Our Summer Incentive Program

Summer break began yesterday, much to my relief. Sending my boys to school this year has been wonderful for them. They have really blossomed socially and each has gained confidence in a new area this year. I can't say that this would be true for any neighborhood school-- our charter school is one that teaches values, studies the classics, encourages service, and emphasizes the heroes of the past and what made them great. Thus, not only are these things taught, but the families who send their kids to the school all support the same values at home. It has been a wonderful blessing for our family.

Contrary to popular opinion, it has not been "easier" for me with my kids in school this year. We spent lots more time in the car, doing homework while I was making dinner or after bedtime (which is a real drag), meeting other people's deadlines, volunteering, and attending all sorts of meetings, field trips, and class parties, etc. I would say we were busier than ever, had less time for the kids to spend on chores and piano practice, and spent less time together as a family for sure. It was the right thing for us this year and probably for a while, but it has not been easier. And I welcomed summer break.

My kids, however, were not as excited, particularly as they heard me rejoicing in how much work I would have them help me with around the house. However, when I unveiled my incentive plan for the summer, they were very enthusiastic. They didn't even realize that it was not only an incentive plan for them to get the things done that matter to me, but that it will help me regulate their media time while allowing them to self-regulate within my parameters. Perhaps since we have had a "no media on school days" policy for our boys this won't be a shock to their system.

It goes like this. Each morning, each school aged child (including Bronwen, who starts kindergarten in August,) must complete the list of our morning routine. This includes: family devotional, breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, make bed, pick up bedroom, do a chore (different each day, but assigned by me), practice the piano 30 minutes, and schoolwork (a 20-30 minute drill in math most days, also assigned by me. Bronwen is doing handwriting or reading practice).  If they complete this list by noon, (they can easily complete it by 10 am if they are focused), they receive 2 "Screen Time" Tickets, each worth 30 minutes.

In addition, they can earn up to 2 more ST Tickets each day. To earn one ticket they can do 30 minutes in extra chores chosen by me, 30 minutes of extra piano practice, 60 minutes of reading, etc. They can also earn a bonus ticket any time during the week by memorizing our Scripture of the Week and passing it off. Jared & I can also award one MVP ticket for exceptional behavior every day, although we may not give them every day-- it depends on the behavior.

To make things even more interesting (and to help them choose things other than Wii and TV for their free time), I am also offering a Buy-Back Program. They can turn in accumulated, unused tickets for other things. For 6 tickets they can go get an ice cream cone, Jamba Juice, or frozen yogurt. For 8 tickets they can skip a chore one morning and reduce their piano practice to 20 minutes that day. For 15 tickets, we will take them to a movie or let them choose a new book; 25 tickets gets them $20 to spend and a trip to the LEGO store (where I never want to go because it's half an hour away). 40 tickets earns a new Wii game. If they save up 50 tickets, they can have $50 cash or a day at a waterpark with their dad. We will probably have more Buy Back items and Extra Ticket options added as the summer progresses, but so far they are busy earning new tickets cheerfully and saving at least half of them for other things.

I know when things are fresh it is easier to be excited about them, but I am hopeful that this will keep us on track this summer to be productive, have fun, and not rot in front of the TV. I hope it will teach my kids the pleasure of delayed gratification and the importance of being industrious. Most of all, I hope this will help us have a great summer together.

What are your summer strategies with kids at home?

Wordless Wednesday-- Remembering Summer Fun

Summer Checklists

The kids and I are all making summer checklists today-- things that we want to be sure we do this summer, and I thought I'd share them. I tried to not interfere too much in theirs, although I have tried to help Kimball set some more reasonable goals and plans. (He's obviously the oldest child over-achieving type. I don't know where he gets it!)

