Mindful Monday: Get Back on Track

Okay. I know it's Tuesday. But that's part of what we're doing this week. Trying to the best of our ability to re-establish our daily routine.

For the last two weeks there have been family in town, mad holiday preparations and celebrations and Papa home from work. It's been fun. Bedtimes have been erratic (almost to the point of non-existance most nights. Yawn.) Eating has been haphazard and involving more sweets than usual. I'm glad it's time to get back to our dull, fairly predictable, life.

Who: All the family
What: Re-establish our habits and routines. Get ready for a new school month that starts next week.
Why: We intentionally let most our routines disappear for the month of December. It's that time of year. But we also know that our housekeeping schedule, bedtimes, circle times, and so on, keep us sane. It's time to call back a little bit of that sanity.
How: Papa is back at work, and though we miss him, that helps re-create our habits. We will keep on with our morning circle (the only thing that didn't fall apart in the Holidays, thank goodness!). I will try to get the housekeeping back to the established schedule. The kids will go to bed at bedtime, movies will happen on movie nights, and so on. I anticipate this taking two weeks to really get back, but that's okay. I have to work extra this week and next at our food co-op, so I'm giving myself a little leeway to re-establish our days over the two weeks. This will also get us ready to delve back into our school work in January.

Here's to sanity!

Mindful Monday: Ride the Crazy Wave

It's the holidays. It's festive. It's crazy. There are little people in my world who are so excited they simply cannot contain themselves.

Family comes into town this weekend. We go with my family (all 12 or so of us) to the beach for four days of solid merriment. We get home from that and get ready for Christmas. We don't start coming down until after New Years.

Everything is upset; my housekeeping schedule, my blogging schedule, the kids routine.

My Mindful Monday this week is to do what needs to be done, enjoy the madness, release the blog schedule, but try to keep (somewhat) to the housekeeping schedule. I'll keep posting through the next few weeks, sharing the holiday madness with you all, but I'll do it on my schedule, as I want to or have time to.

Because my real Mindful Monday is to enjoy the Holidays and all the chaotic, glittering, exuberant madness.

Mindful Monday: Drink More Water

Something I really don't do enough of us drinking water. The amount I am still nursing Sister-Bug should have me drinking more than I usually do. But I lose track during the business of each day, often slugging a quick glass at bedtime, in hopes of re-hydrating a little bit. This is not good for me.

I aim to change that.


Who: Me
What: Drink 2 quarts of water a day.
Why: For better health!
How: I started working on this last week, and I think I found a system that will help me track what enough water looks like. First thing in the morning, when I am thirsty anyway, I fill up two quart canning jars with my days water. If they are full I can sip at them all day without thinking about it. The two jars also show me how much I have been drinking and how much more I have to go. If I empty both, I fill up another and keep sipping.

Bottoms up!

Mindful Monday: Fifteen Minutes Again!

Last week's Mindful Monday post was such a success! I got a lot done in my art room, and restricting myself to the 15 minutes made me really want to get back into it the next day. I got a lot done, but there is still more.

I also tempered my work time by getting to a couple of easy, niggling craft tasks as I came across them. This had a double benefit - it broke up the time nicely, giving me small reminders of why I so badly want this space functional and getting a couple of things done meant having a couple less things to find a home for as I organize.

For this week - I'm having anoutehr go-round of this task, to see how much more I can get done! 

Look! You can almost see the work table!

Who: Me
What: Fifteen minutes of cleaning everyday in my art room.
Why: To get 'er done.
How: First thing after Sister-Bug goes down for her nap, bust in to the space for fifteen minutes no more, no less. Last week I focused on clearing space for the future work of sorting and storing. That meant a lot of just picking messes up and boxing it for later organizing. This week, I want to focus on clearing out some of those boxes of chaos. I also want to make the "work box" drawers that I have for the kids accessible and functional. I think if they are,  I can have a little more time in my room...

I'm gonna get this done, I swear. I probably will have it all nice so I can mess it up well and good in Holiday preparations.

Mindful Monday: Fifteen Minutes A Day In My Room

I have a room of my own in this house - its for my art supplies, herbal products, sewing work, and the kids school supplies. But regardless, it is mine and it has a door. The only thing is that I don't use it. In the way of many things in life with small children, my room was the lowest on the list to unpack when we moved. And it still lingers in a state of semi-unpacked, catastrophic mess.

What the challenge looks like...

