Chore List {or, earning money for our road trip!}

This trip, I’ve jotted down a list of chores I’d like to have help with and how much I’m willing to pay for them.  So far, it’s working like a charm!  The children have already completed half the list and our home is looking spic n span!  (Did your Mom use that expression when you were a kid?)

This is the Ohio Paid Chore List I printed for this trip.  I left room at the bottom to jot more down as I think of other dirty nooks.  I’ll pay out right before we leave so no one looses their money, puts it in someone else’s piggy bank, or otherwise misplaces it.  We’re one step closer to our big trip… the countdown is on!

My New Vacuum Really Sucks!!

I am so excited… Chris brought home a new vacuum!!!

We’ve had Old Faithful for years.  It’s two different colors because it’s pieced together from half a Kenmore cannister that I love and have had forever and half I got from a garage sale when part of mine was breaking.  It’s held together with popsicle sticks and leopard print duct tape (oh yeah!).

My hubs surprised me by bringing home a new vac Monday!  The Dyson Digital Slim is teeny tiny but powerful!  (Looks like a weedwacker, doesn’t it?!)  It’s perfect for the kiddos to help pick messes up & easy when it’s time for storage. And the best part is… the kiddos all want to vacuum!!

No more bags, no more unplugging & re-plugging to be able to vac the whole house- it’s quick & easy from here on out!  Thanks, Daddy O!

Proof I love my children…

I LOVE all things food. I love to cook, to grocery shop at gourmet stores and gaze at the delicious offerings, and most of all I love to eat!

That is why it is particularly difficult for me to have a pantry that looks like THIS!

It’s been like this since Christmas. I had it all neat before Christmas but it’s been steadily declining since then. >sigh< I almost organized it today but realized I should really fold the laundry and clear it from the couch instead of creating another mess all over the breakfast table.

I desire my children to know how to cook, clean behind themselves- in other words, contribute to family life. And that’s why my pantry looks like a tornado hit! It’s more important to allow them to contribute than for everything to be perfect. And it’s more important to snuggle as they wake up from naps than for me to be organizing the pantry.

So welcome to the chaotic side of GraceFull Mom! That basket will contain the tupperware it’s intended to… and others will neatly corral napkins once again. I’ll be able to step into my walk-in pantry as will my quite capable kitchen helpers who will then be able to reach the shelves to return things where they belong. Until then, I *try* to remind myself- this season of preparation is about the hearts of my littles, not the state of my beloved pantry.

p.s. I went to take a picture of my mess and found Ben cleaning out my pantry for me! Talk about providential timing!

Carpe Diem vs. Slow & Steady

I have a little whisperer on each shoulder.

p.s. Isn’t Krissy so cute with Landon sleeping on her shoulder? It has nothing to do with the post- I just love my sister!

Simple is for GIRLS!

Can you believe Georgia Anne is already 6 months old? Today was the day to take down her cradle and re-do Chris’ and my bedroom as a sanctuary. I love it as a nursery but am excited to have an oasis of calm on those busy days.

So my plan was to use a simple wrench to take down the cradle. I enlisted Timbo to be my handyman. You know it’s always a great idea to allow the youngest child possible to do a job, so he was my man. He, in turn, asked his big bro to help him find the right wrench. He and Ben returned from the garage with the Mechanic’s Toolbox full of socket thingies and the wrench thing that goes click click click when you turn it!! Yikes!

After Ben & Timothy spent 10 minutes trying to find the right size socket, I walked over and picked up a wrench and said, “Why don’t you just use this?”

Ben’s response? “Daddy said using a socket is easier!”

And when I asked Chris about this, he chuckled, “I’m surprised he didn’t use the drill with socket attachment!”

Two words from Mom: OH BROTHER!!

Cloth Diapering

So I’ve stirred up the hornet’s nest in regards to cloth diapers. I’ll try to post a quick summary of how & why on cloth diapering- you can always research them in more detail. OR come over for a hands-on experience! It’s so easy- or I wouldn’t be adding this to my life with 5 children!

Who: We bought the bulk of our current supply when pregnant with Lauren. We bought used and have since used them for Lauren, Timbo, Andrew and now Georgia. {update: Clara, too!} I also shared them with a friend between kids. That’s a lot of use! (read: they’re durable!)

What: Over the years, we’ve used many different kinds. Now, we’re mainly using prefolds (aka Chinese Prefolds) which we fasten with a Snappi, not pins, ($2.50 each www.snappibaby.com), OR MotherEase OneSize and Sandies (www.mother-ease.com) OR FuzziBunz (www.fuzzibunz.com).

When & Where: You can use cloth anywhere! When you go out, just put the wet ones in a waterproof bag (like this one: http://www.softclothbunz.com/Bummis-Tote-Bags_p_0-10.html) & keep on rollin! Or you can use ‘sposies when you’re out if your baby’s hiney is ok with that.

Why: They’re cheaper- thousands of dollars cheaper, in fact! We figure we’ve saved between $7,000 & $9,000 by using cloth on Lauren, Timothy, Andrew & Georgia (and potty training early). They’re healthier for baby’s tender skin. I won’t go into a lecture, but if you Google cloth diapers, you’ll get more than an eyefull on that subject. They’re “greener”- I am not a tree hugger, but I do believe in stewardship. Cloth reduces waste.

