Allowance or Not

Do you give your kids an allowance? Did you get one? My son has often complained that he doesn't get one. I know some child behavior experts, like Jim Fay of Love and Logic fame, say that children should receive an allowance in order to learn the value of money. (I heard Mr. Fay say that chores should be separated from allowance so that kids learn the value of work and understand that we are not paid for a lot of what we do). I think Mr. Fay has a point; however, I don't feel it is the only way to do things.

Instead of an allowance, my son has to earn his money. As a child of 10or 11 years of age, I mowed many a lawn for about $5 each. My parents provided the lawnmower and the gas, and I mowed own lawn (obviously free of charge). Later, my brother John and I shared a paper route. It was nice having our own money. And yes we still had to do chores around the house.

My son makes and sell beaded lanyard for teacher IDs. We provide him with the beads and other materials, and he does the work. If we were to have him pay us back, he would still have a pretty good profit margin. However, it is less money out of our pockets than an allowance might be, and we can tell him he can buy things if he uses his own money. That usually calms his urge to buy something. If it doesn't, he usually goes for something less expensive.

I must add one final caveat to all of this child entrepreneurship. Small children should not be working in sweatshops nor should they be running such businesses. Give them a nickle or so for each pair of socks they match, or follow Jim Fay's advice.

So, lets get some comments on this one. I want to know what you think.

Today is another day

Today is a good day. Why? Well, I'm alive and can't complain too much.

I got good news today in regard to my Stop Loss Payment application. It has been approved. After multiple tries today and yesterday, I finally got through to a real live person. I was told it was sent to DFAS (Defense Finance). The bad news: the DFAS office that processes the claims is under-manned (I was told there are only five people working in a fourteen man office). So, I should get the money in time to go Christmas shopping.

In different news, Michelle and I have started the Body-For-Life challenge. CLICK HERE We started last Monday, and have already started to see some results. We get up at 5am and go to the gym. It is also nice to workout together.

Well, take care all
-Phil

Been a long time

Sorry it has been so long. We were gone the last part of December for the Christmas holiday.

As you may remember, I applied for my Retroactive Stop Loss Payment from the Army back in October. Well, I'm still waiting, as are my Army buddies. No Surprise to most of us. I have been checking my claim's status online from time to time. Apparently, my case has to be audited, and I have requested information on where my case is in the audit. Guess what? Still no response. So today, I tried calling at about 1:50 pm MST. I was forwarded to a full voice mail box. It seems like there are a lot of us Vets asking about our money.

I know the Army can be slow when they have to pay out money, but this is getting RIDICULOUS!!! 

Apple Juice Teriyaki Chicken

It's been a while since I have written a post, and I figured food is always get back in to the groove. This is a recipe that I started working on while I was in Texas get off active duty. I wanted teriyaki chicken, but did not have any sugar or some other thing need to make it. With work, I have come up with a pretty tasty marinade with no added sugar. It would be good for people trying to cut down on their sugar intake.

Pictured is a thigh marinaded in the sauce, wrapped around asparagus, and grilled. It is served with jasmine rice and pineapple, and garnished with toasted sesame seeds.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

1/4 cup Apple Juice or Cider (Unsweetened)

2 Table Spoons Rice Wine Vinegar *

2 Table Spoons Soy Sauce

1/4 teaspoon Fresh Minced Garlic 

1/4 teaspoon Fresh Minced or Grated Ginger

Mix all ingredients it a one gallon ziplock freezer bag. Marinade chicken in the sauce for 4-24 hours in the fridge. Makes enough sauce to marinade 4-6 chicken breasts or thighs.

* Do not use white wine or distilled vinegars. Rice wine vinegar is slightly sweet and adds to the flavor.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. It is delicious and nutritious.

Literary Friends

Other than my usual pilgrimage to the gym, I have spent most of the day reading. If you knew me when I was younger, you would be rather surprised that I read novels (even more so to find out I do it for fun). I never really read much as a kid, with the exception of non-fiction books with pictures and diagrams. Honestly, I read so slow that I couldn't find any enjoyment in reading novels.

Over the years, things have changed. I still read slowly, but I can read much faster than I used to. (I guess practice really does help). I have also come to love certain books and series. Most notably, I love C.S. Lewis' Chonicles or Narnia. The allegorical nature of the books is a nice intellectual treat, and the action, adventure, and intrigue can make for a lively read. However, these are not the major reasons I love the books. It is because of the characters.

I read the entire series while I was in Iraq. (I know, 15 months, but it wasn't the only thing I read over there). I almost felt as if the characters were my friends. The books gave me a place were I could go and not worry about the world around me. In truth, I was rather sad upon finishing the last book, not so much because of the way it ended, but rather that I would no longer be able to go on new adventure with my friends.

As a youth, I wondered why one would read a book when there was the movie. But, books and movies are totally different forms of media. movies are able to go at a fast pace and they usually is little to no need to read or think. However, the viewer is unable to connect to the characters as deeply as the reader can. It takes little or no effort to watch a movie or a TV show (unless you find it boring or slow, or just plain bad. I think most of us have seen that one show that we wished we could get our time back). Reading takes effort. Reading requires us to create the scenes and characters in our minds. Many times we almost find ourselves in the situation with the characters. We relate empathize with the characters, and some times it seems that they become our friends.