Working out, isn't working out!

Today didn't start exactly how I wanted it to. I had plans to get up early (which I did), tidy up a bit before Sunnie came over for our workout (which I did and she did). Anyway, the kids were busy, Peyton was on the computer doing some of his school work and Pajha was... well... she was being our personal trainer, handing us our weights, and water (basically getting in our way ha ha). Sweet. Not so much! Immediately Peyton starts having trouble with one of his assignments, math... money actually. He doesn't know the US money well since we have lived over here so long. Bjay spent an hour with him last night teaching him how to count it and showing him what it looked like. We have given him a jar full of US coins to use when doing his assignments so that he has it hands on. I thought this assignment would be easy for him. Big sigh. Barely made it through a half job of a workout without being interrupted every minute or two by one of the kids. Summer stinks. I wish school was all year round! So we bagged the workout (what was left of it) and decided to call it a day and try again tomorrow! Later the same day.... the kids have these charts that I spent HOURS making for them. They are very personalized and the kids really like them. It isn't all chores, it is basically our daily routine! If the kids get up and ready for the day (teeth brushed, etc) they will get one, Peyton has to read 20 minutes a day, Pajha has to spend 20 minutes either doing puzzles or something QUIET, they each have one or two chores, bedtime routine, you get the point. However, we have run across a problem. Peyton only wants to follow it when he has his eye on a new toy or game. Today he decided (without telling me why) that he was going to go all out and do everything on time and get all his Stickers on his chart. Great!!! So he did, then he asks me "what's my reward? What do I get for doing all of my stuff today?". Ugh! I knew there was a catch to him being so helpful and upbeat! I told him that he doesn't get a reward every single day that he does all of his chores. He has to continue doing them, every day, without whining (Oh my) in order to receive any rewards. Well he didn't like the sound of that. So he stomped over to his chart, pulled off all of his stickers and said "Great! So I did all of that for nothing!". KIDS! We had a talk and I told him that for every sticker he gets I will give him 10 cents and by the end of the week he can add up his money and whatever he has he can either use on a treat or save it until he has enough for whatever he has had his eye on (a Nintendo DS... good luck buddy!). Settled!

And a little later the same day...... Have any of you tried playing Barbies with your kids? I remember loving it when I was young but haven't really sat down and Played with Pajha, she is just now really getting into them. So we were playing, and me feeling kindof foolish at first just let her tell me what my Barbie was supposed to say. Easy. Well then it started to be a little bit fun (shhh... don't tell anyone) and we were playing for a while. It was when my Barbie said to her Barbie "Talk to the hand" and her Barbie replied "Ummmm.... well..... hmmmmm....... I don't really know what that means" that I realized I was having way too much fun and needed to stop!