Bribes

Travis was on a business trip to California on Wednesday and Thursday. Since I wasn't any fun on Wednesday and we just cleaned the house all day, I promised the boys we could go to the library on Thursday. So yesterday, we went and signed them up for their summer reading program for the kids (and me, too!). The boys got a special packet with a few different charts they will fill out by reading books to earn the following: 2 free kids meals (The Old Spaghetti Factory and Noodles & Co.), a McD's yogurt parfait, a game of miniature golf, an ice cream cone, a discount to Oaks Park, fast food coupons, and a free paperback to keep! Oh, and a pencil, too. Could that list be any longer? They also can enter a drawing each week as we visit the library.

I'm all for reading and I agree it's fun to join a "summer reading program" because you get to fill out a fun little chart, but do these kids really need all that extra stuff? My boys love the library and are so happy to just pick out 5 books each and a video before we head out to see the ducks and geese and to hear our echos in the tunnel. They'd be happy just to have the reading chart to fill out. It was a beautiful day and we had the best time running around the duck pond. I actually remembered to bring some bread and so we had fun feeding the quackers, too!



The little "teenager" geese were so cute...and hungry! The mom wouldn't let them go on the sidewalk and would hiss at us if we got too close to the grass.



I like the idea of encouraging them to get excited about reading...but, you know. Last year, I think half of those silly coupons just magically disappeared...or they might still be lost in my wallet. Don't get me wrong, we did have a fantastic time at the library and running around the pond. But, I just don't want my kids to start expecting a reward every time they read anything. Although, you could argue that I knew what to expect when we went to the library in the first place so I must like all the bribery on some level. O.K., I'll admit it, they gave me a bag of skittles for signing up for the adult summer reading program. And I kept it for myself. So, there you go.

Yesterday night I hired a babysitter and I went to our Relief Society's Enrichment Night to do a silent service auction and to make little baby binky pillows to donate to the hospital. I always look forward to going because I don't see all my friends on Sundays since I'm in Primary early to set up and late to finish up. It was a fun night for me!

When I drove up to our house, Travis was in the driveway putting away the garbage cans. I didn't expect to see him until a little later that night, so it was a good surprise! Then he gave the boys little airplane gliders. They love these things and we took them over to the school today to throw around.



Travis, they'll want you to go on a business trip every week if you keep bringing back such cool presents! Um...don't do that, though...the traveling every week part...I'd have to bribe them all the time and besides that I'd miss you too much! "Keep cleaning and I'll take you to the library, read all your books and you get a prize, be good while dad's gone and he'll bring you back a surprise." O.K., I'm guilty. But I bet no other mom would blame me.