Large Family Travel Preparations

The kids and I are packing up to go visit my parents for a few days.

Getting 10 people ready to go anywhere has always been a challenge for me.

We start with a “morning meeting”.  I write everything on the school white board and we  make a plan.

Everyone takes a job (or two or ten) and we put their initials next to it on the board.  That’s because Mom can’t remember where her feet are, much less who volunteered to clean out the van.

When a child completes a job, they tell Mom, who checks it and when its done to her satisfaction, they get to go put a check mark by it on the board.

Even with all of this organization someone will forget their underwear and another person won’t have any pajamas.  It’s usually Mom.  So let’s not talk abut that anymore.

Then we get to work.  We are like a well oiled machine….without the well oiled part.

But it goes OK.  The kids all have good attitudes about it and the whole job doesn’t fall to Mom.

By the end of the day we must all be ready to roll out of bed in the morning and straight into the van.

Then we’ll be off.  Six days of visiting with friends and family.

Six days of peace and quiet for my CPA husband in the middle of tax season.

Six days of wondering why I forget my underwear EVERY TIME.

5 Comments

  1. How well I know this challenge. 🙂 Here’s some advice: Stop right now. Go get 3 pair of your own undies and put them in your purse. There! Problem solved. Aren’t I ‘Miss Helpful’ today?

    Hope you have a great trip!
    I miss you already….
    Pennie

  2. Pennie…..I wonder what size purse I’d have to use to get three pair of my giant undies in there! LOL! Lisa~

  3. Uh, yeah, it isn’t the undies I forget….it is usually my pajamas (or toothpaste, or contact lens solution, but it is ALWAYS something of MINE, lol). Have a GREAT time!

  4. oh how i NEEDED to laugh that hard just now! i have heard from a little bird that you love purses, surely you have all sizes 🙂

    with our little family of 6 I **always** forget things and it’s almost always something of michael’s. he doesn’t see the humor in it.
    .-= Autumn Beck´s last blog ..Birthday Roundup Was a Smashing Success! =-.

  5. I have to do this too for trips and big parties. The kids love knowing they completed their job well, plus, it helps me see we are on track. I too usually forget pjs for someone or wipes for the baby. I like the wipe board idea, I usually forget I have one and do it on paper taped up. Duh. I’m so quick.

    Hope you are having a great time!
    .-= Grateful for Grace´s last blog ..Family Favorites: I Sure Wish =-.

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