Some habits bring back fond memories. As I am packing for my trip to Utah, I do what I always do. Grab a 3X5 card and write down what I need to take. This was a practice Ron and I started when the kids were little. Listing what they should gather up to pack made life so much easier. Each would make a pile beside their suitcase and check it off their list. We would then check it again with them and fill their suitcases. This assured everyone had underwear and socks and that their were no live snakes or horny toads accompanying us on our journey.
I continue to pack this way myself. Otherwise, I just keep adding clothes to my bag and end up dealing with 15 tops for a 1 week trip. Being purposeful and having a plan worked for us with young ones and still works for me today. Now if I could incorporate this kind of simple organization to other areas of my life.
Another system we had with the kids was giving them a number at the table after a meal. Ron or I would assess the table contents and then shout out a number. Each of us had to clear our own plate and as many other items as the number indicated. Even their friends would ask us what the number was when they ate over. Everyone grabbed for the salad dressings and other condiments since these were easier to put away than say the bowl of baked beans that required getting out the Saran Wrap and dealing with the spoon.
I wish I would have kept all the calendars that were filled with everyone's schedules through the years. Instead, I discarded them after transferring birthdays and anniversaries to the new year. Those calendars held history of our family days as our kids grew up. Just one practice I wish I would have started when we first got married.
Let me know what special ways your family makes life run smoother. Whether a family has 1 child or a whole passel of kids, we all come up with unique ways to get life done.
In Him,
Joyful
5-31-2014
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