Teaching Kids Money

so I came up with a good idea how to teach kids money.

You become their bank and their credit card.

I am going to start with the basic with Sedona--

She can keep her money in her piggy bank--or give her money to me and for every dollar she gives me I will give her another dollar at the end of the month. (yes I know that interest level is why off--but I'm just teaching her.)

Plus I will tell her she can buy whatever she wants (at the dollar store, up to however much she actually owns, or $5.00), but she will have to pay me an extra dollar for every $2.00 she spends.


If this works when she gets older I will start showing her how to "invest" by placing her money in different piggy banks. She will earn different amount of money in different time periods---but won't be allowed to take the money out until that time period is done. She will have the basic piggy bank--where she earns her normal $1.00, and can use her money anytime.
Another piggy bank (thank goodness for the $1.00 store and their numberous piggy banks) will give $3.00 every month, but you can't have that money for 3 months...
Another one $5.00 a month, but no touching for 5 months and so on.
If she pulls any money out of those piggy banks early she has to pay me!!

We will see how it goes.

maybe I will have the "perfect life" when...

I just except that I have the perfect life--it is just full of things thrown in (and alot of time I thrown them in the way).



Again--my NEW LIFE plan of action has been postponed--Really I think I will postpone it until Monday--or maybe Tuesday since I have work Monday---anyway--



The teacher visit went well and the teachers sang praise after praise over Sedona-the only things to work on--1. No pouting if she doesn't get her way 2. the letter q in lowercase form is giving her a hard time and 2. She talks alot...alot.



I was suprised about q, but not the rest...the joys of having others see how amazing your child is ... so fun.



I almost wish Pepper was in Headstart so I could hear how wonderful she is too. Not that I have to have others tell me--I already know :)

Tomorrow--for sure tomorrow!

After a trip to the denist, grocery store, and then being called in for "emergency" work. My day is well---gone---BUT....
tomorrow it all starts over again--I would say TONIGHT--BUT....

tomorrow Sedona has a home visit from her teacher so the rest of this evening will be spent trying to get the house in order and cleaned.

I bought stuff to finish the playroom--but alas it is already almost dark and we have NO lights in that room yet! Maybe tomorrow--With a clean house ANYTHING is possible!

Plan of Actions begin TOMORROW!

I am hope from Denver---a day late and 3 missed appointments later and I have already fallen into bad habits!!

TOMORROW!! That is the day--The day I begin my Plans of Actions!!

Stay tuned for the posting of my plans tomorrow!

color helps now and again

a challenge.

Last night I watched Julie & Julia. It was a fun LONG movie--A few scenes with some swearing, but really pretty clean.

I didn't know a thing about Julia Childs. What a great women. You can't help but smile and be totally entertained by her. I really want to watch some of her cooking shows now.

BUT--what it did have was a whole part about Blogging. I had alot of feelings about the purpose of blogging and the good and bad that it can do.

I loved the fact that through her blogging Julie was able to make an impact on the world. gotta love the power of the internet.

I also thought--I want to accomplish something. I want to do something big for me. I DON'T want to cook to do it--that is NOT fun for me. Julie enjoyed cooking and really learned to love to cook from her experience...

so then I was thinking ... what do I love to do ... what is my CORE desire? (if you don't know the term Core Desire pick up the book "the DNA of success" by Jack Zufelt.) :)

I LOVE to come up with ideas---not follow thru with them---but come up with them. Ideas on parties, books, school lessons, garden plans, and everything else. But I am still trying to work out how I can get paid to do that-

I NEED to love housework---cooking---cleaning---and all that. So I was thinking if I did a challenge for myself featuring cooking and cleaning and blogged about it maybe I would stick to it. While I am in Denver I will be coming up with a plan that I feel is workable (but challenging) so that I can feel like I accomplished something.

By the time I arrive home I will have a challenge, a plan, and a deadline. I will step away from the meanless activities that I am drawn into and accomplish something.

Thanks for listening!
Amy

TO DO TODAY!

yes another
to do list for all of your enjoyments


1. Gather Library Books to return
2. Laundry (all Lucas clothes & any Denver clothes)
3. Wash Bedding
4. Shower (yes I have to add that to the list to get it done)
5. Pack
6. Clean house
a. Bedroom
b. Bathroom
c. Kitchen
7. Clean out fridge


I am sure I will find 100 other small things to do--
I will update you with progress tonight


Happy housing!!

Ash Wednesday--Lent

So (see there it is again!)....

I am not Catholic, but I have always loved the idea of Lent.

I should give up pop, which I might, but I am going to Denver and I need a little boost in order to help me drive up there and back--since I am normally so tired after getting read to go----

In the past I have given up
1. music
2. All Media (tv, movies, & music)
3. Pop
4. Chocolate
I am sure there has been more, I just can't remember what.

OK--After I get back from Denver I am going to give up Pop--AND

--for the next 40 days I am going TO DO something, instead of giving it up.

I will try to get some type of physical exercise for at least 20 minutes (except Sundays).

20 MINUTES! That is NOTHING!

I KNOW, but when you haven't even been doing 20 minutes, that can make a big difference.

SO (dang I gotta work on that)......

1. Give up pop when I get home from Denver
2. Exercize Daily (except Sundays)

I will update this on Easter (ok around Easter time)

I can't blog about one subject

I can't remember if I posted these or not, so I am doing it (again?).

These are the invites Annie and I made for an apron swap we are doing.

We drew the "bodies" on each card and then made an apron for each card--so each is hand made and totally unique---time consuming, but super fun!!

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SO I noticed that alot of cute web sites have cutie names for their family---Mr. Muscles, Superdad (man), and so on...

So I want to use cute names for my family....but I am not sure what to use yet.

These are nicknames that they have (or still do) had

Lucas=Chicken King, Lucky, Luke, Love, and Horney Toad (not what you are thinking--his favorite animal was the horney toad).

Sedona=Diva ( I think that one might stay), Sugar, Wiggle Hips, Squirt, and Love-y.

Pepper= Firecracker (that is Lucas's nick name for her), love girl, sweetie, and Pepperoni.

I say I will use their nicknames, but really I will most likely just use their normal names.

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Anyone have any suggestions for something that will naturally (caffine and energy drinks have been used and they work, for the most part, but I am looking for something more healthy) give me MORE energy?

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So...Pepper has been potty training. I haven't really been too stressed about it and am giving her the lead on this. After trying to potty train Sedona for SO long I am NOT going to stress about Pepper---But in the morning she goes potty and then goes diaperless the rest of the day (including two days with a nap time) with out an accident. At night I think she gets more tired because we have had a few issues...

BUT....she doesn't want to wear underware and doesn't want to wear a diaper, so right now she is just in her pants. Maybe in Denver she will pick out some underware and start wearing them.

plus, she calls it her "butt", which it is, but I say "bum" or "Bottom" I am not sure where she got it from.

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So--I noticed I say so at almost the beginning of every blog, which is strange, because I don't feel like I say it in everyday converstation---I will have to work on that.

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Amazing Video

This is CRAZY!! and Scary---but he caught up to a motorcycle and a car---how fast is he going??

http://biggeekdad.com/2009/11/buggy-rollin/

my day in detail.

Once I had a teacher ask me to define "freedom" for me.
I told a very young college class---"A clean house."
They all laughed and I just thought--wait till you have a house, a dog, a husband, a baby, a full time job, and a full time school load, a calling at church, chickens, and live in the middle of a dust storm......

BUT....
tonight
my house
is
clean!

The Young Men came over (a church group made up of 12-17 year old boys) since Lucas is now a YM leader. They ate pizza, planned some upcoming activities and then played Wii.

I do have a few hidden messes that I will work on tomorrow--but honestly my house hasn't been this clean in a long time.

