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"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." Gordon B. Hinckley
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Pinewood Derby Cars
First pictures of the boys cars. Nate's is Batman and Zach's car is an iPhone. They had a lot of fun designing them. Unfortunately, Mario will probably miss the race since he flies to Florida on Wednesday and doesn't get home until after the race unless I change his flight. He had to miss last year too because he had to leave Tucson early to move here. This is the most competitive I've seen. Fathers are drilling new holes for wheels and sanding the axles. Of course, Mario had to play that game too! We'll see how if it pays off.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Lately
It's been awhile since I posted. I've been busy trying to get everything ready for closing on the house which is next week and getting it rented out. I put myself on a new, stricter budget so we can get the house paid off as quickly as possible. Too help me do that, I decided to go back on the strict Dave Ramsey budget and put cash in envelopes so I stick to my budget. I have used a budget as long as I can remember. But if I want something bad enough, I will just buy it and put a little less into savings that month. I also notice that I spend much more on groceries when I am paying with a credit card. I never carry a balance so Mario likes me to get the air miles but I keep trying to tell him that I would spend so much less without the credit card and the extra savings can be spent on a plane ticket and still have money left over to dump into our savings account. To make a long story short, I am back to using envelopes. But I hate the Dave Ramsey paper ones, so after seeing some really cute fabric ones on a friend's blog, I decided to make my own. I thought they came out very cute for a non-crafty person like me. I get all kinds of anxiety when I walk into a Michaels or Hobby Lobby. They are not my kind of stores.
We started a new chore system with the kids after reading how the Eyre household did theirs and now Shawni, their daughter does it with her own family. I read about it on her blog-71 toes. Anyway, the kids get an allowance that is equal to their age. Then they do the 10-20-70 rule. 10% tithing, 20% savings, and 70% living expenses (love that category) because kids need to learn to budget their money. The kids earn 10% interest every quarter to encourage them to save even more than 20%. They can't take the money out of savings until college. I am recommitting myself to having the kids do better at piano practice, reading 30 minutes a day, times table review, and chores. I made the following circle chart that I rotate daily. It's been working well for the past few days. I just have to stay consistent.
Ok, stop reading now if you don't want to hear me bragging about my wonderful children and husband.
Mario has left a lot of the new house details to me. But that's ok because he is the one flying to Florida for the closing and then showing it to potential renters. He has been very busy finishing his PME (Professional Military Education) for Lt. Colonel. He always has a goal to complete it before he pins on the next rank. He just finished number 4 of 5 tests/papers. I think the last one is not graded or at least most of it isn't graded, so in his mind, he is pretty much done. I am so proud of him for not procrastinating and getting it done. He's good at making goals and sticking to it. His big motivation this time around is to get an extension here in Omaha so Erin won't have to move during high school.
Eric wanted to drop Spanish 2 when we moved here because Spanish 1 was apparently taught differently in Tucson. So he was lost in Spanish 2. The thought of getting a B or a C in a class caused him a lot of stress. My brother, Charlie, convinced him to stay in and just study (something Eric has never done) and I am happy to say that Eric has the highest grade out of all her classes. So I am so thankful that he didn't drop it. He continues to excel in all his classes and now he will start preparing for ACT/SAT tests. He took the PLAN test that predicts your ACT scores. His results give a range and it said that he would get somewhere between a 31-34 on the official ACT. But his goal is higher. So he's going to get a chance to put those study skills to good use. I hope he's not disappointed if he comes up short. I know that whatever he gets, I will be very proud of him. We found out that Eric has no chance to graduate towards the top of his class here in Omaha because the class ranking is not just GPA but also the number of classes taken. Tucson only had 6 periods and they offer 7 here. So there is no way he can compete because his GPA is multiplied by his classes. So he comes up 1 class short. I called the school to see if there was anyway he could make up that one class missed and essentially they said, "Nope, but his grades look good and if he does well on the ACT/SAT he should have no problems with scholarships." I'm glad to see they support the military families in the community!
We attended parent/teacher conferences with Erin. I think we only go because we like to hear all the compliments from her teachers. They recommended her for all Honor classes next year. The paperwork said to expect one hour of homework per honor class. I don't believe Eric ever puts in more than 2 hours a week total for his 4 honor classes (unless there is a big project due) and I suspect Erin will be no different. It is amazing to me that she will be in high school next year. My baby girl! Oh, how sad! The big countdown begins.
