I have always hated to discuss my own death, I refuse to discuss with Gary what his service might be like after he is gone as well.  That goofy man, has requested that he be taped leading his favorite songs, so that he can lead singing at his own funeral.  Of course his favorite songs would make for a 45 minute song service.  I have always insisted to him that I get to die first, so that I never have to be without him.  When he tells me that we have no control over that, I remind him that I've taken it up with the Lord, and that's the end of it.


I would have never dreamed at 30, that I would spend a Friday evening, walking around the cemetery at Little Union attempting to pick out plots for our family.  Little Union is home, and has always been very laid back about the graveyard.  The Church doesn't sell the plots, but makes them available to pretty much anyone, so we mostly could choose anywhere, a few of the members and families have "claimed" spots and it's noted on the plat book, but there is alot of space out there behind the Church.  Of course both of Gary's grandparents have a number of plot set aside for the family, and we could have used any of those -  and we did look at both the Varnum and the Cunningham spots.  If they had been more or less side by side, we would have picked right between them, but as it worked out, they were on opposite sides of the graveyard.  As we walked around trying to make this monumental decision before sunset, I was again drawn to the back corner of the Church yard.  I've always thought that corner was really pretty, there is this giant live oak back there with twisted branches, the kind that might be perfect for a rope swing.  It's toward the end of the stretch of Varnum plots, in a quiet by itself spot, out of the impromptu half circle that we have used for years to drive around the cemetery.  Because Little Union marks off graves in sections of four, we marked one for Gary, one for me, and one for Abigail.  There is a fourth there, that Gary said he prayed wouldn't be used till long after we are gone.  Neither of us hopes to have to experience this gut wrenching, heart crushing, life altering event ever again.


Today, we went to pick out Abigail's stone.  The lady who runs the company there, and has for many years, was incredibly gracious and patient (not to mention only charging half or a third of what other companies seem to).  Gary and I knew that we wanted to get this done as soon as possible.  Both because I couldn't bear the idea of her grave being unmarked, but also because we won't be back down here for some time, most likely.  Despite that, it took me some time to try to make the necessary decisions.  I'm not good at making decisions on the fly anyway, but since last Monday, since losing Abigail, I have felt like every decision is stressful, and it's just been harder to decide anything.  While settling on her stone, I told Gary that later on, after we have a job and are back on our feet, I want to go ahead and order ours and have it installed.  I think that I might like the design to be similar to hers.  I think it took Gary a bit by surprise, it was so unlike me.  Hopefully we won't have need of it for many, many years, but it just seems like something that should be handled.

Last week we took a field trip to Punxsutawney to the Weather Discovery Center to wrap up our unit study on weather.  I thought it was a good tie in, and since I didn't feel like making that drive back in February for Groundhog Day, it was our first chance to travel over there.  The museum was small but very hands on for the kids.  Gary best enjoyed the machine that made lightning, and Ruth agreed with him, liking how the static electricity made her hair stand on end.  Britt best liked the weather movie, and the room where we worked together to create the conditions for a thunderstorm.  They all enjoyed the wind tunnel slide, that was suppose to mimic a tornado.  But Rebecca's very favorite part was the section where they talked about how animal signs have been used by farmers among others to determine coming weather.  In fact, her very favorite part was petting and talking to the bull frogs who she was convinced were real.  She hugged and kissed on them, and asked to take one home.

Abigail,

How do you say goodbye to someone you never got a chance to meet?  Unlike your siblings there won't come a day, when I take all of these letters I write over the years, and give them to you.  You will never read these, I suppose they are really for me.  Abigail means "my father's joy" in Hebrew and Miriam means "longed for child" in Aramaic.  You brought great joy to us while you were with us, and we very much wanted you, and will miss you.

The last two days were incredibly hard.  We went to have our ultrasound hoping to discover if you were a brother for Britt or if we'd have another little girl to dress up and spoil, only to discover that you had already left us at least a few weeks prior.  We spent Monday afternoon not playing the name game, that I so enjoy, but rather trying to line up burial arrangements and child care for the other kids.  We decided to leave the kids with Bro. Jonathan and Sis. Kimberly overnight, and Sis. Bonnie was going to be taking care of them during the day.  We spent one more night at home just the three of us, you, me, and Daddy.

