.

Mr. Wiedz caught the vision! At this point were were just making bigger closets and a bigger room for all the boys to share. But at a point when he realized the wall next in line to come down was most likely a bearing wall and was made of lath and plaster a new vision came to him. A vision he could really get excited about!...He could get rid of the narrow hallway that had plagued him for 6 years.
Once Mr. Wiedz "catches the vision" he is ready to act. I asked him when we might take on this project...crowbar in hand he said, "right now!" That was on Saturday. Keep in mind Mr. Wiedz will be off for another business trip shortly, but he promised walls and doors before he leaves.

Starting Saturday he tore down and Tuesday his dad J came to help wire. Wednesday he hung drywall and today started the hot mud/taping process. I'm so tired of how dirty everything is. There is dust everywhere! And piles of stuff moved from space to space to make room for the next phase.The boys have really gotten into the remodeling project. Helping, chewing on nails, crawling through drywall dust, hammering, fetching tools, cleaning up (#2's favorite thing is vacuuming) and trying to do whatever they see Mr. Wiedz or (as below) they see Grandpa D doing (course we discourage playing with outlets...they just get extra pieces of wire to crimp and use the pliers on).Well, were done for this stage...Mr. Wiedz will be away for a couple of days and I have my promised walls, though there is no door on the boys' room...that's ok.

After:

I am tired of the mess and the work but I am excited for my new storage closet that used to be that horrible narrow hallway. And I got wall sconces on either side of my bed...I've always wanted those! And what girl doesn't dream of a walk-in closet? We really will enjoy our new layout and we think it is a more appealing floor plan if we ever decide to sell.

Another project marked off the list

Another project I've always talked about but not taken the time to complete got completed today!

Side note: the canning has not gotten done, but neither is the fruit rotting. You'll be first to know when either of those events take place.

When #1 was born I took a beautiful black and white picture of her being bathed in the kitchen sink by Mr. Wiedz. When #2 was born the world had turned digital and so I was able to take a great picture of Mr. Wiedz bathing him in the kitchen sink and turn it black and white. Both photos have been framed since shortly after they were taken, hanging in the bathroom.

#3 and #4...they had pictures taken of them just weeks or days old being bathed in the kitchen sink. Because of the wonderful digital program I use I easily changed them to black and white. But they have sat in the computer. Not framed. Not hung proudly on our wall.

I'm working on getting the backlog of photos from outside the grasp of the computer and into frames or scrapbooks. I've finished our family album of 2006. I've got #3's baby album mounted. Still need to journal both of those projects...there is always something! And #2's album caught up to his 4th birthday...that one is even journaled!

So I ordered pictures for #4's baby album and while I was at it I ordered the black and white bathing pictures. Today I washed and painted the window I'd always planned on using as my frame. I mounted the pictures. I hung a "wall hanging thing-y" on the back of the window. And I hung it in the bathroom. Perfect!

I love getting projects done.


Now off to the peaches!

Another side note: having extra places in the window does not mean I'm prepared if we have other children. We only had 16 pane or 6 pane windows left over from the remodel many years before...just in case you were wondering!