Victory! (at least for a moment)

My three boys think life is dependent on computer use. For quite some time every spare moment has been spent begging to play computer. I have been very strict that they only get 15 minutes per day on school days and 30 minutes on Saturdays. Unfortunately that leaves a lot of time for begging and arguing with Mom about the computer.

I decided that I want to cut back their computer time even more. Every summer I give them a checklist of things to do before they can play--things like clean rooms, make beds, read for 20 minutes, do 5 minutes of service, etc. Each day of the week we have something fun we get to do after the checklist is completed. Go to the park, watch a movie, go for a bike ride, play computer. I only gave them one day to play computer which they thought was absolutely horrible. The first two weeks of summer break were spent arguing as usual about computer playing time, but I held my ground and said they could only play on Thursday which is play computer day. That didn't sit well with them AT ALL.

But here's the victory of it. This week I didn't hear them ask to play the computer for three whole days before today(Thursday) and when Superstar came to tell me he had completed his checklist he didn't even remember that today was computer day! I had to tell him!

Woohoo! I know it won't last but I'm celebrating today:)

conversations:)

On the way home from Twin Falls---near Tremonton.
Cutie: When will we be home?
Me: We're almost there. Our house is on the other side of that mountain.
Cutie: Do we have to fly over it?
Me: No.
Cutie: Then how will we get there?
Me: We're going to drive around the mountain.
Cutie: We are?!! Hooray!
Us: "We'll be coming round the mountain when we come. We'll be coming 'round the mountain when we come. We'll be coming 'round the......etc.

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In the car on the way to the park. For some reason the older kids were talking about the second coming of Christ and all the things that need to happen first.
Me: Actually the whole world will be burned before Jesus comes again.
Cutie: But Jesus has a good idea!
Me: What is it?
Cutie: Water!!!!!(presumably to put the fire out:))

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While waiting for the Manti Pageant to begin:

Superstar: I'm hungry.

Me: We just had dinner.

Superstar: If I was starving you would have to get me something to eat really quick!

Me: But you're not starving

Superstar: I wish I was!

Graduation 2009

She made it to graduation after a bad case of senioritis which made her not want to do anything she was supposed to. On Monday was the L Banquet which is for seniors who have participated in extracurricular activities. On Tuesday we went to Candlelight (in the middle of a violent thunderstorm) where we didn't walk around the school with candles due to the weather. And finally on Wednesday was graduation where Juice got out of walking in the processional by conducting the orchestra (as per LHS tradition). We are so proud of her. She's on her way to a fantastically successful life!

Ryan's Place Park

The End.....and.....the Beginning

There are a lot of endings and beginnings going on in our family right now.....

We went to Juice's last all-district orchestra concert on Tuesday........which was also Silly Guy's first.

Juice is graduating from high school..............and Cutie is starting kindergarten.

Juice is ending her childhood.......and starting a new adventure as she goes to college.

I'm at the end of mothering preschoolers..............and beginning to feel like I can return to some of my old dreams.

It is a sad..........and happy............... feeling to be ending and beginning things if we can just make it through the transition!

Mother's Day picnic:)

All of the Dunn family had a great time today at a picnic we had in honor of Mother's Day.

We all got really tired from spending time in the sun at Daybreak park.

Dad brought his little sailboat that he built himself and took it out on the lake.

The kids were really excited about that.

It was a really fun day!

Cleaning up

After dinner today we were all doing our kitchen jobs to clean up. I finished Cutie with his and left the room. A few minutes later I heard a little voice say, "Mommy I'm helping clean up, come see!" so I went in the kitchen and look what I found Stephen was making his family home evening treat. Cookie dough, yum!