Yesterday, we had to drive down to Holy Spirit, go up to the maternity floor, and be induced.  When we pulled up, I had the strongest desire to be anywhere but there.  We arrived about 10:15, and at 11:45, I got my first dose of Cytotec, we had to have another dose at 3:50, and then again at 8.  Your labor was nothing like the others.  For me by far the hardest part, was having to listen to the fetal heartbeat machine for the couple next door to us, for hours.  It was turned up so loud that despite having music going on the laptop I could hear it.  They expected it to only take about 4-8 hours, and by 4 or 5 pm, I was done.  I was tired of hearing the machine next door, tired of being confined to one room, and I just didn't want to have to go through with this under these circumstances.  Labor was very different, it wasn't intense like the others, and because I didn't have to dilate all the way to a 10, there was no transition, no urge to push.  It was hard to figure out how to push since, my body wasn't doing it on it's own.

You were born still at 9:40.  One of the things that helped us get through the day, other than spending the long hours playing Hand and Foot, was to have Church singing and other acapella cds playing.  When you were born, the Cindy Smith cd "Rich With My Savior" was playing.  The Nurse noticed that "Standing on Holy Ground" was playing when you were born.  I didn't notice that, but I did notice the song immediately after when I first held you was "I Need Thee Every Hour."  After you were born, it was easier in many ways.  It was obvious that you were gone, and had been.  I only held the shell you left behind.  Your mouth was turned up in the faintest smile, and you had these very tiny, dainty hands and feet.  Your hand was about the size of my fingernails, but you could see each individual finger, each little knuckle, and your tiny fingernails beginning to grow.  The nurse was thoughtful enough to take some pictures, some that I probably will not share with anyone, that I will horde for my own.  The hospital had you a tiny wrap (since you were far to small for a dress) and your own blanket.  They also had a beautiful burial wrap, made from part of a wedding gown that someone had donated.  We got a memory box to keep a few of your things that we took home with us:  there were no hand or foot prints or molds since you were too tiny, and no lock of hair, because you hadn't begun growing any yet, though I can't help but wonder if you might have finally been my red-headed girl that I always secretly (or maybe not so secretly) hope for.  We spent a little time holding you.  Your Daddy sang "Be Still My Soul," I so love to listen to him sing, and we said prayer before we were ready to let you go.  When we gave you back to the nurse about 11:35, I had a great peace about it, because I knew you were already gone.  I can only attribute it to the immense number of very specific prayers offered up by so many for us.  We called it a night at about 1:30.

Today, listening to Gary call and make all the burial arrangements has again been difficult, especially since I couldn't go back to sleep after the 4 am stat check.  (Whoever, decided that all patients need to be woken up at 4 am for that should be shot.  There is no reason under heaven that they couldn't make their rounds at 8 pm and 8 am, instead of 4 pm and 4 am.)  I expect that it will be difficult for some time, I figure your due date in another 4 months will be especially hard.  But while I know basically nothing about you, I do know that "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." (2 Timothy 2:19)  If you are one of his you are in a far better place, you have more wisdom than I will obtain here, you are in a place with no more pain or death, you are with the Lord himself and while you cannot come again to us, one day we will be there too (II Sam 12:23).

We love you, our fourth born,

Momma

For my birthday, I waked up in the morning.  I wanted to play Mario with Britt, but I couldn't because the wii wasn't working.  So I was playing a game with him instead.  Then I went to the library for the program and to play.  Next we went to the earring store.  There it hurted when they put in the earrings, but I was happy I got a lolly pop.  I picked some heart earrings, I am glad I got them .  I have some white stuff that you can see through, and I put it on a white cotton ball and I put it on my ear, so they won't get sick or turn pink.  Then I got to eat at Isaac's.  I eated Rainbow Bread and made a sandwich, the best marshmallow, peanut butter, and jelly sandwich on rainbow bread ever.  Then we went to the grocery stores.
