I've been hoping and waiting for a weekend day when I can really absorb into the room and do some crazy unpacking, but... Well, I've been waiting for six months. It's become a looming, awful task, a mess beyond belief, and I've been just keeping the door closed.

No more!

Who: Me
What: Taking a page (not literally) out of Gretchen Rubin's blog about tackling difficult tasks, I commit to spending fifteen minutes each day, organizing and clearing my space. In seven days that is almost 2 hours, so I should be able to get something accomplished.
Why: Above and beyond what I stated previously, the holidays are coming. I don't have a mountain of crafting to accomplish, but it sure would be nice to have a space in which to work on the little I do need to get done. And, space to work aside, I'm just bloody sick of the mess! The rest of the house is so consistently tidy that my room haunts me.
How: For fifteen minutes - hopefully during Sister-Bug's nap - I will delve into my art room, set a fifteen minute timer and clean till it beeps. No more, no less.

Here's to success and a clear work table!

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Additional notes: The laundry design is going well, and I plan on posting more about that soon. It's working its way into my weekly housekeeping schedule, which will be for the best.

I missed the Mindful Monday last week - I had it mostly written. It was about holding normalcy and rhythm in a week of chaos. But the day, the week, was just too busy to post at all last week. I was more focused on getting the kids through a crazy week, with some of their routines intact to do much writing.

Mindful Monday: Creating A Laundry Design

Laundry is the mountain of mountains - the Everest that I seem to almost get to, and never quite climb to the top. Part of the reason it is such an issue for our house is that there is no good place to fold laundry. It's a Major Chore, right? All the other Major Chores have a place - dishes have sinks and dishwashers, washing the laundry has a designated space, there's a corner for the broom and vacuum to hang out when not in use, and so on. But not the unfolded laundry. Some people use the bed, some keep it on the couch, one co-sleeping mom I know uses her crib. But these aren't solutions.

All to frequently, our couch is unusable due to Laundry Mountain. I hate it. There is an answer out there. I just need to think about it. I need to think as carefully and thoughtfully as I did when I re-did the errands. Now is the perfect moment. Daisy Dog likes to sleep on piles of clean laundry, so I have no choice but to keep it off the couch. Papa-Bug made this wonderful folding table in our tiny laundry room - plenty of clearance for the dirty laundry sorter underneath, room on top to keep clean laundry and to fold it.

A place for clean laundry, made of recycled materials. I love my husband.

Who: Me (and the family as applicable)
What: Create a plan to keep the clean laundry flowing to its proper place...dressers come to mind.
Why: This is my Everest of housekeeping. I want to figure it out.
How: Watch the laundry dance, where it works and where it doesn't. Make a plan and implement said plan.

I can't tackle the "how" in a more detailed way right now - first I have to do some thinking and unraveling of the mountain. I'll keep you posted.

Mindful Monday: Double Duty

I have two Mindful Monday Intentions this week. This was not the original plan, but I also hadn't planned to go get Daisy from The Greenhill Humane Society yesterday, either.

The short version of Daisy's arrival in our home goes like this: Through work, Papa-Bug had a Pekingese dog that needed a new home. He liked it and thought we might give it a shot. Biscuit arrived at our house a couple of weeks ago, suspicious and growling. It took him a couple of days to warm up to anyone. Everything seemed fine. Then on Saturday night, Biscuit bit Sister-Bug on the face (she's fine - just a small bruise). We won't keep a dog that bites - it's a one way ticket to the gulag. Currently Biscuit is residing in the shop outside. ((If you are in Eugene, don't have kids, and want a very sweet Pekingese, let me know!)) Papa-Bug and I talked about dogs and our family. Brother-Bug has been afraid of dogs for ages. With Biscuit, I had notieced him getting over his fear, and being way more socially interacting and physcally active than I have seen in a while. Seemed like a good thing. Additionally (to my surprise) I liked having a dog around. Papa-Bug liked having a dog around. We were bummed about Biscuit. So we changed our Sunday agenda and headed to the humane society where we got Daisy.

She's a nice doggy kind of a dog.

That brings us up to Mindful Monday Number One:

Integrating Daisy into Our Home & Rhythm 

Who: The Whole Family
What: Assessing how we fit Daisy into our home and family routines, giving jobs and responsibilities some thought. Re-framing our home as a "dog home".
Why: Well, we just got Daisy. It needs to be done.
How: Have a family meeting about Daisy and what her daily tasks are. Decide who does what, when they do it, etc. Talk about different ways we can help Daisy feel at home. Consider who cares for Daisy when we go out of town, where Daisy hangs out when we aren't home, etc. Put the immediate parts of our plan into action.

