We've tried a lot of different "reward systems"...and so far this is one of my favorites.  Nearly-instant gratification for all!  The idea came from this post on "My Mix of Six" . 

Friday is usually the day I try to get the house in order for the weekend.  For me it's worth a lot to have at least that one day...the children help to get the house clean! 

So, a few weekends ago we announced a "family movie night" on Friday morning ... to happen that evening.  I bought a roll of raffle-type tickets at Wal-Mart (you get 1000 or more for about $6).  Each job the children helped complete earned them tickets.  Then, for the movie that night they had to have a certain number of tickets to "get admission" to the movie...and then there were other things to buy.  Blankets, pillows, popcorn, root beer floats, etc. 

Of all the fun things we tried to do on our Spring Break week here at home...this is the thing that Nathan has talked about most!

(Greg making it official with the "cash register"...
Joshua carefully counting the tickets in his mug.) 

I saw a cute idea on this website...for an alphabet of letters made to look like a road.  Joshua has had a fun time tracing his letters to spell his name.

On this website...they had a cute idea for a parking lot with numbers.  I made a "one digit" version for Joshua and a "three digit" version for Nathan.  I'd call out a number for each of them and they'd "pull in" to the correct parking spot.  (Or of course if you're Joshua you always back in so you can pull straight out.)  By the time we were done we'd added a digit to each of their numbers!  A fun way to get a gauge of where they're really at in learning numbers and help them practice.

(More pictures to come...)

Making a pizza from a "kit" ... a great fundraiser purchase from our friends.

We start our kids loving cars young.  =)

Taking a break from conference at an elementary school playground near our home.