Keeping Cherish Busy

Today I was working on the lawn, and in order to keep Cherish busy, safe, and outside--and after she got bored playing in the sandbox--I put her to work.

I sent her on a "treasure hunt" to collect items and make some new discoveries. Then I set up a quick make-shift "table", got some glue and construction paper, and wham! Instant success in keeping her busy and safely in view.

Circus with a Friend

Pappy (a.k.a. George) was able to secure six tickets to the circus, and we all headed out to enjoy the day. Cherish took her friend along.

There was so much to see with three rings going at the same time. Every performance was amazing! What fun!

Not Afraid of Color Any More...

So, we are gaining courage with color. We matched the color of the silk in the palm trees (though the picture doesn't pick up the color), and we went for it! Well, on one accent wall.

Before:

 After:

Practicing for Chinese New Year 2011

Tired girl practices for Chinese New Year (CNY). The 3-4 year old class is performing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and the children are supposed to learn the song in Chinese. It's going to be so cute!

Here's the link for the song they are to learn: The Chinese Version. (Momma is the teacher's assistant and can't get the words down! Ugh!)

We Have Room! Bring Them!

There is only ONE race--the HUMAN race! (There are many cultures, but there is only one race.) We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. May we care for one another as Jesus would.

If you want a larger viewing screen and this one does not open for you, please go to the bottom of this site and begin the video. You will be able to expand the viewing screen from there.

Love Letters

Cherish enjoys writing love letters to her daddy and mommy. Here are her gifts of love to me from today alone:

Notice the "mom" spelled out on the top of the page
with the heart under it:

Notice "mom" and hearts are repeated all over the bottom:

Sweet love. May it never end.

Chinese Outfit

Thanks to Pappy and Nanny, Cherish has a new outfit to wear to several Chinese events this year. Here she is at the Chinese acrobat show:

 Here's the full outfit (minus the matching purse):

The shoes are heavy-duty, and they match the dress.

If you are interested in ordering an outfit for your child, the website is Phoenix Buy. They have great deals going on right now!

More Cousin Time

Mark and Michele treated everyone to pizza at European Village (their favorite spot in the area). Thanks!

Austin and Kevin:

 At Grandma's house: Carolyn, Cherish, and Brandon

 One of the family Yahtzee champions: Ryan

 Time out for making jewelry:

These two girls seem inseparable. Cherish told me after their visit that she wants to be a "big sister just like Carolyn." Sweet love. ♥

Cousin Time at the Beach

We had a few cousins come to visit, and we all enjoyed some time at the beach:

Nothing like having a playmate:

Michele found many starfish on the beach:

Austin helped rescue them:

Back to playing with Carolyn:

My Sweet Helper

How blessed I am! I have such a sensitive and caring daughter!

This morning was busy; I was doing several things at the same time. I started the laundry, cleaned the shower, prepared a meal...and got ready to leave the house to make a run by a certain time. While all this was happening, Cherish had secretly gone into my room and made my bed. (I had made the bed, but I hadn’t put the decorative pillows on it. I didn't think it was necessary on a busy morning.) She saw an incomplete chore and decided to lend a hand. She is such a helper!

I was so pleased! Here’s how she did:

It stayed that way all day. When she graciously helps me—unless it’s absolutely imperative—I leave her work as is. I believe it pleases her.

She pleases me ;-).

Household Chores

So, it is the New Year and Cherish is now 4 years old, so I have added another chore to her previous list.

Here’s a recap of her previous morning chores—which she received at age 3:

1. Make bed.

2. Get dressed. (Yep, that was her chore, because she could easily stay in pajamas all day.)

3. Eat breakfast. (Yep, that was a chore too, because she used to want to skip breakfast. Now she looks forward to eating breakfast.)

4. Brush teeth. (She brushes her own teeth in the morning; daddy or mommy brushes her teeth at night.)

Also, this past summer she had requested that she be the one to fold the small items in the clean laundry (like wash cloths and her clothes), and to sort, match, and fold socks. She LOVES it!

Side note: Today when I pulled the first load of laundry out of the dryer Cherish told me, "Mom, make sure you leave the washcloths, tights, and stuff for me to fold!" (She was eating and didn't want to miss out on the "fun".)

So, now I’ve added: clear the dishes from the table for every meal. Surprisingly, Cherish is REALLY enjoying her new chore. It seems she feels important and needed. It is mommy/daughter time in the kitchen.

Sure, sharing family chores can slow a mommy down, but I have seen a huge change in Cherish when she has finished a chore. She beams!

Cherish is always looking for something to do with me—constantly asking me what we can do together—and doing chores together guarantees her one-on-one time with mom. Besides that, momma ALWAYS squeals with delight/jumps up and down/clamps with joy, and affirms her every accomplishment. She gets great delight out of momma’s response to her “job well done”.

I make sure to check all chores and let her know she did a FANTASTIC job—even if I have to secretly go back and redo something (like sealing up the food that she put away from the dinner table).

My rules for Cherish’s chores:

1. Always check on her jobs. (Then, she feels it was worth the effort.)

2. Always cheer on her accomplishments. (You should hear the squeals of delight I get back in return!)

Cherish has a calendar in her room on which she places stickers for each day her chores have been completed. Besides the reward of stickers, there is an additional benefit: she is learning the days of the week and dates.

Chores. It sounds like such a negative word. They are very much a positive part of our lives. I should rename the word.