Sticker Chart and homemade Valentines

Since Cole is 13, Maddy is 11 and Tenley is 8 we have not had a sticker chart in our house for a while.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I am all about job charts, but you know the sticker charts you do for potty training or brushing teeth... that's what I am talking about.  So, Tenley had her rapid palate expander in last week and we have to turn the key twice a day and it's not a pleasant experience.  Apparently Norm and I have not been properly trained or we are just idiots, because we cannot do that thing.  We have, on different days, got one turn in and then we can't do the 2nd one.  We took her in once to have them fix it and then we had the same problem again.  She has an appointment today and instead of them doing it for me I am going to have them watch me and tell me what the heck I am doing wrong.  Well, I don't think this is an enjoyable event no matter what, but when you have to keep trying, and trying, sticking this stick in your mouth, it turns into an emotional mess.  Tenley is crying, Norm and I start out trying to coax her into cooperating, then we get angry, first at her and then at each other.  Don't ask me how a small blue plastic stick with a piece of metal (like a bent open paperclip) sticking out of it can cause so much drama, but it does. Well, the other night in the coaxing phase, I suggested to Tenley that she could earn something if she cooperated.  As we talked we came up with a sticker chart and she is into it.  She picked out a pink posterboard and a package of stickers.  I have to say the chart so far has worked its magic.  She let me try, and I say try, because I actually couldn't turn the dang thing, but she let me try eight times to do it.  She totally cooperated, was happy about it and she didn't try to grab my arm once and yank it out of her mouth.  So, we didn't have any tears, any coaxing, or any yelling or anger.  Whew, I will do a sticker chart any day over those.

While I am at work, I often have time to get on the internet (hence my blog being up to date) and I did some craft perusing the other day and stumbled across these darling home made valentines.  I wasn't sure the kids would go for it but they were excited.  They have been working on them the past few nights and it's been fun to do a craft with them.  I am sad to say that we don't do this enough.  As they have gotten older we don't break out the play-doh or fingerpaints anymore.  So we might need to plan a craft of the month or something.

 

Here is our finished products, bagged and ready to go.

Tenley and her butterfly for all the girls and her owl for the boys.

Maddy with hers.