When we got home I got to have a Monkey Cake.  I took a deep breath and whoooo blew out the one big candle.  It was the best birthday cake ever.  Then we opened presents.  I got a beautiful dress with a purse and gloves from Unca Nick and Aunt Alex.  I also got pink legos from 'Emaw and Mister.  I also got some 2 books a fairy book and a horse book from Ahna and Grumps.  And two other books from Momma and Daddy.  Daddy got me a balloon, and it was a Minion balloon.

I had two loose teeth.  One has been really loose for a little while.  I have tried wrestling with Daddy to get it out.  I used my tongue to exercise it.  I would brush my teeth without the toothpaste, extra to get it loose.  Me and Daddy tried some candy that is very sticky to get it out.  It was called Sugar Daddy.  And Daddy tried to pull it out with floss and with string and with his hands and with pliers.  He couldn't get a good grip.  Nothing worked.

8-1, Daddy attempting to remove it for the first time, with pliers.

But Saturday we were at the special kind of park.  The library had a party at the park for the end of summer reading.  Ruth got beads on her hair, and we all played in the sand box.  Then we went to take pictures with the library superheros.  And while we were waiting in line, I hit my tongue against my tooth, and I felt it moving around by my check, and I got it out of my mouth, and gave it to Momma.  Daddy put it in his little bitty pocket.  Then we got a balloon place, and we got one.  It popped and I cried a little bit because I really liked my elephant, and the place only comes once a year.  We got our fingers printed somehow and I wrestled with Daddy before we left.  Then we went down to the park where there was a slide and ladder and monkey bars and stuff.  Then we left and went to Zane and Cheris's house for a bit, then we left and went home.  Then we ate supper -  steak with BBQ sauce, and macaroni and cheese, and some lettuce.  After that we went and I got dessert, and I had a shower before I ate dessert.  I got on my penguin pajamas after my shower.  My desert was more macaroni and cheese.  After my dessert I got to make this post from Britt.  And now I'm going to put it under my pillow and wait for the tooth fairy.

8-22, He lost the bottom left (when looking at him), the tooth behind it has moved so much that it helped finally push this one out.  The front tooth beside it is loose too.

I think that the tooth fairies are nocturnal, because they work all night and sleep during the day.  I wonder where they get the money from.  Do they use their magic to steal it?  How can they carry it if they are so little.  And if they are so little why do they need the same kind of magic that Santa Claus needs where they only come when you are asleep?  I hope they give me $7 for my tooth, Momma says that my tooth is so little it can't possibly be worth that much.  $10 would be even better.

I got our faerie name and info from this site.

So the tooth fairy came and it's the only fairy I know is real right now, if other fairies are real.  She said she does not steal money from stores.  I did like my note, she is a good writer.  She says she is nocturnal, but you can sometimes see her at combine harvest time like corn and stuff.  She left me 2 gold dollar coins.  Now all the rest of the teeth, you get one dollar for, cause a tooth is worth one dollar.  For your first tooth though you get 2 dollar coins.  I want to write a note back, but Momma said that she only comes when a tooth is lost, so I said to Momma, the next time I'm going to lose another tooth, I'll put a letter with my tooth.  I think she is very small, so I don't think I'll be able to see the tooth fairy.  My card on the inside was purple, and it had purple words, and a white tooth, and a picture of her.  Her dress was marshmellow petal flowers.  We looked for pictures of reed marshes to see what it looked like where she lives.  I like my tooth fairy.  I thought boys got boy tooth fairies, and girls got girl tooth fairies, but mine is a girl.

8-23, My golden dollars.

 So at the beginning of the year, I mentioned we had a goal to get a bigger car this year.  Though we didn't mention it at the time, it was primarily because we were hoping to have a 4th child this year, and the Kia only seats five.  The goal was to sell the Kia for a good price, and get something used for cash at a really good price by the end of the year.  So, toward that end Gary has been watching car prices on line.  We figured we were looking for a used van with around 100K miles on it.  Something this is still in good shape though, that I can drive for at least a few years till it wears out.  It'll only take a few years more to pay off the student loans, then we could move up in car.


So last week, Gary found a few promising leads - both minivans and SUVs.  So we spent the first part of the week doing school in the car and at the dealerships, while Gary talked and test drove vehicles.  Tuesday night he found what I think was a steal.  But they wouldn't take a personal check or an Electronic transfer from the bank, so we got on the phone with Powernet on Wednesday and worked out for them to mail a check.  Everything was taken care of so this past Tuesday, a week after the fact, we went back signed all the paperwork, and said good bye to the Kia.


