Money Talks

As I walk into the girls room my shoulders sink, my head drops and the frustration sets in.  Again. I calmly say to them, "Girls, get this room cleaned up...or I'll do it for you."  "No! Don't do that!" comes the reply.  I turn, smile and think to myself, "It's working, right on."

We began giving the kids an allowance a few months ago.  Each week they get a dollar for each year of age they are.  I didn't think it was a lot but the responses I get from other parents when I tell them indicates we are quite generous.  (It's too bad the kids don't get that. Ha!)  We provide them with necessities and whatever else they would like to have they have to buy it themselves.

It serves as a great incentive to be responsible and respectful.  I recently read this book called, Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster W. Cline, M.D., and Jim Fay. One of the biggest things I came away with was that children should have real world consequences whenever possible.  For example, when I break the law by speeding I have to pay a fine.  So when the kids break the house rules they must pay me a fine.  When they leave their things lying around or do not clean up their room I will do it for them by taking everything that was out of place.  I put those things in a box and when they want something back they pay me $1 for each item.  If they don't get their items back within a couple weeks they are given to the needy.  I also have to admit that I got the idea to make them pay to get their stuff back from a friend Kathryn McKee.  (I want to be like her when I grow up.) If my children were to turn out as half as good as hers did I would be thrilled.

Money talks folks not just to adults!

The Beginning

Here we are.  We've abandon our native home in Arizona to live in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  We never really wanted to live in New Mexico but I had a strong desire to begin a new life away from Phoenix (the heat mostly).  We decided we would apply for some positions in Flagstaff and Prescott Valley (away from Phoenix...but still not too far).  THAT is what landed us in New Mexico.  The company that we applied for in Prescott also had shops in other northern Arizona cities, southern Colorado and all over New Mexico.  We tried really hard to go to southern Colorado (ha, who wouldn't) northern Arizona or even northern New Mexico but no, God knew we needed to be just outside of Albuquerque.  Rio Rancho to be exact.  So here we are.

The Tree in Our Front Yard Last Fall

I must say that I've enjoyed the 8 months we've been here.  I was thrilled to experience a small taste of Fall and I believe it to be my favorite time of the year. The winter was actually cold and we even got to experience real snow. Six whole inches! At once! To a native Phoenician that is something to write home about.  I was able to buy a coat and now I own TWO! My wardrobe is growing beyond tank tops and flip flops.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy tank tops and flip flops, just not 10 months out of the year.





Our First Real Snow

 

We haven't seen 90 degrees yet, although our Arizona counterparts have already seen plenty of those.  I also might add that 60 degrees feels a lot cooler here than in Phoenix.  60 is brisk if there is a breeze or even wind.  Oh yes, the Albuquerque Metro area is very windy.  That is one thing I could leave behind.  It doesn't melt the make-up off my face and let's face it, my hair was never really stylish so I don't lose much there so I'll take the wind over the scorching summer (that lasts for 6 months, don't even try to argue with me).

 Although I've found the people here to be incredibly friendly I do miss my friends and family very much.  I never realized how much my "church" family meant to me.  I had a love-hate relationship with "small groups".  If you aren't familiar, a small group is a small group (typically from church) that meets in one person's home to read God's word and discuss how it is applicable to your life.  Sounds "churchy" but it's really not.  I resisted small groups because it was another thing taking time away from other "stuff" I could be doing.  Mostly that stuff was to veg in front of the couch...with 3 kids that doesn't happen much.  But small groups are also to have a small group of people that you get to know better, spend time with and in the end you become...family.  That is exactly what they were to me. Each one meant something different.  Each one spoke to a different part of my life and I miss each one.

So all-in-all I am content and at home in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. However, we don't believe this is the end of this passage.  No.  Actually we believe this is only the beginning for our family and we're very excited (okay and a bit impatient) to see where or what God leads us into next.  I sure hope He doesn't take His time showing us the next step!