SO tomorrow---
1. go through papers I threw in a plastic bag and hid
2. go through my hutch and clean it out
3. finish the toy room walls (which got scruffed up while placing the table in)
4. return and get the right dust-boards for the playroom floor
5. Go to Sedona school and drop off her valentines (she is sick and won't be going to school tomorrow)
6. Pay some bills.

So good---I will get those done quickly and be ready to play!

of course I am sure another 6 "to do's" will pop up easily

1. Go back to work and try to fax that stuff or finish up the bank stuff
2. Learn how to start knitting
3. Cook up the food I bought today and divide stuff into "dinner sized" ziplock baggies
4. Go over what I need to do for church on Sunday
5. Laundry
6. Start cleaning out Scary Room!

SEE---list of 6 things are super easy to do---here are 6 more (last ones I promise)

1. Schedule 2 year old doctor appointment for Pepper (she hasn't got her shots since she has been sick the last 2 times we have tried to get them!)
2. Schedule Dentist appointment
3. Mail the book I said I mailed 2 days ago
4. Come up with a great B-day gift for my great sister-in-law and amazing sister
5. Write a long email to a friend who is having a hard time
6. Write a long email to another friend who is having a hard time
(and two more to grow on)
7. Write a card to a man whose wife died suddenly in our ward
8. write a card to an awesome friend who doesn't work with me at church anymore (new calling)
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Primary meeting this morning---went well--Lucas was able to break into the file cabnit!! YEAH!

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Went to the library---heard nothing from them about the library job---I am thinking that is NOT a good sign--returned books--nothing new check out---a new feat for me!

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Headed to Alamosa--Listened to Jane Eyre on tape the whole time --
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Sedona came home sick from school today--so thankful Lucas was home since I was just getting into Alamosa and still had about 4 hours of stuff to do---
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-Had Pizza for lunch (Pepper's suggestion)
-Went to the copy store--they couldn't get the stuff I needed to print--me either
-Went to exchange the CD with the stuff I wanted to print on it---the lady at the store opened it right up and printed some stuff for me--ugg--why can't I get it to work!
-Went to the bank--withdrew money
-Went to the other bank--deposited money
-Went to the OTHER bank--paid house bill!
-Went shopping for food and such (Pepper slept in the cart the whole way!! YEAH)
-Went to the other library---loved it---I so love the library! I got 10 books on tape, 5 movies, and about 10 books--
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Mad dash to clean the house before Sedona's school party
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Sedona's school party--had pizza, made a valentine, did a fabric square which will be quilted into a big quilt and auctioned off.
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-Came home to a house of lots of boys & men--which is strange after just all us girls living here most of the time.
-Did Sedona's valentines
-Had Pizza (if you are counting--that is the third time today--I am in heaven, AND I wonder why the scale only goes up and never moves down!)
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Made a fast "heater" for Sedona--a rice bag--but I have been wanting to make one of these for months now and I finally did one--took maybe an hour!
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Played Wii with Lucas for a while



So since I haven't posted in so long I thought I would give you so many details of my day you would be glad I didn't post daily---and hopefully are so sick of me you will be glad I don't post for a couple more days.

Tomorrow I will TRY to post picture of the play room---OH yeah another to-do----Make a skirt to put around the table in the playroom to cover the bottom--

Night!

No Valentines this year?

I wanted to do something neat for Lucas for Valentines day and when I asked him if I could have the money he was going to spend on Valentines day and do something for the both of us I got a long lecture/talk about how Valentines day is such a waste. This was the gist of the converstation:

1. Valentines has probley caused more fights then good in the history of V-day
2. Why do you have to have a day to celebrate love
3. I never rember when it is anyways
4, Why do one holiday where you have to spend money

SO....The girls and I will celebrate it by doing something fun and we are give the kids at church Rice Crispy treats (since it lands on a Sunday), but Lucas is out of luck---maybe next year if his attitude improves, so pretty much we will never have V-day again :(


BUT in his defence, he did write me a song for Valentines day, but in my arguement--he already performed it for me.....


So...I am taking a poll for all 3 people who read my blog :)

IS VALENTINES DAY OVERRATED??