Even though we both agree now, buying a new car was a mistake, the Kia was a great car.  It never gave us any trouble.  It's been a safe and reliable vehicle.  I would have been content to drive it for several more years, if it wasn't for the size and need to fit more car seats.  Ruth was a little sad to see it go.  I admit I was a bit sentimental too, but mostly I was just glad to get this to do checked off my baby list.


The new car is a khaki and hunter green, 2003 Mercury Mountaineer and it seats 7.  It's got a lot less mileage than our 2009 Kia Sportage did (those trips to see the family add up quickly).  It also has backup sensors, which is something neither of us has ever had before in a car.  Another bonus for us is that it has a tape deck and a cd player in it.  We've been talking lately about needing to find some way to copy all of our old singing tapes to cd.  We don't get to go to so many PB meetings up here, and so we haven't had a new singing cd for the car since 2013.  We are looking forward to pulling some out tomorrow for the ride to Church.  We did have to give up the Aux line that I used to play the ipod over the speakers, but all that stuff is on cd, so I can always pull those out to rotate in the car.  It's got alot of great pluses for us since our car was a basic package and this had more luxury items, like more comfortable seats (that are also heated) and side mirrors that heat and defog/deice themselves.  Nothing we needed, but I imagine it will be nice if we are still in PA this winter.  This car is an all wheel drive, which will also be a needed improvement over the Kia this winter.  The car also runs quieter, I think, than the Kia did with less road noise.  I drove it for the first time yesterday.  it's a little bit slower to stop being bigger and heavier, but other than that I was surprised how nice it drove.  I didn't have any trouble parking or backing out which is something I worried a bit about.  Gary also replaced a windshield wiper, and this morning carried it by our local mechanic.  He changed the oil and looked it over, and we should be good for a while.  The BIGGEST plus so far though, is that Britt and Ruth both desperately wanted to sit in the very back, so we moved them back there, and it's AMAZING just how quiet it is to drive somewhere now.  Gary and I can carry on our own conversations even.  The only real downsides are that we have a little less luggage and storage space than I would have hoped for, but we really couldn't beat the price at all.  And we can always put the topper on the top of the car for trips home.

Well, it's that time of year again, when everyone is starting back to school.  We've actually been doing school since the beginning of July.  In PA our school year runs July 1st to June 30th, so I can start anytime.  This year I made the decision to start earlier for two reasons.  First, we are having a baby sometimes around the end of the year, and I wanted to have as much of our 180 days/900 hours in as possible, so that we have the flexibility to relax the pace afterward.  Second, I have figured out that the kids do so much better on a routine, and I like the idea of year round schooling and taking longer breaks here and there instead of one seriously long summer break, and very few short breaks during the normal school year.


I also decided to give something else new a try this year.  Alot of homeschoolers I've met do some year planning.  Now, I've not done that for two reasons.  First, as previously mentioned, I am kinda OCD about the planning.  When I have it written down, I feel like I have to do it.  A huge bonus to the homeschooling is the flexibility, and so that is a problem for me, to not be able to tell myself that we won't get there, or to ease up, to depart from the plan.  Second, flexibility is great, I want to move at the kid's pace, and how in the world do I know what their pace will be ahead of time?  Anyway, my friend Elyse, wrote a post for Home and School Mosaics that really got me thinking, maybe I should try that out.


So back in the Spring before last school year was even finished I sat down and did some tentative scheduling.  I wasn't completely sure where we would end the year at that point, and I didn't want to box myself in with feeling like I had to be at a certain point at a certain time.  SO, started by thinking about what my goals would be for the upcoming year.  It was good to rough something out on paper, before I typed up those official looking objectives.  Then, I looked at each month, and filled in what I knew I would be doing, co-op dates, big trips like Ag Progress Days, and penciling notes when we might try to take trips home next year.  Then I told myself based on that, and a four day week, how many math lessons can I cover each month.  After that I took my language arts, and did the same, except it was a little easier, since the teacher book, gives a guess at about how many days you'll spend on each lesson.  After that I filled in some science around that.  I knew I wouldn't get to Grassland Biomes before we ended the school year, so that I put down for July and August, then a short weather unit for August and September.  I knew I wanted to spend alot of time talking about the parts/systems of the body, since they have been begging to do a unit on that for the last two years.  So I put that down for Jan-May.  That left me some time in the fall with no science, so I decided we would introduce some history then.  That will about line up when we as a Church are reading through Genesis, Exodus, and Hebrews, so I thought we'd start with nomadic peoples and talking about two early civilizations, the Sumerians and the Egyptians.


