chores....

The chore list I made a few weeks ago has to be 1 of the best things I did in this house :). The kids are doing their assigned chores pretty much w/o complaining because they got to pick the ones they wanted to do. They still get allowance but now it's really tied to their finished chores and they are OK with it, this helps me put a lot and they know that and so they are happier to do ti to help out :). yay for my kids!

Yesterday we went apple/pumpkin picking in NJ. We usually go to a place in Princeton NJ, it's a beautiful town, so peaceful and green. We picked 22 lbs of apples, 3 pumpkins (1 to carve) ate delicious cider donuts and veggie soup for lunch, petted farm animals, relaxed in the swing, learned about animal and insect helpers of the earth and just had a great time in the beautiful weather. The whole time we were there I kept thinking 'this is so much better than being in school all day' My kids learn every day in many different ways and they interact with people and are free to be themselves with us guiding them. A, who is very afraid of dogs, decided yesterday that she was going to pet the farm dog at the orchard, she has seen this dog once every year for the last 3 years, it is a very docile and quiet dog. She was so proud of herself when she was petting him, and said she loves the dog :). She has also started to get over her shyness for the most part and now talks to some adults that she is truly comfortable with and has decided that she likes some kids, not all kids but some, LOL so she now has 2 little girl friends. She is such a sweet, happy, well behaved, smart, thoughtful and wonderful little girl and I love her so much and I am thankful that I can stay home with her and see her become the self she wants to become.