Thursday, February 9, 2012

Winter Drudgery (in Pictures)

Hey guys,

Work has been absolute hell lately, so I haven't had time to write much lately, let alone come up with anything clever or profound to say.  My apologies.  This generally happens this time of year, though - January through early March is a horrible, horrible time of year.  Post-holiday depression, nothing really to look forward to (besides St. Patrick's Day, which is still over a month away), and the workload is heavy due to our upcoming annual round of FCAT (Florida's infamous standardized test).

I'm also consciously aware of the fact that this here blog of ours has lately turned into one, gigantic photo-journal.  I like to at least touch base from time to time with updates, even if there hasn't been jack-shit going on around here lately.  And so, with that in mind, here's some more random crap from the Houghs.

Enjoy.

This LeapPad of Alayna's has been a big hit since Christmas.  Unfortunately, she only really gets to play with the damn thing as much as we'd like - the only time it sees use is when Abby's asleep or otherwise distracted.  If Abby's around, a chaotic screaming match ensues over who gets to wield the tablet... and as much as we like screaming matches in this house, it's better to just avoid this one as much as possible.

The Cannonball's reading of Dr. Seuss's Go Dog Go
The Playroom - recently reorganized (Note: swords and armament displayed on wall - that was my contribution)
More of the Playroom...
Strangely enough, the beanbag chairs have actually facilitated a greater desire to read around the house - which is totally fine with us.
Our kids are bipolar.
Over the last couple of months, the Cannonball had been acting up and having a real hard time following directions. After multiple failed attempts at curbing said behavior, we created this incentive-based behavior chart: Alayna gets a sticker every time she completes a task the first time we ask her (cleaning up her toys, getting dressed, eating all her food, cleaning up her plate afterwards, and brushing her teeth.). If she accrues 30 stickers in a week, she gets a $1, which is then deposited in a special box.  In essence, we've created an allowance system for her, and it seems to be working pretty well so far...
Making valentines for her classmates....
She's one of only a couple kids in her class that can actually write her name without assistance. Probably due to the awesome job her parents are doing at raising her.
Alayna wanted to watch VoltronWho the hell am I to say no to that?!
Hide and seek
 
 Sharing, Hough style.

- Brian

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