The twins continue to amaze/amuse us. They were excited to tell me the other day that the entire 3rd grade was given a math test. The top 4 scorers would be put on a team to compete at competitions. My boys made it into the top 4. We were thrilled. We sat down with Zach's teacher and she told us that there is no reason for Zach to not get advanced on everything. But he hurries through his work. Why can't teachers just grade on a normal grading scale? That's besides the point. So now we have to work with Zach to slow down. He's definitely an A type personality. Then there's Nate. He's the exact opposite. His teacher said that he takes his time with everything he does but finishes most of his work within the timeframe given. He hates timed tests though. I think they cause him anxiety. They both read on a fifth grade reading level but the teachers said they won't let them move beyond that because the material is not age appropriate. So it starts all over again. Same problem we had with Eric and Erin.
We started a new chore system with the kids after reading how the Eyre household did theirs and now Shawni, their daughter does it with her own family. I read about it on her blog-71 toes. Anyway, the kids get an allowance that is equal to their age. Then they do the 10-20-70 rule. 10% tithing, 20% savings, and 70% living expenses (love that category) because kids need to learn to budget their money. The kids earn 10% interest every quarter to encourage them to save even more than 20%. They can't take the money out of savings until college. I am recommitting myself to having the kids do better at piano practice, reading 30 minutes a day, times table review, and chores. I made the following circle chart that I rotate daily. It's been working well for the past few days. I just have to stay consistent.
Ok, stop reading now if you don't want to hear me bragging about my wonderful children and husband.
Mario has left a lot of the new house details to me. But that's ok because he is the one flying to Florida for the closing and then showing it to potential renters. He has been very busy finishing his PME (Professional Military Education) for Lt. Colonel. He always has a goal to complete it before he pins on the next rank. He just finished number 4 of 5 tests/papers. I think the last one is not graded or at least most of it isn't graded, so in his mind, he is pretty much done. I am so proud of him for not procrastinating and getting it done. He's good at making goals and sticking to it. His big motivation this time around is to get an extension here in Omaha so Erin won't have to move during high school.
Eric wanted to drop Spanish 2 when we moved here because Spanish 1 was apparently taught differently in Tucson. So he was lost in Spanish 2. The thought of getting a B or a C in a class caused him a lot of stress. My brother, Charlie, convinced him to stay in and just study (something Eric has never done) and I am happy to say that Eric has the highest grade out of all her classes. So I am so thankful that he didn't drop it. He continues to excel in all his classes and now he will start preparing for ACT/SAT tests. He took the PLAN test that predicts your ACT scores. His results give a range and it said that he would get somewhere between a 31-34 on the official ACT. But his goal is higher. So he's going to get a chance to put those study skills to good use. I hope he's not disappointed if he comes up short. I know that whatever he gets, I will be very proud of him. We found out that Eric has no chance to graduate towards the top of his class here in Omaha because the class ranking is not just GPA but also the number of classes taken. Tucson only had 6 periods and they offer 7 here. So there is no way he can compete because his GPA is multiplied by his classes. So he comes up 1 class short. I called the school to see if there was anyway he could make up that one class missed and essentially they said, "Nope, but his grades look good and if he does well on the ACT/SAT he should have no problems with scholarships." I'm glad to see they support the military families in the community!
We attended parent/teacher conferences with Erin. I think we only go because we like to hear all the compliments from her teachers. They recommended her for all Honor classes next year. The paperwork said to expect one hour of homework per honor class. I don't believe Eric ever puts in more than 2 hours a week total for his 4 honor classes (unless there is a big project due) and I suspect Erin will be no different. It is amazing to me that she will be in high school next year. My baby girl! Oh, how sad! The big countdown begins.
The twins continue to amaze/amuse us. They were excited to tell me the other day that the entire 3rd grade was given a math test. The top 4 scorers would be put on a team to compete at competitions. My boys made it into the top 4. We were thrilled. We sat down with Zach's teacher and she told us that there is no reason for Zach to not get advanced on everything. But he hurries through his work. Why can't teachers just grade on a normal grading scale? That's besides the point. So now we have to work with Zach to slow down. He's definitely an A type personality. Then there's Nate. He's the exact opposite. His teacher said that he takes his time with everything he does but finishes most of his work within the timeframe given. He hates timed tests though. I think they cause him anxiety. They both read on a fifth grade reading level but the teachers said they won't let them move beyond that because the material is not age appropriate. So it starts all over again. Same problem we had with Eric and Erin.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Snow Day
My children are seeing the benefits of living in a cold climate. Because of the holiday on Monday, my kids already had a four-day weekend. Now it looks like they may have another one. With 8 inches of snow expected today, school has already been canceled and we all assume it will be canceled tomorrow as well. We went to the library and loaded up on books and movies. Erin and I went to Trader Joes and loaded up on snacks. The base hasn't shut down yet but Mario isn't feeling well so he's calling in sick. Unfortunately, I traded volunteer days with someone so I could be home with the family on Monday. So I have to go into the hospital all morning. But the snow shouldn't be too bad until after I get home at noon.
