An organized schedule

Calendars are cool. It gives me great hope to fill up a calendar with all the exciting things I am going to share with my family and friends. I use Google Calendar for all my various hats, and this allows me to view everything in one place or hide the stuff that clutters up my schedule and add on the go using my phone. You can even have your Facebook Events feed into your Google calendar.  And the color coding... it's enough to make me get up early to start filling in the rainbow!

But yesterday it occurred to me that my frustration with having to remind my family and rush around when I thought they already knew what the plan for the day was... so I re-purposed an old white board. Step 1- let the middles play with it to their hearts' content. We drew and colored and cleaned and re-cleaned together for over an hour. Then set it aside to get snack and clean up a bit.

These Dry Erase Crayons from Crayola are really great and make it easy to color code. They don't wipe off when the side of your hand touches the things you have already written. And they DO wipe off easily when it is time, no matter how long the writing has been there.

A little hand sanitizer works best if it becomes a murky- the special cloth that comes with it is black, so it can tend to leave dark smudges on any sticky parts.

Step 2 was applying tape in a perfect grid. I gave G-pie the dimensions and asked her to do the math for me since my brain is fuzz, while I nursed may. She got it right (I didn't bother checking, just started doing and was very pleased to see how well proportioned it was!!

G-pie also filled in the dates and special occasions for me- then I got to work adding in all the classes, field trips, playdates, book launch parties, meetings, museum tours, park days and other adventures we have coming up.

It took almost all day with all the serious doll playing, dish doing, dinosaur imitating, diaper changing, and of course the costume creating (we actually have all 3 of the kids ready with full costumes- yes, yes we do!!)...

But I am please to report there is now a huge calendar for all to see where we need to be and when... now to get those who can read to look at it and teach those who can't to read! Then add it all into the appropriate Google Calendars, write it in my cute little organizer, update www.learningbarefoot.com and THEN I can relax and never miss anything again! =)

Oh and get Sugar Daddy to actually hang it... this was just a test.

How do you manage your family's time. Digital or in real world? Does it work? Do you feel like a cruise director?

Family Meals

So the arrival of our fourth mouth to feed has me all in a tizzy. I have M-cube's nutritional needs covered for the immediate future, no preparation necessary, always ready on demand and free! 

But the other 3 all have very different eating habits and tastes- other than their shared desire for all things sugary or sweet!

This past couple of weeks we have been incredibly loved up on by some awesome mamas who have brought us meals. It has made all the difference for me in being able to maintain our family tradition of eating at the table as often as possible- which has allowed us to bond as a family while we adjust to the new arrival of another human being to share our daily lives with.

Last night G-pie said she loved people bringing us dinner. And that she has enjoyed all of them -although the Pasta with Ground Turkey & Corn was her favorite- and the delicious star cookies that came with it! I loved the casserole dish and realized I should make more 1-pot meals. This one really made me think of my dad, who loved to add corn to pretty much anything...

Sugar Daddy's favorite was the chili which he simmered all afternoon, adding spices and seasonings... the hard prep work was all done, and he got to tinker with the flavor the way he loves to do!! An added blessing to this wonderful dinner- which I appreciated both ways. Such comfort food, and the aroma of the house all afternoon was delicious!

Last night we feasted on Salmon with Brown Rice, Garlic & Lemon Green Beans and Apples & Yams, with Girl Scout cookies for dessert. Totally gluten-free & dairy free. Packaged for ease & convenience- it came together like a gourmet meal.

We were also so grateful for the snack foods- and the soups that people brought, this one was perfect in it's simplicity and so good. It was a great way to give myself a boost before or after a marathon nursing session! 

Another mom brought soup too- these wonderful, wise women know how to supply a postpartum mama with nutritional needs and delightful indulgences, as well! 

This experience left me wondering how this might work even beyond the babymoon- and how it would be such a benefit to busy mamas. It is a great way to expand our own familiar menu and try things made a different way than we do.

Tonight I will be trying out a frozen meal from my friend at Dinner This Month: Chicken Pesto. I have been considering forming a meal assembly group through DTM. I am not sure if the recipes will fit with our dietary preferences, and it seems like a lot of work. I found this option- discovered on Pinterest: http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2011/08/how-to-make-mason-jar-meals-part-2/ for fresh food, sorted & stored in sustainable servers.

Right now I think I like this option best: http://livewellnetwork.com/Deals/episodes/Meal-Sharing/8352502.

Search OAMC- once a month cooking, freezer meals, meal assembly groups & meal sharing for other options.

Happy 2012

Yesterday began a new family tradition which I discovered on Pinterest. Being the over-planner that I am, we started ours at noon: 12 envelopes of family fun! It did become a bit of a chore, and really illustrated to Sugar Daddy and I how quickly an hour passes when trying to do the simplest of things with toddlers in tow.

We also incorporated a fun little competition for a prize at the end of the evening, and we all enjoyed the ups and downs of the games that kept us guessing who might win. Basically we earned and received tickets throughout the day and they could be spent on treats, but the person with the most at the end of the night got $20.12! As it turned out- due to a lucky roll of the dice at midnight- G-pie and I tied!

We enjoyed a buffet of Mediterranean style appetizers (aka left overs and veggies with nuts & olives) which I had out all day and then a dinner of tea sandwiches and fruit at a kitchen floor picnic. This was probably my favorite part.

Our envelopes held the countdown announcement, a family focused question which we video taped the responses to, things like - your favorite Spring memory, your favorite field trip, etc. and a Star Wars trivia question to answer each hour- our theme for the day, we also watched the first 3 Episodes throughout the day. Each envelope also had an activity for the hour- watercolors, clean up blitz, Family Dance Party, dice throw for tickets, guessing games, and other "simple" activities.

All in all, it was super fun- although in the interests of full disclosure I must admit we stopped the activities at 8:00, just after the little went to bed!! We decided just get our hourly ticket, and roll the dice each time!! (And I actually fell asleep on the couch right after the 10:00 dice toss.) They woke me at 3 minutes until midnight, and we watched the ball drop- we counted our tickets, announced the winner(s) and off to bed I went! Next year with a little tweaking, I think we have a great plan- and I have taken notes on my Springpad, a wonderful tool for organizing menus, shopping lists, website links and notes for over-planners like me.

What sort of family New Years traditions does your family enjoy?