Michal's Summer Checklist

• Go beach camping-- check! (I'd been really wanting to do that this summer, and at the last minute, we took a four-day weekend and did it!)
• Do something fun with the kids every day.
• Learn/Teach something with the kids every day.
• Make fresh squeezed lemonade, refrigerator pickles, and a homemade ice cream that Henry can eat. (Not all for the same occasion;)
• Run in a 10K race.
• Tackle one organizational nightmare project a week. (homeschool closet, computer armoire, cookbook cupboard, kitchen freezer, Kimball's desk area, . . . )
• Read A Thomas Jefferson Education plus at least 5 books for fun. 
• Learn how to use my dehydrator to make fruit leather or dried tomatoes.
• Have at least one family over for dinner each month (not counting people related to us).
• Have a backyard movie party. At least once, but maybe more often.
• Teach Bronwen to read. 
• Call my sisters-in-law.
• Take my kids to Folsom Lake at least once, but perhaps once a week!
• Let the kids have the lemonade stand they are always begging for.

Kimball's Summer Checklist

• Play 4-way Ninjago.
• Read 4 serial books in one day.
• Eat a whole or half box of Ritz Crackers. (Random!)
• Write and publish a book. (No problem! Easy, peasy, right Tamara?)
• Make meals for a week. (I WISH this were a reasonable item!)
• Hold a diving contest.
• Pickle something weird.
• Clock myself for swimming from one end of the pool to the other without coming up for air in the middle.
• Watch Kung Fu Panda 2.

Henry's Summer Checklist

• Go swimming at least 12 times.
• Read at least 3 *** "me-approved" books. (Upon inquiry, I discovered that this means books he rates at at least 3 stars after reading.)
• Invent a game.
• Win at least 5 games of "Josh-ball".
• Go to an amusement park.
• Learn to ride my bike without hands for at least 10 seconds.
• Make a successful club that lasts at least a week.
• Write a comic book that is at least 10 pages long.
• Have a lemonade stand with Kimball.

Ian's Summer Checklist

• Go to Raging Waters.
• Skip one meal and eat two lunches on Saturday. (???)
• See the new Cars 2 movie in the theater.
• Read 12 chapter books in one day. (His are short.)
• Learn to do a back flip.

Bronwen's Summer Checklist

• Go visit Grammy and Papa.
• Have a lemonade stand.
• Go on a date with Dad to a restaurant to eat burgers for dinner.
• Go to swimming lessons.
• Go see a movie in the theater.
• Play hide and seek.
• Learn to do a back flip.
• Go to the zoo.

What's on your summer checklist?

Strengthening Our Family

Our family has adopted a family theme, taken from The Family: A Proclamation to the World. We say it before our family prayer each morning and night, to remind us of our goals in building a stronger, happier family.

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

Strengthening our marriage and family is a constant desire of Jared's and mine. We know that it will bring greater joy into our lives than acquiring beautiful or luxurious things, than gaining the praise and acclaim of the world, and than visiting resorts or other such fabulous and expensive vacations. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these pursuits, but we know that if we choose to focus our energy and resources on having those things, we will be turning our focus away from the things that bring real joy.


We also believe that family relationships can endure into the eternities; thus, the investment we make in our family will not only bless us in this life, but also in the next.

The motivating factor for our recent road trip was a family reunion for my MIL's side of the family. We gathered together for a variety of "wholesome recreational activities" over the course of a few days, including a breakfast in the park, a trip to Temple Square, the baptism of my niece, dinner out, the children's gardens at Thanksgiving Point, and a few World Cup matches on TV.

Jared (only half-jokingly) corrects me whenever I refer to such trips as "vacations," that visiting family is never a vacation. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing, he tells me. Or at least seeing an exciting new place. Okay, a family reunion may not qualify under that definition. There is lot of work involved in gathering with so many people. There is patience required when you gather multiple family units together, when your kids (and everyone else's) are out of routine and sleep deprived, and when you try to get a big group to show up on time for anything-- even food. But the rewards are great. Some of my favorite moments of the reunion:

• Watching all the cousins singing together at Emma's baptism.
  
• Hearing Jared's younger cousins talking Star Wars with my boys-- which triggered Kimball announcing, "Teenage second-cousins are COOL!"
  
• Shooting off fireworks on July 3rd with all the kids chanting and cheering together, interspersed with singing patriotic hymns.
• Visiting the children's exhibit at the Church History Museum. The children had a great time exploring while many of the adults caught up after being apart for years.
• Having my children be so sad when it was all over. This may seem like a strange favorite, but I am delighted that they love their extended family so much. That was the point of it all, wasn't it?

