Only a few weeks of school left and it is almost time for the Shroyer Family Annual Meeting! Every year when the kids get out of school, we prepare a special evening meal that everyone loves and have our annual board meeting. It’s something we look forward to all year.
We run the meeting much like a real meeting, with a huge pad of paper, big Sharpie markers and paper and pens for everyone. We have an agenda, and everyone gets a chance to talk. We use this meeting to go over old and new business (what is working in our house right now, and what new things we’d like to try), discuss calendar items (what we’ve got planned for the summer and what we’d like to add), talk about job responsibilities over the summer and vote on things we don’t come to agreement on.
It is really interesting to hear what the kids think is working in our house and they always seemed surprised to hear how Bret and I might have different ideas. We enjoy the conversations that ensue and have a ball planning out how the summer will go. Jobs seem fun and exciting this way and the kids will volunteer for those they think sound interesting. It is a fun night that can go on for hours as we connect, and laugh and enjoy each other’s company. We’ve also found that after these meetings the house runs more smoothly for a time, as kids have a hard time working against something they’d agreed to during a board meeting.
As a matter-of-fact, as I write this, I’m wondering why we don’t do this more often. Maybe next year we’ll have bi-annual meetings instead!
It’s Monday morning, and as I sip my coffee, I find myself thinking over my list of things that need to be done this week. It is unbelievable to me that the kids only have four weeks left in the school year and I bemoan all of the things I had hoped to get done this year that remain uncompleted. There are articles that I planned to write, a bio sheet I planned to finish and inquiries for next year’s speaking schedule that still have not been done. And then there’s the fall cleaning that turned into spring cleaning that still is not finished. Sure, a lot of other things did get done, but that’s little help when I find myself staring cobwebs in the face. So at this point in the school year, things are being divided into two lists. Those that absolutely must get done before school is out (I learned long ago that getting my hair highlighted and cut with the kids in tow is not very relaxing - for anyone) and those things that can wait until the kids are out of school and are able to help. Spring cleaning makes the second list.
It certainly makes sense to me that the very people who make our house dusty and dirty can help to clean it up. Yes, I’d love to have my cleaning lady back, nothing can compare to the feeling of coming home to a sparkly clean house every two weeks, but alas, I cannot offer her family the medical and dental insurance her full time job can.
As a matter of fact, I’ve found that three elementary age kids and their mom can do a pretty darn good job in a few hours on a Saturday morning, so it stands to reason that those same four people could likely tackle some of the deeper cleaning jobs that are required around the house. It might actually be fun.
So, spring cleaning has move onto my “things to wait for school to get out” list. I’ll let you know how it goes!