Onto Mindful Monday Number Two!!

Last week my intention was to create a Housekeeping Schedule. I did that, and started following the schedule somewhat. I really enjoyed the sense of organization that appeared in my days!

Following The New Schedule

Who: Me (and the kids where applicable)
What: Making the New Schedule into the regular routine.
Why: Because I want to have a better sense of what needs to be done, when I last did it, and how much there is to do.
How: Make an effort to follow the new schedule exactly, to find out how it works and where it needs to be tweaked to better fit with the groove of our average week. There are a few odd things on the schedule this week, but mostly it is a very average week - perfect for testing out the new organization.

That's it. It feels like a lot, but there it is!

Mindful Monday: The Housekeeping Schedule

Before I delve into my Monday post, look at my new Mindful Monday Graphic! I drew it myself, drawing inspiration from The Happiest Mom's similar graphic. I like the idea of the continuity that these regular posts have, and giving some of them their own graphic adds to that feeling. And I love to draw. I drew one for Simple Saturdays also...

This Monday I want to get the house a bit more on track, as far as the when and what of cleaning. I had this going on at our old house, and when I kept up with it, the system worked really well. Now it is time to establish it in this new house. I think the system will work even better here, because this house is much more welcoming to us, and easier to keep clean. I am hopeful.

This week --  The Housekeeping Calendar

Who: Me and my weekly plan.
What: Assign chores to each day; Monday = bathroom, Tuesday = kids room & hall, etc.
Why: I have few rooms in my house, and a weekly pick-up and wipe is usually all they need to stay relatively livable. If each room has its day, it is easy to know which task to tackle. If I miss a day I know what I missed and I can plan for a little extra time the following week.
How: Make a comprehensive list of chores that need to happen around the house; make an "ultimate" list of everything I would like to get done, as well as a "good enough" list of what I must get done to feel comfortable and at home. Plan chores around 6 days, giving myself a day of rest, and getting the list settled. Start it off next Monday!

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My intention of last week, to clear off my desk, is most of the way done. I need some quality time with Papa-Bug to finish off some niggling computer/storage type tasks. I'm hopeful that we can get on those tasks this week or weekend...

Mindful Monday: Clearing My Writing Space

So.... I got this new computer. It's on a desk in our spacious hall. The upside of that is that I am fairly central when I am working on it. The downside is that it's so darn central it's hard for me to get any focused work or writing time. And it hasn't gotten fully put together yet, things like the printer paper haven't found a permanent home, so it ends up being a bit of a paper catch-all on our way to the bedroom.

This Mindful Monday...


Who: Me (probably with some help from Papa-Bug, and teaching some space skills to Brother-Bug)
What: Organizing, clearing, and simplifying my writing space.
Why: So that I don't always have to walk by the Stack. So that I have a clear place to write. So that Brother-Bug has a place he can do his computer work, and I don't have to worry so much about Sister-Bug getting into shenanigans with the items on the desk.
How: Clear off what is here. Analyze the function/aesthetic of each item, if we need it, if it has a better home... get rid of as much as possible. Make some order and visually pleasing space with intention. Make a plan for keeping the space clear and clean. Share this plan with Papa-Bug and Brother-Bug. Get a folding chair so that Sister-Bug can't climb around on the desk so easily (and it opens so floor space in the hall.)

Mindful Monday: Relishing My 4-Year Old

Brother-Bug is turning FIVE this coming Sunday. What the hell? It truly seems like minutes since I was huge and pregnant and wondering who was kicking the side till it ached.

Now he is big, competent, opinionated, amazing, exasperating, charming... and so darn grown-up.

My mindful focus this week is to really notice my 4-year old. Because I know in a few minutes I will be mindfully noticing my six sixteen-year old.

Who: Me
What: Loving the last few 4-year old moments
Why: Because he is getting so bi so fast.
How: Being in the moment with him. Preparing and noticing to write his birthday letter - I write each kid a letter on their birthday every year, detailing what I think of them, how much I love them, how they have grown, etc. - and focusing on this a little in advance is always good. Also, the kids and I will be taking the train to see Brother-Bug's God-Mommies in Seattle. It's a surprise trip, complete with treasure hunt and a first train trip !!!! Just the reality of getting out of the daily grind to do something so lavishly special with Brother-Bug (and Sister too, of course) will help me focus on him.