Some day we'd love to go on a family reunion cruise or spend our vacation exploring the ruins of ancient Rome, but I am pleased that our family can gather with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to make memories and forge relationships that will last forever.

What are some things that you do in your family to make it stronger and happier? And what are some wholesome recreational activities that your family enjoys together?

Virtual Friends Become Reality

If you've ever read Sonja's blog, The Wonder Years, you might wonder if her life is really as idyllic and magical as her poetic words and stunning photos convey.

It is.
Sonja and I discovered that we were kindred spirits through blogging over two years ago. We share a love of motherhood, of learning and teaching our children, of the Savior, of reading, and a desire to be better for our families. On this trip through Utah, I finally got to meet Sonja and her family. It was surreal to be entering their home and feel like I was seeing old friends. I knew the kids well, but they didn't know me at all!

Sonja and I fell into comfortable chatting immediately and the kids became fast friends in a home that clearly welcomed them to be children.

You may remember that I have been ogling The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery from afar for ages, and when I found that there was a new one on the way to Sonja's, I decided it was the perfect excuse to try their cupcakes.
The most wonderful thing about the afternoon was the fact that it felt just the way she conveys it. Nothing fancy or posh. Lots of love, learning, and laughter. It just felt like a happy place to live and be. And I really, really, really want to be her next door neighbor.

The time went by too quickly and soon it was time to say good-bye. Anna and Bronwen exchanged love gifts as if they were life-long BFFs.

I found myself tearing up a little as we drove away, like I used to when I left my sister's or mom's house knowing I wouldn't see them again for a long time. I knew it was silly, and yet you cannot convince me that our friendship, although more virtual than face-t0-face, is anything but real.

Thank you, Sonja, for your example to me of a wonderful mother. I want my home to feel like yours does and pray that my children will be as happy and comfortable in their own skin as yours clearly are.

I'm grateful that if we can't be next-door neighbors, I can still be touched by your life in the virtual world.

Summer's Best

Tomatoes from the garden have got to be in my summer top ten.

This morning, this is what I harvested from our jungle-like tomato garden. There are tons of yellow and orange tomatoes just waiting to turn red in the next couple of days. It's a good thing that I kept garden tomatoes in mind when I planned this week's menu. If you want to see what's for dinner tonight, or read a post I wrote two years ago about the nurturing power of food and the importance of family dinner, go here.

Just got home from a 2 week road trip. I have lots of posts churning around in my mind and filling up my camera card, so stay tuned for a full report of all the people and things we saw.

Summer Fun

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, a sign that we are deep into summer. Since I became a mom, I have discovered that my summer job is to keep my kids busy with worthwhile things. Summers in the Sacramento area are too hot to force the kids out into the backyard indefinitely (a favorite trick of mine in the spring and fall), especially if your backyard resembles a dirt pit with weeds, so we end up spending mornings at the park and swimming lessons, taking a break mid-day for naps, and then spending the afternoons trying to keep cool at the pool or the library. In spite of the SPF 50 I slather on them religiously, my boys are all turning a lovely shade of brown--something I have never been in my life! They love swimming and so we spend a great deal of time bumming around other people's pools. Luckily Jared's parents live nearby and have a pool, but somedays we visit other Friends With Pools (aka F.W.P.s) This picture is at Mom and Dad's with our friends Natalie, Ethan, and Sidney.
I absolutely adore all the produce available in the summer, especially in this area, and I don't think that a meal goes by without a big bowl of fruit on the table. The strawberry stand near our house is irresistible to me if I have any cash when I drive by, and the Farmer's Market makes my mouth water. Here are a few recipes that I've tried lately that take advantage of the abundance. And after all, how could we enjoy any season without great food?
Over the weekend I wanted to make an icey treat but am trying to be a godd ess (darn the filter on this computer--it is requiring that I intentionally typo to get around it! If only I could remember the password to turn it off!) of weight loss, so I hunted down a couple of great sorbet recipes. You don't have to have an ice cream mixer for these, even though that's easier. You can just try the method where you put them in the freezer and stir occasionally, which is what we had to do when the ice cream maker shorted out!

