Summer

I have to post something just so I can get that hidious picture of the cut on John's head off the top of this page. Blah. Amazingly it can barely be seen now.
So John wears ties to work everyday now. He's got enough to last an entire year, never wearing the same tie, and it was mentioned at work that people should be dressing for the job they do. So John decided his job is tie worthy (at least he wants it to be).
We went to Lagoon on Friday for the OC Tanner lagoon day. It was more crowded than it has ever been and was the most miserable day we've ever had at Lagoon. Although it was still fun. We were happy to eat our dinner provided by the company and head straight to Burley, Idaho for the family reunion.
We made it there just after 8:00, set up camp, ate crepes, visited until 2 am, slept in the cold or tried to sleep, then spent the next day enjoying a yummy breakfast, the family meeting, a great auction, visiting, canoe racing, and lots of playing. It was great. We then packed up and made it home just after 8. Just in time for big John and Emily to go to an hour of a swimming 'cast' party from the Annie cast.
Our house fell apart too quickly and it was left that way until Monday. Sunday we went to church and John taught the high priests on missionary work. We then visited outside at John's parents. Richard made crepes and Spencer and Kristi and family are in town. It was a nice evening. (except for the part where I blew up at John for no reason and a neice and a nephew saw us argue for a moment and then I left in tears because I needed to cry by myself. Our neice asked if we were going to get divorced. No. John and I are happily married and rarely argue. We will NEVER get divorced. It's not an option in this marriage.)
Monday was super busy. I became a chauffer mom for the day. We had golf, tennis, more golf, piano two different times, baseball. Enough to keep me in the car most of the day. I did get to run by Couch to 5k on Bountiful Blvd. while the kids were golfing and it was wonderful. After the last baseball game we had dinner, a family night lesson, then gave the kids until 10 pm to get their jobs done. Lights are out at 10 around here this summer. Everyone got to work and did a great job (except lil John. We're hoping he catches on soon.)
We have Sophie (my mom's dog) for the week while she is on vacation in St. George with two of her friends. I have never known a dog to poop so much. Someone steps in it at least once a day and we wake up every morning to at least 3 different piles. It's gross. At first John and I have been cleaning it up but then I thought hard about it and wondered why I wasn't giving my kids the experience. We shouldn't always be the ones to clean up poop (or anything else for that matter). So I told the kids we were going in order starting with little John. Since yesterday, John, Emily, Thomas, Jack, and I have cleaned up Sophie's poop. Sweet.
Next . . . We are following the advice of Richard and Linda Eyre and are paying our kids for certain jobs that they do. They get paid on Saturdays. It is not an allowance but I can't remember what they call it. The kids make money and put 10% to tithing, 20% straight in the bank, and 70% in our "home bank" that John and I take care of. They can deposit money or withdraw money and we keep a bank book to keep track. They now buy their own things and will buy their own school clothes this year. So far it is working wonderfully!!!
Emily wanted to buy something at the auction until I said "you can buy whatever you want. you have your own money now". She instantly decided she really didn't want it. Yesterday she took out $3 to buy something at the baseball park after which she deposited $2 back in because she actually thought through what she wants most.
John and Thomas want to buy an iPad together. Yes a $500 iPad. They plan to buy one at the end of this summer and another at the end of next summer. I'm not quite sure how well that will work (in fact, it won't) but it motivates Thomas enough to get his work done. The kids also have to help with a meal every week and do a load of laundry from start to finish every week. They have done awesome with it. John, Emily, and Thomas have taken turns making breakfast. John made waffles last week, Emily made omelets last week, and Thomas made german pancakes this morning. Our house stays cleaner and everyone seems a little happier.....especially when their jobs are done. They feel more freedom and I am happier because I'm not left to do it all myself and I'm not having to nag too much. I thought for sure when the house was a wreck again this Monday that it was going to fail but it didn't. That is why we gave the kids until 10:00 PM Monday night and remotivated them with how much money they "could" have by the end of this week.
Thomas, Jack, Zach H., and Spencer H. (yeah! He's in town from Oregon) are taking golf lessons this week. They are having fun together. It was going to be Zach M. but at the last second, literally, he dropped out and Spencer ran up to fill his spot.
Emily is taking a summer singing/dancing/performing class in Farmington this summer. This is our busiest week of the summer with tennis, golf, a merit badge class, piano recital, three boys baseball tournaments, getting ready for girls camp and scout camp next week and cub camp that I will be going to for two full days as the wolf leader, Ragnar is Friday and Saturday and John is running in that, we are having a cousin's ice cream party tomorrow afternoon while S and K's kids are here and I am having a Tie open house tomorrow from 4-7 and I'll stop there. I don't even feel like thinking about more. But after this week, it will calm down and will be wonderful.
I love having my kids home. I love the lazy days of summer (after the daily work is done).