Brother-Bug on his Birthday Beach Trip, just about a year ago.

Mindful Monday: Simplify, Simplify

Right now I am in the middle of reading Simplicity Parenting. Likely I will be posting a review and my personal thoughts on it soon. Until then, let me just say that the messages of Kim John Payne are really resonating with me, and backing up some ideas I already have had, leading where my instincts tell me to go.

When we moved I initiated a toy library/bank. I put about 1/4 or so of the kids toys in a big bin, intending to switch out toys as they looked for the missing toys or wanted something new.

To my surprise everyone, including me, forgot about the bin until recently. So far I am the only one who has remembered. I haven't mentioned it to the kids. Their room is so full of stuff that they haven't even noticed the missing toys.

This Monday I am committing to doing some of the reduction and clean out recommended by Payne in his book.

Who: Family-wide, everyone gets to play! (I'll be the one doing the majrity of the grunt work, however...)

What: Clean out and simplify the books, make a toy-simplification plan.

Why: Brother-Bug has so many books and toys that he is often too overwhelmed to play with them. There is too much choice. There is too much junk - the broken, the excessive, the repetitious. In the books...I pride myself on  an excellent selection of picture books that spans shelves and shelves and shelves. And mostly they live on the floor. There are just too many that we are threatening to permenently submerge under tidal waves of books (I will admit that I can think of worse ways to go...).

How: I have already started by sifting through the picture books in the living room. I have packed into boxes more than 2/3 of the books, leaving out classics and much adored books and ones that I think would be much adored if they ever got time. We went from 3 full shelves to a little less than one shelf. Most books I packed away, to come out again in the future. I will repeat this in the play-room, as well as on the grown-up shelves. There is at least one bookshelf in every room, except the bathroom.

As far as modifying the toy situation, I plan on sharing the ideas from Simplicity Parenting with Papa-Bug and making a plan of when and how we can reduce the toy mountain. I don't want to make a specific plan, because it needs to happen when the kids are not around. But happen it will!

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I'm feeling very inspired about simplifying the kids lives - and my life by extension. If things go the way I plan, I will have a whole series of posts about these endeavors and their results. I feel, deep in my bones, that there is too much stuff, too much drive, to much information, to much going, going, going to be a healthy adult. If I feel that way as an adult, how would it be to be a developing child? My heart shudders. So, simplification... Here we COME!!

Mindful Monday: A Little Bit for Me

I've noticed that when I take 5 minutes in the morning to groom and care for myself - prefferably with the bathroom door closed! - I have a much better day. So that's my intention for this week, just a little bit of self care.

Who: Me! Just ME!
What: Prioritizing my daily ablutions.
Why: If I put myself together in the morning, I feel so much more on top of my day. Everything else might fall apart, but at least I have deodorant on, right?
How: Take the time to brush my teeth, wash my face with rosewater, put on deodorant, brush and fix my hair (which hangs past my hips and I usually keep up), and choose some earrings for the day. Reward myself with a new pair (or two!) of earrings. Attempt to accomplish this before 9:00, but don't beat myself up if it happens later.

Mindful Monday: Back To Just Us

Sister-Bug with Muzzy on a beach walk.

One of our major summer events is the six-week visit of my dad and his wife. Once they parked their giant RV at a trailer park for the summer, but when we moved we made sure we got enough yard space to share. Today is the last day of their visit.

It has been a wonderful summer. The kids have been in ecstasies over the backyard grandparents. It's nice to have a second set of adults around. Sister-Bug has really gotten close with them, which is so good since they live on the East Coast the rest of the year.



There is going to be some serious sadness in the land if my little people when the RV disappears around the corner later today. This Monday I'm focusing on getting us back into the swing of being a family of four, and helping the kids with the big feelings this is going to generate.

Without further ado, Mindful Monday today...

Who: The whole family
What: Re-group as a small nuclear family
Why: To ease and support some of the shock of losing two such loving playmates.

Puz and Brother-Bug starting a major excavation project.

How: Exert a lot of patience with the kids while they process this sad event. Do some work around getting ready for Winter Solstice (we may be a little early on that, but since it is the next time we see Muzzy and Puz, it might help to focus on the future). Get ready for a family camping trip this weekend - get everything together and focus the kids on camping fun. Enjoy and appreciate the things we did with Muzzy and Puz, make lists of favorite moments, make a scrapbook...

