Patrick's Projects

 And so another weekend of fun with Mama and her boys ends.  Cowboy boots, pj tops all day, ninjas, flip flops, blankets, dogs at the park, bare feet, gloves, new to you shoes, popcorn, wrestling, Alvin, WHIPPED CREAM WITH CHERRIES!

Two projects this weekend! 

Project #1 ART STRIPS

aka a place where Patrick can hang his creations and notes from his "girl"friends.  He is happy to put some things on the official Art Wall but other things he insists on hanging in his room.  Which was why I created the Art Wall....This is kind of the way it goes; I have an idea, Patrick counters with a better idea.  So, I imagined a Map Themed art board for his room. 

It was a surprise project for Patrick.  He wanted to know what we were going to buy for his project so he could make a list.  Yes.  He is my son.

Cheap and Easy.  Kind of in the same lines as the Art Boards I made with Katie.  Just not as fancy.
What I really wanted to make him was cool push pins.  Everything else was secondary.  I bought scrapbook paper with highway signs, clear glass beads with flat backs, glass glue, and thumb tacks. 

Super easy.  Patrick helped.  We would have been happy with these little do-das. 

The Board....
At first I was considering a bulletin board.  But I didn't want a full bulletin board so I bought 4 corkboard strips.  $5.99 at Office Max
Next step was what to do with the cork strips... I decided to Mod Podge (shocking, I know) more scrapbook paper, map paper in this case.
Again this was easy and Patrick helped.

The hardest part is waiting for all of it to dry... Instead of hanging it that night, Patrick wanted to get his dad's help the next morning.  Sure enough he marched right over to his dad's side of the bed at 7:30 and started motivating his dad.  He didn't stop talking for 45 minutes.  Weekend mornings are tough since Kevin hasn't seen the boys for 24 hours and has to get ready to go back and do it again.  Anyway.... The end result. 

Project #2 CHORE CHART

A recent conversation with Kevin and Patrick had me thinking about a Chore Chart.  We started giving Patrick official chores and allowance this Fall.  He is responsible for feeding the dogs (sometimes with his brother's help), cleaning out his backpack, cleaning the car, and making his bed.  He has other chores that he does too (clearing the table, cleaning his room, etc.) these official chores are his responsibility to remember and execute.  The problem is that we never remember what he has done in the chaos of the week and we have only remembered to give him allowance once.  This new chore chart is meant to help all of us track his progress and remind us to give him his allowance (although I still think that if he wants it badly enough he will remind me...).

I spent more on a dry erase board because there is utility to it and what the heck, I haven't paid him his allowance in 3 months.  I could spend $20 on a board.

$20 (actually $17) board, scrap paper, punchers, magnets.  total cost= $17

I couldn't find all of my punchers but these are easy enough to make that we can switch them out as we need to (and I locate my punchers in the scrapbooking chaos).

See.  Easy.Cut Print Glue Done. What's that?  You want the Mod Podge.  ME TOO!

Much better.

the plan is to have a few chores on any given day.  Some days will have extra chores (today it was getting all of the trash from upstairs: YEAH THAT'S HOW WE DO THE HARD WORK (fist pump)!  He kind of takes the fun out of giving chores.  Too much fun for him.)  If he gets all of his chores completed then he gets a star or happy face or whatever on that day (that's where the dry erase comes in).  At the end of the week we know exactly how he did.

I know I can whip up additional chores really easily so this can grow and change as he does.  I also didn't want to lock him into 7 chores every day.  Some days it just isn't realistic given homework, after school activities and time to just be a kid.

I even made a little magnet to remind us about the allowance: