Some random stuff on EC's special day!

On the way to EC's birthday lunch, we had to turn back around because one of her toys rolled under the van before we left. I couldn't reach it after she dropped it, so I told her I would pick it up after we backed the van out. In the commotion that all of us out the door, I forgot to pick up the toy. She remembered. We turned around. As I tried to swing into the garage to be in a good position to back out again, but to also be able to get the toy, I swiped the side of the van on the garage opening :(

By no means did I let this dampen the birthday celebratory mood, but it was a bummer. EC went to grab her toy and I check out the damage. Luckily, I think it will mostly buff out and my brother in law does body work, so I will let him handle it. We are going up to see them on Tuesday anyway, since the girls were asked to be models for a photographer in Athens! I'm super excited! I feel in love with Fairyography, thanks to a friend who posted her daughter's pictures on facebook. I started budgeting to have the girls' pictures done next fall, but Heather was looking for a little girl with a Shirley Temple kind of look and she offered to do a free session with our girls! Woohoo! She provides the outfits, we just show up. And the best part is that she will be doing them at the Botanical Gardens where Bo and I got married. Have I told you I'm excited?!?!

So we made it to lunch with daddy today. At first EC said she wanted to go to Moe's. 

Can y'all believe that CFA was not even mentioned? Could she finally be tired of CFA? 

Anyway, I asked if she wanted to go into the city to have Willy's with daddy and at first she said, "No, because its too far away." But she thought about it for a while and I guess the temptation to see daddy was too great, because she came up to me after breakfast and said, "Okay, we can go to Willy's. Do we have to get on the interstate? Can we go a different way?" Yes, she still "doesn't like the interstate". To me she sounds like an old woman sometimes :) Here are some pictures, post our SUPER long 26 mile drive to lunch ;) 

After lunch, she used some of her birthday money to buy a couple toys from the store. This is the first time we have let her do this. I told her she had $25 to spend. She picked out a new doctor kit, a toiletry kit, and thank you cards "to tell [her] friends she really liked her birthday gifts". She still had $5 left and decided to "save it"!

I have really been thinking about chores for the girls lately and "commission" (as Dave Ramsey calls it) for doing their chores. I'm just not sure which chores I want to pay them for and how much. I do want them to have money to save up, give, and spend, so they can learn about money early. EC and AB already help with things in the kitchen like loading and unloading the dish washer, wiping down the kid table, putting away groceries, and EC feeds her fish. EC is responsible for putting her clothes in her hamper, making her bed, and putting away clean clothes. They both help clean up toys through out the day. Those are all things that we feel like they should just do as their part of living here. So I'm not sure what that leaves as far as being paid to do. Dusting maybe? I don't trust them to really sweep or mop yet. Any ideas from you seasoned parents? Or memories of what your parents paid you to do and how much? 

Happy hump day everyone!