At the beginning of each month, I have taken our schedule, which of course is much more roughed out than it was in the Spring, and filled in things like doctors appointments, and library days.  Those days are lighter school days, or days off, and then I schedule our school work to be a little more intensive the other days.  So far this has worked beautifully.  The only changes I've had to make, where some experiments for grasslands that we were going to do, involving winter rye and some other things, that Gary could get at work for us.  The other thing I've done a little differently this year with the lesson plans, is to use Frixion pens.  I can color code for the kids, and they are erasable, so even if I do need to make changes, everything stays neat.  We are accomplishing more, with less stress, and are even a little ahead of where I forecasted.



As for our curriculum.  I am again using Math U See.  Britt is still working through his Alpha book, he should finish sometime this winter.  Depending on how much extra time we take off to work on money and telling time.  He really has a knack for math.  Some days he tells me he doesn't like math, but I think what he doesn't like is writing.  It has been amazing to me this year, that 90% of the time, if I asking his addition facts aloud, he will stop think, and get them right.  He's not speedy yet, and doesn't have them memorized, but he does the work in his head.  He misses alot on paper though, and still has issues with writing his numbers backwards, and sometimes writing 21 but saying 12.  Ruth has just finished primer up this week, and will be starting Alpha like Britt.  She struggles a bit at times with math, especially with remembering her teens in order, and things like counting by fives or twos.  The primer book, wasn't intended for Mastery though, so she will be revisiting most of those concepts again in this book.  She is only just now 5, so we'll see how it goes.




We are also again using Sing, Spell, Read, Write for language arts.  They still enjoy it, though I think when Rebecca is ready, I may use a different option for handwriting to try to prevent some issues that we've had with Britt on his letter formation.  I held Britt up a bit when he finished the last of the Kindergarten books early in March, because Ruth was so rapidly catching up to him.  We are getting ready to start them both together in the 1st grade books.  I think it'll be more fun for them, since there are some games, that go with the lessons, and Ruth is so very competitive that it should help her.  She still struggles with enunciation at times, but I've told her that just means she has to work harder at it, and she seems to thrive with that reminder.  In the mean time, Britt has been working more on sight words, and reading some Dick and Jane books, and other early readers.  I think they have both improved in leaps and bounds just over the summer, and can't imagine where they might be by the end of the school year.  The kids will continue to blog and write letters as well.




For science I've continued building our unit studies with library books, but this year I also got alot of great books to help build around through Elyse with Usborne books.  I can't tell you how much we have enjoyed some of those books.  We finished up grasslands in July, and have spent this month on the weather.  Of course we've been able to add some fun science field trips already.  We've taken several trips to Lake Tobias, which primarily has grassland animals.  This week, we made it over to Punxsutawney to the Weather Discovery Center and attended Ag Progress Days.  They kids have been to the Ned Smith Center, and we have enjoyed some great time just outdoors in nature.


We are getting ready to get into history.  I again have some great Usborne books to serve as core text, I also picked up a used copy of Story of the World at the CHAP convention this year.  I plan to supplement with library books for our unit studies once again.  I haven't done any looking into field trip opportunities yet, but we also are so unsure where we will be when.  I'd like to take a day trip to DC though, and check out some museums, if we can do it for more or less the cost of gas, with a picnic lunch.  We of course will continue to try to make trips to Harrisburg and watch the legislative process.  That is one bonus of being so close to the state capital.


The fine arts and physical stuff are a little more fuzzy.  Britt enjoyed t-ball, and we are hoping the kids can do it together next spring.  We were hoping to let Britt start violin lessons (with Elyse, she's just a wealth of knowledge), but that's on hold right now with the job situation.  We did swim lessons, but are waiting on the next session for the same reason.  Ruth had been asking about dance, and that's another ditto.  We continue to incorporate alot of outside time and free play, and Gary has started working with Britt on shooting his bow and arrows.  And of course they draw and paint and do crafts.  We spend a huge chunk of every Friday at the library, where they do all sorts of programs.  It is the best part of living where we do, in the middle of nowhere, we have a library with AMAZING librarians.


This week, we also had our back to Co-op day at (WSCEC), and we will be starting on Thursday, so I took and am sharing our "back to school photos" today.  We desperately needed to take last spring off, but are looking forward to getting back together with everyone this fall.  Britt and Ruth have different classes the first period - Britt with Boy's Art Zone and Ruth with American Girls.  I hope Ruth really enjoys it.  I'd like to start reading some of the American Girl books aloud to her.  They have second and third period together taking Show and Tell, and Adventures in Science.  Rebecca is of course in the nursery room for 2 year olds, and I am coordinating the 3 year olds this year.  All and all it's shaping up to be a great school year.

Ruth,

Happy Birthday, Sunshine!  You have grown so much this year.  And this afternoon are getting your ears pierced.  You have picked out the prettiest pink and gold heart shaped earrings.  You are taller, more coordinated (though your sense of style isn't), and have become incredibly helpful.  You love to wash and dry dishes.  You constantly beg to vacuum, even though you can't hold the heavy thing up high enough that the bottom actually makes contact with the floor.  You are eager to fill up my water cup when I run out, and fetch and do for your siblings.  You continue to have the most caring personality and a spirit of giving.

You are a study in contrasts.  You LOVE ranch dressing and corn, but HATE squash.  You like to be called Sunshine, but despise the nickname Ruthie.  You are reading short vowel books, but drag your feet with basic math.  You love to set aside money to go to the bank but loath to get any out and spend it.  You adore the people at Church, especially Sister Hazel, and routinely give close to half of the money you make on Sunday, but you insist that preaching is boring, and can't stand to sit up and pay attention during that part of the service.  You have strong feelings about everything either you love or hate things, there seems to be no in between.

And yet, despite having this passion for life, you remain our most laid back and easy going child.  Every day with you seems to be a joy, you wake up happy, late but happy.  You find everything to be an adventure, looking forward to how things unfold.  You are perfectly content with not knowing what happens next, much like your Daddy.  You remain very much your father's daughter.  You very much have his spirit, and in some ways are more content that me.  You still look so much like Aunt Manna, Memaw, and Granna that I almost wonder whether I contributed any genes.  It is amazing to see how much you are like him.



The biggest two changes, have been that we told you and your siblings in May that we were going to have another baby this year.  You were ecstatic. And in your typical giving fashion, when asked if you wanted a brother or a sister this time, you said, that you wanted a brother for Britt.  Though we have resoundingly denied your and Britt's request for 10 more brothers, and 4 more sisters, it is a joy to share the excitement of another baby with you.  Your only concern, has been that you don't want to trade our blue car for another bigger car, that you really like our blue car.  The other big change this year has thrown you for a bit of a loop, Daddy unfortunately is out of work again.  Your first worry was what if we didn't give money, and the people that own our house threw all your stuff out the windows.  We quickly assured you that we would make sure you always had a safe place to live, that's our job.  Then you told us that you loved your purple room, and you loved this house, and the library and your friends, and you didn't want to move.  I told you that we weren't moving right away, but we would go where ever Daddy found work, and it would be a new adventure.  It seemed to reassure you.  The experience has served to remind us that while you are typically our easy going child, that you are growing up, and you do feel many things very deeply, not just joy.

This year, we hope to do more school, more trips, more adventures.  We hope you continue to grow your giving spirit.  We hope you continue to cultivate a thankful, grateful heart.  We pray that God will bless you to grow in grace and knowledge in all these things.  We have many hopes and dreams for you.  And can't wait to see what life holds in store for you.  Always know that you are loved immensely by Daddy and me.