Nebraska has some perks (besides the friendly people.) There are days when I go to wake up the boys for school and they don't want to get up. They ask me if it snowed hoping for a snow day. But days like today when they could sleep in, they are up by 6 am. Ugh!
I'm excited for this extra family time. Hopefully the kids will get along as well as they all did last weekend. It was probably the most enjoyable weekend we have had in a long time because they didn't fight at all.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
The Market
The boys are doing Economics for their Social Studies unit this month. They each had jobs and got paid for them (in fake money of course.) They learned about starting a business, advertising their business, etc. So they spent the last month learning terms like Income, Budget, Interest, Scarcity, Competition, Import & Export, Supply and Demand, and Opportunity Cost. They were each asked to start their own business whether it would be to sell something they make or a service like face painting or doing nails. We helped the boys decide on a business. Zach chose to make bean hearts like the one he made for me in first grade. I love it and have had it hanging in my kitchen for the last couple years. I thought it would be a perfect gift for kids to give to their moms. Nathan decided to make stress balls which double as juggling balls. The one stipulation from the teacher was that they were to be made from materials we have at the house. If we had to purchase something, it could be no more than $5.
They had their market Friday afternoon. The teachers invited parents to come and even gave us each $20 to spend. Each of the kids could spend the money they have been earning from their jobs in school. It was really a great idea and the boys loved it. They begged me to allow Erin to come to the market also. So I checked her out of school an hour early and we went. I love that the kids like to support each other in their activities.
They had their market Friday afternoon. The teachers invited parents to come and even gave us each $20 to spend. Each of the kids could spend the money they have been earning from their jobs in school. It was really a great idea and the boys loved it. They begged me to allow Erin to come to the market also. So I checked her out of school an hour early and we went. I love that the kids like to support each other in their activities.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Beach House
Mario's been dreaming of retiring in Venice, Florida for several years now. When he's having a bad day at work, he likes to picture himself retired in Florida by the beach. That mental picture helps him get through the rough days. Well, now he no longer has to imagine that home. He knows exactly what it looks like and exactly where it is located-2 miles from Manasota Beach.
We are now in the middle of purchasing our second home. We've only bought once before and that was in O'Fallon, IL when we were stationed at Scott. We had the home less than two years because Mario was accepted into Naval Post Graduate School and we were forced to move. Buying and selling within two years wasn't a lot of fun and we decided that unless forced to (due to bad rental market, etc) we wouldn't buy again until Mario retired from the Air Force. That all changed when we went to Florida for Christmas (and spent our first winter in cold Nebraska.) Home prices are on the rise in Florida again. So we (mostly Mario) decided that we need to put our conservative, no risk ways behind us and jump into the real estate market. That's easy for so many people, especially my own parents and siblings. Between them, they've owned too many houses to count. Mario and I are nothing like them and we like NO risk. But after fasting and praying, I came on board. I did a lot of the home research and found one that I thought we would love, even if it was tens of thousands of dollars more than I wanted to spend on my retirement home. I learned that you really do have to pay for the location. Location, location, location...That's what I always hear realtors talk about on television. So, we are giving up the larger home a half hour from the beach for a smaller home that is within running distance of the beach. I think we'll be happy with the trade off.
There are many things to love about the home...By the way, have I mentioned that Mario and I haven't physically seen the house yet? The last house we bought, we had my parents house hunt for us because we lived in Hawaii. This time I found the house online so I asked my sister (a realtor) and my parents to go check it out for us. People think we are crazy for relying on others to house hunt for us. But I trust them and they did a great job last time, even if my dad wanted to go $40,000 over my budget. Glad we made him stick to it then. Hope we don't regret not sticking with a tighter budget this time around.