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I missed Mindful Monday and Wordless Wednesday last week. With the last week of grandparents, siblings coming into town, canning blueberries, and everything else, the blog slipped through my fingers. Life is like that.

Mindful Monday: Re-Evaluating Screen Time

With the iPhone and the new desktop have come a loosening of the conscientious screen limits we have set for Brother-Bug. I'm not opposed to changing and shifting the limits, but I want to do so with intention and consideration.

There is so much available media for these little brains to navigate. There is so much wonderful and fun and useful media out there, and all of it is balanced by harmful, deleterious, and useless media that it causes me to quail as I contemplate letting more into our home.

But this is the world we live in, these are the tools and technologies we use and enjoy. It just calls for careful consideration of what and where and when and how.

Who: The Whole Family
What: Re-Evaluating Our Use of Screens
Why: To decide how we use these tools to connect, enjoy, learn, and grow.
How: Private parental discussion, followed byfamily discussion and brainstorming, and hopefully the creation of a plan.

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I still haven't re-initiated my evening walks. It might be something I do in a couple of weeks - after the grandparents leave for home and life slows down just a fraction.

Mindful Monday: Money Matters

I missed this yesterday. We took an awesome trip to Wildlife Safari yesterday with some grandparents. For twenty bucks (plus the entry fee) you can have an elephant wash your car! It was so very fun.

Anyway. I was busy looking at tigers and lions and giraffes, being mindful in the moment and not thinking about this blog project. Now back to mindful Monday (on Tuesday!).

With the iPhone I can update my bank account and balance our checking account fast and daily. And that is what this week's Monday intention is all about.

Who: Me
What: Daily financial tracking
Why: We run so close to the wire and save little. I believe that daily tracking can help me change some of our spending patterns.
How: I use Mint to track spending and I have the app on my phone. My intention is to update it daily. This is a first step toward looking at how and where and when we spend.

And I want to start walking again. I really miss it.

There! Mindful.

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On a side note: I really, really love the Mint.com bookkeeping program. They aren't paying me to say this. I find it efficient, accurate, and super user friendly. It has taken all the logistical stress out of money management (logging into the bank, hand written tallys, etc.) and leaves me free to process all kinds of non-logistical money stress.

Mindful Monday: Sorting It Out and Re-Configuing

With the craziness of summer, the arrival of backyard-grandparents, the trip to Breitenbush, and Country Faire, my Mindful Monday posts and plans have taken a back seat. This is fine. Absolutely perfect in fact. Some times are just more busy than others, and we adjust accordingly. And with the fine weather (as well as broken computer) I have been lounging in the sun more, reading, playing, and dreaming of the someday-garden here at the new house. This is good.

But today is rainy and so I return to the blog and contemplate. This is also good.

Past Mindful Monday intentions have been:


*Three Good Things at Bedtime - This has been really great and I want to keep doing it. It has lost consistency and I want to go back to making it an every night thing. I also want to think about how we get in bed (the routine), what time we go to bed, and other minor bedtime details.

*4 Walks a Week - This was awesome. And then I ran out of audio book. I just need to get a new one on my iPod and re-commit. But this really seemed to make me a MUCH better person all around.

*Making the Bed - Got the habit and then lost the habit. Loved it while I did it and don't like that I dropped it. So back on the horse here.

*Washing Hands - We never really caught on to this one, though I have noticed less whining when I do make a point to get hands washed... and I remember more often too. We'll keep working here.

*Getting the Glasses on Brother-Bug & Picking Up Library Books - These two started right as the crazy times also started, so they never really got off the ground. We will re-try them until we get them.

*Playing the Yes! Game - I'm still sorting out the details. It's easy to say Yes at Faire. It's hard to say Yes when struck down by a horrid head cold. That's where I am at for now. Further updates as I figure out more details and how to persue this goal in a more trackable way.

I also want a good way to track these. I want to check them off, but the system I have (a paper inside the cupboard door) doens't really do it for me. I love Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project Toolbox, but with minimal computer access, what I really want is an iPhone App for Happiness Project Resolutions. Really. That would be so cool!

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It's been a bit since I shouted out. I got the idea for Mindful Monday from Meagan Francis over at The Happiest Mom. It's a good blog and a fun book. Check it out.

Mindful Monday: Playing the "YES" game

Sometimes it seems so much easier to say NO. No, you can't have that for dinner. No, we can't play that right now. If you have young ones, I'll bet you are just as good at the No Game as I am. But, truth to tell, I don't really like playing it. This week we leave for Fair, where my only responsibility is to have fun and enjoy my family (and keep us warm, dry, fed, and hydrated of course). This is a good time to practice saying "YES" when I otherwise might be compelled to say No.