Love,
Momma

So I mentioned earlier this week in my post that I had some chore charts in my teacher planner for the kids.  I thought the checklist made very handy chore charts, and it was very convenient for me to have them in my lesson planner, with all the other daily essentials for the kids.  What I didn't mention is how this has become an integral part of their education.


Back in the Spring, while we were getting intensive in our goal to pay off debt. I checked out most of the Dave Ramsey books from the library.  We don't strictly follow him, but he is great at getting you fired up to do something about the mess you've gotten yourself in.  While I was there, searching through the libraries online catalog, I found that he had written some children's books and our library had several of them.  (Our library didn't have the one about integrity.)  We checked them out, I read them to the kids, and we had alot of really interesting conversations about debt, work, saving, spending, and giving money.  Now all this time I had been listening to Dave's three hour show in the afternoons on the computer, days we went to town, I'd play catch up the next day.  It was getting to the point that Britt called him the liberty safe guy (that's one of the commercials he plays), and so he was hearing in the background some of these things, and seeing that Momma was serious about getting out of debt.


 So, back at the library one of the books we picked up was Smart Money, Smart Kids.  And let me tell you, that book gave me SO many ideas.  You should so read it.  One thing that I realized, is that while we have expected the kids to do various chores since they were little, probably around 18 months old or so, and while I've even sporadically used chore charts, we weren't very organized about what we expected them to do, or even helped them make a connection about why work is important.  Meanwhile, I had been working with them on counting money, and making good decisions with the little we shared with them, or that they got from family.  I saw a way to combine both of those areas, and really impact them, so that one of these days they can make wiser choices than we have.  Of course a little wisdom wouldn't be very helpful without the right attitude and a little humility, and what do you know, but Dave had some advice on that too.


As a result, I revamp the chore charts, there are still things I ask for help with that I expect just because they live in this house, but there are also some set chores that they must complete for a check mark, and then on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, I pay them a quarter for each completed job.  They then tell me how much they want to give to Church, then how much they want to save in the bank, and finally what to put aside for spending.  They really enjoy giving their own money to Church to help take care of people.  And they value what they can do with their money so much now that they are working for it each week.  Ruth is our little saver, she gives sometimes half of our money to Church, and then puts nearly all the rest in the bank.  She takes out very little for spending.  Britt on the other hand puts aside money for Church and then allocates most of what is left for spending money, and oh the things he will waste that money on.  But you know, he's also learned a few lessons too, about using it, and then not having it for other things.  They get to see that how much they work, and now also how diligently they work has a direct correlation to how much they get paid.  Britt has begged us to let him walk to the neighbor's to get a job taking care of the buggy horse, because "if you want money, Dollar Bill says you have to go to work."  He goes out of his way to find more jobs.  They are making plans to yard sale some old toys, and I told them, anything of theirs that they sold, they could keep the money.


The conversations have been the most wonderful part for me.  We have talked about how much debt slows you down, and what a long job it is to get out, how much of Daddy's work week, goes just to send money to someone else, that we can't have fun with.  Britt decided one day to cut up all of his "debt cards" in his wallet.  He has carried around some of those old hotel cards for a couple of years now.  We have talked about everything having a price, and while they think $20 is alot of money, and don't really understand the large numbers in our budget, we talk about the cost of things, and they get to see me work the budget on the computer and balance the checkbook each week.  We've been able to talk about long term rewards, by talking about if we sacrifice now to get out of debt, that we have made them a deal, that when we are debt free we are planning a trip to Disney World.  And Britt practices his debt free scream with the radio callers each day, so that we can stop by and see Dave Ramsey on the way.  We've talked about our plan to save for a bigger car, so they can see that we save money for big purchases too.  Britt wants to save to have a salt water aquarium.  Since unemployment, we have talked about cost comparison, trying to find the best deal for our money and how to make it stretch.  I make it out as a game for them, and they enjoy "helping" us decide what to not spend our money on like Red Lobster, and what we could do for a Sunday afternoon lunch instead like Wendy's.  We have skipped a lunch out and had a picnic at the library on Friday instead.  Which things we should buy now, and which ones we should wait on.


One of these days they are going to realize a quarter a job is not much money, but I'm really hoping that these lessons that have become part of our daily conversation stick with them.  And it's all thanks to some simple chore charts.