Wasting no time

The new year is here and I have a few things I want to accomplish so I am wasting no time getting them done!

Today we are working on laundry.  It is piled to the ceiling (OK not really!) and I am planning to do at least five loads today to catch up.  I want all the big kids stuff done so it can be folded and put away before they head back to school.  We have plans for a family game night tonight so the kids are super excited, and I am happy that we can fulfill one of my other goals...more family fun time!

Tomorrow I plan to have the entire family pitch in and un-decorate the house and help me clean. The kids head back Tuesday so I am hoping to start off with a clean house and most of the laundry done :)

I am also working on behavior with a few of our wee ones, specifically at meal time.  I have one who is a stander and is often loud and another who is slooooooooooooooow when he/she doesn't want to eat, last night that child sat at the table for over an hour, and he/she can also be too crazy at the table.  Years ago when my girls were little I used poker chips at the table for behavior, each girl got three chips and if they were naughty or acted up, they lost a chip.  When all chips were lost, their dinner was over and they lost either dessert or a privilege.  The chips came back out and now Haven, Brittan, Grayson and even Teagan have three chips at their place for each meal.  Of course the rules are a bit different for Teagan since she is still small and learning about consequences, but it will help her understand how to behave at the table and she will have three (hopefully) good examples sitting. Maybe if this works, Finn will learn just by watching and have stellar mealtime manners :)

I am also trying to teach the big girls how to cook some simple meals.  I would like them to make one or two dinners a week in summer so they need to learn a few things.  Last night I taught them how to make oven baked potato wedges and roasted chicken breasts.  As an added bonus, I taught them how I make their favorite side...homemade creamed corn (it is more like corn in a cream base, we like the whole kernels.)  It is not healthy and not something I make often, but I know it is their favorite so they would be interested in making it.  Next weekend I am going to show them how to make a simple veggie lasagna using the no boil noodles.  I am going to show them a simpler version of my traditional veggie lasagna so they can put it together in about 15 minutes and then it just needs to be baked.  In the summer with all the fresh produce, this is an great meal option!

So what goals are you jumping on today?