Who: Me, possibly Papa-Bug, as we interact with the kids.

What: Embracing YES as our favorite word to use with the kids.

Why: Positive attitudes are catching and I want all of us to catch this one.

How: This is harder because I don't have my sights on a concrete action to take. This is more esoteric than I usually work with. My goal for the week is to identify the events and times I give a knee-jerk NO, and analyze why that time and place. What is going on for me? What are the potential outcomes of yes versus no? My further plan is to refine this and update this intention the week after Fair. Expect a report back.

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Because of the computer issue I wrote about and the learning of the new phone, I am having a hard time getting pictures and formatting just the way I want it. Bear with me and I am sure I will figure it out.

Mindful Monday: Get Ready for Faire!!

As I already posted, we are deep in the throes of Oregon Country Fair Preparation. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here, because if you camp out there with us you know what I am talking about, and if you haven't been to Faire you can't imagine it. I have seen people try to imagine Faire and it just doesn't work.

That said, I have a few things to do.

• WHO: The Whole Family
• WHAT: Getting Ready for Faire
• WHY: Because we leave next Wednesday and we need to: make a pirate costume, freshen the baby's wings, construct a wagon canopy, buy a tent, re-skin a gnome (again, really don't ask), decorate some sunglasses, shop for a weekend of camping mayhem, and pack for said weekend. That is an abbreviated list.
• HOW: Stay focused on the tasks at hand. I would love to be making some ATCs, or finishing the few unpacking tasks in the living room, but that can all wait till after Faire.

From the left: Me, Brother-Bug (at 10 months), Auntie-Bug waiting for a parade to go by...

No Mindful Monday This Week!

The kids and I are packing up to go the Breitenbush Hot Springs for the weekend. We leave on Wednesday and return next Monday. I will be mindfully packing the jillion and ten things kids need for a weekend in the erratic weather of the Northwest Spring. Come to think of it, there probably won't be Mindful Monday next week either - unless it is mindfully doing the mountain and a half of laundry that is one of the results of this escapade.

Our favorite hot spring for soaking - the middle meadow. I'll be there in 48 hours!

Mindful Monday: Is Acutally Tuesday: But We Try Anyway

No time to write yesterday. Sister-Bug was up early and during her naps I am sewing her a dress to wear to her Faery-God-Parent's wedding this weekend. It would have gone well, except that I put the sleeves on wrong and had to rip and re-do. Bummer. But now the bodice is done and I just have to do the skirt and zipper. She is going to be so darn cute!

But on to our Mindful Mon(Tues)Day!

The boychick at about 18-months...in his pile.

I'm tackling a big one this week - one that is not strictly me. Actually, it mostly involves Brother-Bug and his bookish habits. He likes to keep stacks of books near by him at all times and (being a 4-year old) is not the greatest at putting those books away. I've been trying for what feels like aeons no to get him to pick up his books. Put one away, take one down. Pick them up before meals. And so on. But still, we end up with books all over the floor. This is a problem for me, especially when we injure library books.

Yesterday, in preparation for this post, I talked to him about Mindful Monday and what it means and how he can participate this week. I formed a plan with him about keeping the books picked up. Here's how it goes:

Keeping the Library Books Picked Up

Who: Brother-Bug and me
What: Keeping library books off the floor and couch.
Why: Because books on the floor is a pet-peeve. Because I love and respect books and want to keep them nice. Because we keeping tearing/bending/injuring library books and I hate having to carry them, shoulders slumped in shame, to the repairs desk. Because learning to clean up is really important.
How: I've worked on this one a lot already, and haven't found anything that inspires Brother-Bug. So we are trying a stick and carrot method this week.

*I will remind him several times throughout the day to check his library books and make sure they are all on the library shelf. He gets 2 "nice askings" and one "firm telling".

*If he doesn't pick them up, or fusses at me, I pick them up. All errant library books go in the returns stack. There is no chance to get them out.

*If he gets to Friday (library day) and most of his books are in the return stack he doesn't get to check out any new books this week.

*However, if he does pick them up himself - on his own initiative or when reminded once - throughout the day, he will earn some computer time and fifty cents toward his current spending goal.

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Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But we can't keep destroying library books. And if it works, we can move on to all the other books we own that seem to spend a lot of time as wall-to-wall carpeting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.