Anyway, about the things to love about the home. It is in a deed restricted neighborhood so all the lawns look nice. It has a pool with a nice cage and deck area. Many Florida homes have great rooms. I am not a big fan of those. I really like the separate living room and family room. This home has the rooms separated. Hooray! The master bathroom is much nicer than my bathroom here in Omaha since it has the separate bath and shower. Did I mention it's only 2 miles to a really nice beach?! Now to the things, not to love...the kitchen. It's not big! When I dreamt about my dream house, it was going to have a large kitchen with two ovens and lots of counter space. Nope, this house doesn't have any of it. But, I guess I can't have it all and still be within a couple miles of the beach.
Our plan is to rent it out until we retire, in 5-7 years. Mario really wants to do 20 and get out. But I tell him not to close any doors. He may change his mind down the road. So hopefully we can have the home paid off by time he does retire from the Air Force so we don't have any debt hanging over our head. I guess that's why I am so nervous about buying. I hate debt! I had never planned on borrowing another cent my whole life. But I guess it's better to buy now while houses are still affordable and have a renter pay our mortgage each month.
We are now in the middle of purchasing our second home. We've only bought once before and that was in O'Fallon, IL when we were stationed at Scott. We had the home less than two years because Mario was accepted into Naval Post Graduate School and we were forced to move. Buying and selling within two years wasn't a lot of fun and we decided that unless forced to (due to bad rental market, etc) we wouldn't buy again until Mario retired from the Air Force. That all changed when we went to Florida for Christmas (and spent our first winter in cold Nebraska.) Home prices are on the rise in Florida again. So we (mostly Mario) decided that we need to put our conservative, no risk ways behind us and jump into the real estate market. That's easy for so many people, especially my own parents and siblings. Between them, they've owned too many houses to count. Mario and I are nothing like them and we like NO risk. But after fasting and praying, I came on board. I did a lot of the home research and found one that I thought we would love, even if it was tens of thousands of dollars more than I wanted to spend on my retirement home. I learned that you really do have to pay for the location. Location, location, location...That's what I always hear realtors talk about on television. So, we are giving up the larger home a half hour from the beach for a smaller home that is within running distance of the beach. I think we'll be happy with the trade off.
There are many things to love about the home...By the way, have I mentioned that Mario and I haven't physically seen the house yet? The last house we bought, we had my parents house hunt for us because we lived in Hawaii. This time I found the house online so I asked my sister (a realtor) and my parents to go check it out for us. People think we are crazy for relying on others to house hunt for us. But I trust them and they did a great job last time, even if my dad wanted to go $40,000 over my budget. Glad we made him stick to it then. Hope we don't regret not sticking with a tighter budget this time around.
Anyway, about the things to love about the home. It is in a deed restricted neighborhood so all the lawns look nice. It has a pool with a nice cage and deck area. Many Florida homes have great rooms. I am not a big fan of those. I really like the separate living room and family room. This home has the rooms separated. Hooray! The master bathroom is much nicer than my bathroom here in Omaha since it has the separate bath and shower. Did I mention it's only 2 miles to a really nice beach?! Now to the things, not to love...the kitchen. It's not big! When I dreamt about my dream house, it was going to have a large kitchen with two ovens and lots of counter space. Nope, this house doesn't have any of it. But, I guess I can't have it all and still be within a couple miles of the beach.
Our plan is to rent it out until we retire, in 5-7 years. Mario really wants to do 20 and get out. But I tell him not to close any doors. He may change his mind down the road. So hopefully we can have the home paid off by time he does retire from the Air Force so we don't have any debt hanging over our head. I guess that's why I am so nervous about buying. I hate debt! I had never planned on borrowing another cent my whole life. But I guess it's better to buy now while houses are still affordable and have a renter pay our mortgage each month.
 |
| Nice landscaping |
 |
| Small kitchen |
 |
| I like the breakfast area |
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| So excited to have a pool! |
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Zach's 100 Book
For the 100th day of school, Zach had to fill in his own answers to a 100's book. Unfortunately Nate was at a Hal Seminar that day so he didn't get to fill one out. Darn, I always love his answers too. Here's some of my favorite excerpts from Zach's book:
"If I had 100 Jolly Ranchers, I would eat them all up before my brother gets them."
"If I had 100 legs, I would run in the olympics and win a gold medal."
"If I had 100 friends, I would invite all of them to my birthday and get 100 presents."
"If I could have 100 of anything, I would have 100 thousand bills because they are so useful."
"If I had 100 Jolly Ranchers, I would eat them all up before my brother gets them."
"If I had 100 legs, I would run in the olympics and win a gold medal."
"If I had 100 friends, I would invite all of them to my birthday and get 100 presents."
"If I could have 100 of anything, I would have 100 thousand bills because they are so useful."
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