They actually like cleaning the bathrooms! I wonder how long that will last...hmmm. I make them take turns with the toilets (which is the worst part by far)...
But they do argue over who gets to spray the cleaner!
Luckily, I have been using Melaleuca products so I don't have to worry about them inhaling dangerous chemicals or fumes. It's all natural! 
I hope they keep up the good work because 3 bathrooms is no fun to clean by myself! :)
The other place she loves is underneath our bed where there is a little holed up area that she can get to that Zack can't because of the way the bed is built. It drives him nuts! He scoots underneath there & tries to lunge at her but that is hard to do when you have to be spread eagle just to fit underneath the bed! However, if you happen to be downstairs, it sounds like the roof is caving in. I fully expect to see a 70lb dog crashing through the ceiling at some point in my life.
One evening, he actually jumped up on the bed (& took a chance at getting yelled at for doing so) because he wanted to play so bad. She was not amused in the slightest. You see she is looking right at me with the camera in my hand. She is thinking, "Get ahold of this beast!"
Please? Can't we just play?
ummm, no!
In fact, I am going to turn my back on you & you will leave me alone if you know what's good for ya!
I tell ya, it's tough being so popular... such a tough life...
It's okay, Zack... the rest of us love you!
Day two still consisted of snuggling on the couch, but this time he had fever & just wanted to have a TV watching marathon...
Thankfully, it passed within about 48 hours & other than a very low appetite, Eli is back up to normal speed again! Praise!
{shooting the ball}
It was really cute to see all the kids playing ball. Hopefully i can get some more decent shots throughout the season, but the gymnasium & my camera were not friends during the first practice for some reason. If the flash was used, it would be too dark (oddly enough) but if i turned the flash off, it would blur! Frustrating! So, stay tuned for more basketball shots over the next 8 weeks. Go Pacers!!
Just the little something my rocker needed in the living room to fill the air with a little love! 
The red fabric was from a hand me down stash that Peto gave me (i think it is old curtains?!) and the heart fabric is from a fabric swap with Theresa. It is a piece cut off of some old pjs that she just couldn't part with! lol!
Given that this is the first column of a new year, I'm proposing a number of parenting New Year's Resolutions for my readers to consider. The list is by no means comprehensive. It's just a good beginning on what is probably a much-needed family revolution:
1. We will not throw expensive "event parties" for our children on their birthdays. Instead, we will confine all birthday celebrations to our family, including extended family. We will keep it uncomplicated: a special dinner of the birthday boy or girl's favorite food, a cake, the song, and a few simple gifts, mostly clothing or other useful things.
2. We will spend at least as much time helping our children develop good manners as we do helping them get good grades in school, which means we will cut back significantly on the time helping with the latter (in consideration of the fact that good manners, which are expressions of respect for others, will take one further in life than will good grades). Each week, we will work on one specific social courtesy, such as saying "excuse me" when you walk in front of someone. Taking two weeks off, that's 50 courtesies a year!
3. We will show our love for our neighbors by properly disciplining our children, insisting on proper behavior, and reprimanding immediately (even if that means in front of other people) when they behave otherwise, and on those occasions we will also insist they apologize appropriately.
4 . If we have not already done so, we will assign a routine of daily chores to each of our children (at least those who have reached their third birthdays) and we will insist that the chores be done, and done properly, before they engage in recreation or relaxation.
5. When our children ask us for cell phones, we will tell them that they may have cell phones when they are able to pay for them as well as the monthly bills.
6. When our children complain that they are the only kids who don't have cell phones (and do chores), we will tell them that learning how to be different is character-building.
7. Our children will not be able to order customized meals unless we take them to a restaurant. At home, they will eat what we are eating, and they will sit at the table until they are finished. We will do this so that when they are invited to eat at someone else's home, they will be the best of guests.
8. We will surely bond with our children, but we will not bond with them in the marital bed, nor will we bond with them in their beds.
9. In keeping with number 8, we will put our marriage first and our children second, for their sake as well as ours. They will revolve around us; thus, they will not grow up thinking the world revolves around them.
10. If I am a single parent, I will take good care of myself for my sake as well as my children's. I will have an active, adults only, social life. I will take plenty of personal time to simply relax and do those things I like to do. I will do all of that so that my children will not ever think the world revolves around them.
11. We/I will put our/my children to bed early so that we/I can end each day reconnecting as a couple or relaxing as a single.
12. We will eat as a family around our own table at least six nights a week.
13 . We will keep after-school activities to a minimum, and let them enroll only in activities that do not prevent us from delivering on number 11.
14. Instead of buying our children expensive things, we will help them develop hobbies and take them to museums and on trips.
15. We will do all of the above so that when they grow up, they will have wonderful memories of their childhoods and raise our grandchildren in a manner that honors us.
After a whole lot of picking up after the boys, constant reminders for them to do simple every day tasks like brushing their teeth, and a constantly trashed bedroom (read: Jackson!)... I decided it was time for them to take some responsibility! This family is a team & I just can't be everyone's maid anymore. Time for change!
Media consists of 1 TV show or 30 minutes of computer (educational) / video games. They can also save & turn in 3 coins for a movie. We also added in 2 challenge chore cards as well as 2 "weekend only" chores.... I will get to that in a minute... I also printed this info onto paper & attached it to the tin so that there would be no confusion (or working one parent over the other) about what the actual rewards were! And it would keep us accountable. 
They also turn in their media coins into the same tin when they are redeeming them. This way, it is all kept in one simple place. I like simplicity & no clutter!
We woke up the day after Christmas to 9, yes, NINE inches of snow! 
It was so pretty & I love how snow makes everything so quiet outside. It is amazing how quiet it gets!
Look at me, Mama!
And it WAS up to Eli's knees!
You couldn't pay me money to roll around in the cold, wet, snow like this:
Me & the boys....
All snowballs are NOT created equal!
Zack also warmed up rather quickly to the idea of running around in the snow. He was a crazy, wild animal out there! 
The day after the snow fell, we drove over to Mema's to sled on her driveway. As usual, it's a great spot & the boys had sooo much fun!
Here's a great video of them sledding, over & over again once the driveway melted a little & got good & slick! Enjoy!
