Tiny Aliens

My husband and I were out at different events last night, and we asked Aunt Margaret if she was able to watch my son for a few hours.   She brought him his favorite (well, only) Qdoba order shortly before I left for the party.

I came home to find my son and Uncle Jonathan (who had decided to come over later) playing one of the Zelda games.   Margaret and I got tired and told the boys it was time to hang it up for the night and reconvene another time to continue their game.

This morning Margaret texted me that she enjoyed spending time with our, "Tiny Aliens".   I couldn't help but laugh at the very understandable label for them.  Children do seem so alien sometimes.   They do things that don't make any sense to adults and yet when you talk to other adults, recounting a story about something your child did, you invariably get unexpected confirmation that your children are just like other children with a, "they all do that."

Aunt Margaret was so very complimentary of my son, saying he listened, followed directions without complaining and was self-motivated, not needing multiple reminders to get things done like putting on his pajamas.

She said he always said thank you and gave her a hug goodbys whenever they parted. She said my daughter was equally well-behaved.   She said she didn't prefer to spend time with just any "tiny aliens," but that mine were the exception.

I made sure to tell the children tonight I was so proud of them, sharing what Aunt Margaret had told me.   We talked about when we would get to see her again.   They each want to do different things with her.  My son wants to play pinball with her because they didn't get a chance to last night.   And my daughter wants to get a pedicure and/or go shopping.   Perhaps both.  She wouldn't mind both.

The Big Boy Tiny Girl Allowance Results:  The first week is over and the results have been tallied.   My children both, coincidentally, got eleven dollars and fifty cents.   I had exact change but they opted for something we came up with on the fly we titled, "Daddy Bank".  My husband got app for children's allowance tracking.

We're starting a new chart tomorrow.   Aunt Margaret had a great suggestion for my daughter's chart when I mentioned I needed to come up with something tactile: an abacus.   Could we tally the allowance that way, adding or removing as necessary to keep her total?   Tonight I put this together for my daughter.   She felt it and got it immediately, including how she could turn one square bead dollar in for four round quarter beads.   In the picture below, the week has started and she has ten dollars credited by which beads are on the left side of the "allowance abacus" for lack of a better term.   It's on the refrigerator now and we'll have her remove or add as necessary throughout the week.