Trying something different

Abigail Mae, our firstborn. She still is our tip-toe girl, light-hearted and full of creativity, completely unconcerned with athletics, addicted to reading, and sensitive to other's feelings. It's hard to believe she's 10 already.

As parents, we realize we're on the brink of adolescence; with that realization comes the weight of responsibility, of how little time we have left. These past 10 years have flown by & we know that the next 8 will go by just as quickly, if not faster. We aren't in the midst of teenage years just yet, but we're dealing with plenty of attitude & eye-rolling already! Thought I don't want to be a nag, I realize that it comes all too easily for me. Before I know it, I'm whining at my children as much as they are at me! I want to teach them responsibility, but nagging doesn't teach them to do it themselves. Instead it gives them the hope that I will soon get tired of reminding them & just do it myself! Smart little buggers. I love charts & organization, but I'm not good at consistency. But I thought I'd try something different, so I made charts for each of the girls that included morning & evening responsibilities, as well as a different chore for each day. Friday night we're looking forward to pizza & a movie. They can watch the movie, provided they completed their work for the week. We'll see how it goes; we're only on Day #3. Oh, well. It's worth the effort to try something new to get through. Even if it might be a failure, it's better than doing nothing. I can't tell you how many times Phil & I have looked at each other & said, "Man, this is hard work!" Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking giving us four children that are like us in so many ways. :) I guess he has a sense of humor.