Monopoly Skills

We started off our week taking my car in for its annual inspection.  When we gave the man the keys at the desk, he mentioned that he had a batch of cookies in the oven.  So, even though it was 7:45 a.m., the kids were obsessed with these cookies.  "Are the cookies out yet?  Can I have a cookie?  Do you think the cookies are done?  Can I have a cookie?"  Curse you car man!  Of course, when they did come out, he mentioned it to the kids and they were all over them.  When we checked out he gave them balloons.  Josiah spotted a mug of pencils on the counter and asked if he could have one of those as well.  (good eye spotting pencils, son)  So, they left with their hands full of goodies.  I left having passed inspection, so we all had a good morning.

Playing a few games of Uno while they wait for Car Man's cookies.

The kids started their new swim session this week.  They like their new instructor and still love swim.  The instructor brought out the kick boards and made them use them to get floating ducks halfway down the pool.  After their first attempt, he paused and taught them how to kick properly and efficiently.  He's given me good tips for when we're at the pool, so it's been good.  He said they were fast learners which I never would have known without his saying so.  The lessons have been great.

Josiah

We made it back to our community pool on Friday so they could show me what they've learned.  Henry is now able to swim a good distance on his back, arms overhead, feet/legs kicking.  Caroline was teaching me how to float, and I must say, it's been a while since I've floated.  She was a good teacher because I just popped right up and floated.  They spent a lot of time going down the slide again and jumping off the side of the pool.  Still no good pool pictures, though. It's been so hot that I haven't taken the time to take pictures, I just jump right in with the kids.

It has actually been an incredibly hot week.  The Sheriff's office shared a message (on Facebook) from the power companies about conserving energy.  They mentioned putting your thermostat on 78°.  We actually keep ours on 79°, and are totally comfortable, so I thought I'd read the comments people were leaving.  Apparently, people keep their thermostats at 62° and 68°  and 72° and all sorts of freezing cold temperatures.  I was reading some of the funny comments to Todd and we were talking about the post.  The boys caught on and asked what were black-outs and brown-outs.  We explained it to them and they because obsessed with it.  They would not go to bed that evening without asking 100 questions about the potential black-out.  Josiah brought his lightsaber in his bed so he'd have a source of light.  The next morning, both boys came down fully dressed with their clip-on reading lamps in their pockets.  A light source in case of the black-out.  I told them if we needed light during the day we could just open our blinds.  Josiah kept trying to get me to fill up a cooler with ice.  Just in case.  I didn't dare tell them that the worst part of a black-out would be no A/C.  We don't need light.  We need A/C.  We were very happy that the most we had was a power flicker one morning and nothing else.

Caroline and Josiah both had their karate belt tests this week.  Caroline thought her test was easy, but she was testing with a bunch of white belts, so she knew how to do everything.  The funniest part was later, when I was going through the pictures she had a big grin on her face during the sparring.  I get to kick and hit on purpose!

She broke a big board!

Josiah's test was much harder.  The instructor tested them on the usual things, but then taught them new techniques and had them try it out.  It's been a long time since Josiah's had a belt test, so he was very happy to finally be moving up.

I was impressed with his kick.  It looks painful to do!

When the belts were earned, they got to celebrate with ice cream treats.  Caroline opted for a doughnut as she's not a huge ice cream fan.  While the boys were deciding what ice cream to get, Caroline had already found a seat and had her doughnut unwrapped.  She had eaten half of it before the boys even got to the table.  Then when she finished her doughnut before the boys finished their ice cream, she wasn't too happy.  Clearly they had a bigger dessert and she felt she deserved a second dessert.  Not going to happen baby girl.

Because of the heat, we've been staying indoors except for swim class.  Henry has entertained himself by playing handball with a ping pong ball.  He hits it against the walls/doors long enough to get himself all sweaty.

Josiah got tracing paper this week as well as good colored pencils, so he's spent his time tracing everything in sight.

We stayed inside this weekend as well.  To pass the time we introduced the kids to Monopoly. 

Todd and I had a lot of reading of the rules.  Apparently he and I didn't play the same way when we were kids.  Todd expected honesty and that if you landed on someone else's property you should give them their rent irregardless of whether or not they spotted you on their property.  I grew up playing that if you landed on someone's property you do everything in your power to get the next person to roll the dice so you don't have to pay the rent.  Fortunately, the rule book sided with me on that one.  It is the property owner's responsibility to pay attention.  We also kept a pot of money in the middle of the board - all the luxury tax and school board payments went there.  Whoever landed on Free Parking got the pot.  That isn't in the rule book, but it's still a better way to play.  Monopoly started off well.  With four players (Todd & Caroline were a team) the properties went fast.  Then it became a negotiation game of trying to buy properties from your neighbor to get all of the same color.  Our kids really need to work on our negotiation skills.  Sometimes they'd offer $1600 for a railroad.  Other times they'd offer $200 for Park Place.  It ended up that we all had a monopoly and we all started buying houses.  Unfortunately, Josiah bought 6 houses to put up on Park Place and Boardwalk.  Once that happened, we all started losing money fast.  Then Josiah became Mr. Generosity.  He'd hold his handful of money and offer Caroline or me $600 "just because."  I don't need no stinkin' charity.  I told him I was just fine.  Caroline took $400.  We've been playing for 2 days now and the game is still going.

Property buying and renting are not the only life skills Caroline learned this week.  She has also taken over getting herself breakfast.  She can now make toast like a champ.  She actually toasts it, allows it to pop up, then flips the bread around and toasts it again. She is her mother's daughter.  She is also a bit heavy handed with the butter.

She's taking ownership of her thumb sucking, too.  Me painting her nail at night just wasn't working for us, so I introduced the bad tasting nail polish to her and have had her paint her thumb herself.  The first day she was pretty upset, but as the week's gone on she's gotten somewhat used to it.  We just have to make sure we do it in the morning.  She'll get upset if we try to do it in the afternoon/evening when she's tired.  But I can't go to sleep...  Also, we have to be vigilant to paint it daily because the pool chlorine seems to take it off. 
 

Next week the kids have VBS at a local church.  I already have lots of plans for what I can accomplish while they're away.  It's really pretty exciting.  First stop, getting a haircut.