HOW: This is what everyone wants to know! Ok- wet ones go straight into a diaper pail. You can use a small trash can without a lid until your baby starts to eat solids (around 6-8 months). Breastfed baby poop doesn’t smell that bad till you add food to the mix. We’re currently using a trashcan w/a lid that flips up when you step on the pedal b/c we cloth diaper Andrew as well. Newborn dirty dipes can go straight into the pail until baby has solid poop. At that point, you just shake the solids into the potty & (you guessed it!) toss the diaper into the pail. Did you know you’re supposed to do the same with disposable diapers (flush solids)? Read the pkg!

When the diaper pail is full, you simply dump it into your washer (not quite as easy w/a front loader… But ah-well, such is life!) and then do a soak & rinse cycle, hot wash cycle, and then a 2nd rinse (w/vinegar if they start to smell- depends on your water). You can fold them and stack in a pretty diaper stacker or you can toss them into a neat little basket and just use them from the basket w/o ever folding, depending on your personal neatness preference. I fold.

Sound too simple? I know! It really is easy-that’s why we do it! Minimal hands-on time and lots of $ saved. It’s a win-win situation!

I’ve got my hands full

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

Benjamin is 8, Lauren is 5, Timothy is 2 and Andrew is 6 months.  Since we homeschool our children, they accompany me everywhere I go.  And whether they’re perfectly pleasant at Publix or distracted and devilish at the dry cleaners, I hear the same refrain, “Wow!  Are all four yours?  You’ve got your hands full!”

The funny thing about that comment is I heard the same thing seven years ago when it was just baby Ben and me.  Onlookers recognize that all parents- whether we have one child or seven- do have a lot to juggle.

Over the years, I have become much more proficient at “juggling” as I’ve gleaned from other moms.  It amazes me how the smallest change can make our family run so much smoother!  So this month I thought I’d share some of my favorite “tricks of the trade” with you!

Orderliness

• Teach the children to help.  There is some way for a child to help in every room of your house- even if it’s carrying a tied-off bag of trash to the back door or dusting the baseboards with a paintbrush.  A great mantra is, “The family all works together so the family can all play together!”
• We have always installed chair-rail height hooks so the children can reach their towels.  Periwinkle polka-dots graced the hall in our last home and nautical “rope” hooks are in the children’s bathroom now with a large photo above each.  Even 2 year old Timothy knows where his towel goes and Momma knows who left their towel on the floor!
• After making their beds in the morning, each kiddo places their PJs under their pillow.  This keeps pajamas handy but out of sight until bedtime that evening.
• Two or three times a day, I announce that it’s time for a Quick Clean Up!  We start at the front door and quickly tidy up the house together.  We do this between school and lunch, before Daddy comes down from work and before bed, as needed.  Sometimes we set the timer as a challenge with the reward of cookies ready on the counter.  This is a great habit to be in for general tidiness but it really pays when friends call before dropping by.  The house will already be salvageable and everyone knows how to do a quick tidy so you can enjoy visiting without tripping over toys.
• Along those same lines… it’s helpful to have “A place for everything and everything in its place!”  Baskets or bins corral toys so children can take out one thing at a time- not dump the entire toy box on the floor trying to find Mr. Potato Head’s shoes!  Little ones can learn to clean up 1 basket before taking out another.

Laundry

• Oh, the joys of parenthood!  It seems that stains multiply exponentially with the addition of children.  My mother-in-law is the Stain Master; her technique holds me over until she can come work her magic!  ① Apply stain out and toss aside until you’re ready to wash.  ② Put stained laundry in a soak cycle with hot water, 2x the suggested amount of Oxyclean and your regular detergent.  ③Run through a regular wash cycle.
• You may recall how much I hate ironing.  Well, my friend Michelle taught me this no-iron trick.  ① Place tricky garments in the dryer and set to permanent press heat.  Turn on.  ② Go kiss all your children or have a five minute tickle war.  Set the timer if necessary, but you must come back in 5 minutes!  ③ At 5 minutes start taking out clothes, 1 item at a time, turning dryer back on between garments.  Hang and smooth out any wrinkles, button collars, etc.  If space allows, lay knits flat.  Continue 1 item at a time, until all your challenge pieces are hanging up neatly.  Allow to fully dry before putting in the closet!

Kitchen

• Dishes are never a favorite chore.  A small tool called a scraper really will save you time!  Buy one from the kitchen stores at the outlet mall for around $1 or order one through Pampered Chef.  Scrape hardened food; wash in half the time and save your nails!
• We have one spot on the kitchen counter for cups.  Knowing where to find their drink helps to keep the children hydrated and cuts down on lost drinks, extra dishes and keeps the countertops from being strewn with extra glasses.

Most days, I stay very busy.  There are meals to cook, laundry to wash (but not iron!) and school to teach.  But through delegation, teamwork and an outlook of enjoying life every step of the way (by the Grace of God!) we accomplish what is needful- what isn’t urgent will still be there tomorrow. 

And when strangers tell me I have both hands full with my four children… I can grin and say,”Not ‘till we have 6 more!”

Copyright Allie Olsen *  www.gracefullmom.com