Watermelon Sorbet

• 1/4 c. water
• 1/3 c. corn syrup
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 c. pureed watermelon pulp (use the blender)
• 1 T. lemon juice

Stir the water, corn syrup, and sugar together in a saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat and chill 30 minutes. Add syrup mixture to watermelon and lemon juice. Mix well and chill for two hours (the colder the mixture, the faster it will freeze). Freeze in an ice cream maker or put in a shallow pan in your freezer and stir it every half hour until it gets to the right consistency.

The next recipe is one that I morphed a little, mixing two recipes to achieve the end result. The original Cooking Light recipe called for (the alcohol keeps the sorbet from freezing too hard) but since we don't drink, I looked around for some other way to incorporate the strawberry/lime/orange flavors that I love.

Strawberry Margarita Sorbet

• 2 c. water
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 c. pureed strawberries
• 1/3 c. fresh orange juice
• 1/2 c. fresh lime juice
• 1 T. lemon juice
• zest of one orange and one lime

Use the same technique as the recipe above, making the simple syrup first with the water and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and chill until quite cold, at least 2 hours. Freeze in an ice cream freezer.

These recipes were a beautiful red color, tasted so yummy, and had much fewer calories than the homemade strawberry ice cream I was craving.

My father in law, Richard, loves lemon meringue pie. I have made a few for him in the past, but this year I was on the hunt for a better recipe that I would enjoy more (I love the lemon curd, but find meringue to be rather dull.) I found this recipe on epicurious.com and have now made it both for his birthday and again for Father's Day. It is by far the best lemon meringue I've ever had. The coconut sweetens the meringue so well. Be forewarned: if you cut this into 8 pieces, each piece has a Weight Watchers point value of 19. So you'd better scrimp on calories some other place this week if you're going to make this pie (if you want to be a real godd ess of weight loss, keep looking for another recipe!) Lemon and Toasted Coconut Meringue Pie.
If you have a garden, (or if you cheat like me and just shop at the Farmer's Market) you absolutely must try this Cooking Light Garden Minestrone that I discovered a couple of summers ago. Paired with a crusty artisan bread it really is a great way to end the day.
And if you're just in the mood for a good Chinese Chicken Salad without paying for it in a restaurant, try this recipe. It's especially great if you grilled chicken earlier in the week and did some extra teriyaki chicken with this meal in mind.

Chinese Chicken Salad

• 1 head of lettuce (you pick the variety)
• 2-3 cooked teriyaki chicken , cubed
• 1/2 c. diced green onion
• 1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
• 1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 package wonton skins
• 1 can mandarin oranges
  
• Dressing:
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
• 3 T. canola oil
• 1 t. sesame oil
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 t. kosher salt

Use your kitchen shears to cut the wonton skins into strips (you can probably do several at a time). Spray them liberally with cooking spray and bake in 350 oven until brown (watch them, they do this quickly.) Put lettuce, green onion, almonds, oranges, and chicken in large salad bowl. Mix dressing ingredients. Just before serving, shake up or blend dressing one last time. Pour over salad and toss. Add wonton crispies and sesame seeds and toss again. Serve immediately.
And one last recipe to share; my friend Sandy has been sharing zucchini out of her garden, which I adore grilled with kosher salt and olive oil--but you can only eat that at so many meals before you are ready for something else. So I scoured my Cooking Light cookbooks for a zucchini bread recipe that wasn't more like eating cake. This one is delish--it's only good for you if you don't eat the entire loaf, so watch out!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3 T. canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini (get your kids to do this part)
  
• 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Place first three ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Stir in applesauce.
Combine flour and next four ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, beating just until moist. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 1 hour and apply the toothpick test-- it should be almost clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Now go enjoy the day with your kids, whether you are cooking up some yummy foods, hanging out at the pool, or having a water balloon fight. Remember, "(wo)men are that they might have joy!" (2 Nephi 2:25)