Ladies and Gentlemen…. Let’s get ready to rrrrrrrumble!! It’s Spring Fever Smack Down.
In my most recent posts, I talked about this being the time of the year where I am seeing green. I’d like to point out that this is also the time of year where I am seeing RED.
I love my kids and niece mucho mucho… but I think they are starting to really get a case of Spring Fever (as they do every year).
I am not going to lie… I am too. Know how I know?! I am starting to let things slide a little. Punishments are cut short. Cell phones are still out. Bedtime is being ignored. Chores are done half-…. wait, they aren’t being done. Sure, if I give someone a direct order, they will whine Why me?! and eventually do as I ask (after the 18th time).
Around this time, the last two years, the husband and I successfully implemented “Ayala Family: Unplugged.” That is where we unplug the electronics and make the kids GO OUTSIDE.
We will be doing something quite similar this time around, but add a bit more to it. From getting the kids reattached to their chore lists, to purging unwanted or unnecessary things – we are going to make this March a month to remember.
Starting today!
Effective immediately, there will be no idle TV watching. I will allow time for learning opportunities, such as the History Channel or NatGeo. However, I will not allow all 4 TVs to be on at the same time, killing our brain cells.
There is to be a major cell phone policy change towards the middle of the month. One of our lines (we have 5) has its contract up. We are cancelling that line and that phone. Which so happens to be Alex’s. He and Isabel will share her line/phone. I will change the # so that it becomes THEIR phone, not hers that he borrows. I am doing this for several reasons… I am tired of seeing Alex’s phone. In his hands. All of the time. And I am tired of the added expense. Ohhh. They are going to hate us.
The husband and I figure that if they are BOTH going out, then I can loan them my phone, so they each have one. While this practice is starting this month, just in time for Spring Fever, it’s one practice that will certainly remain come April 1st and so on.
Effective today, the Wii and PS3 are on strike. I mean it. 31 days of nothing coming from those boxes.
I have a ton more things planned… everything from cracking the whip on school/homework to spending quality family time together.
I really want to focus on this Spring Fever smack down / crack down, but I will only be sharing updates once a week, on Thursdays.
It is my hope that this year proves as successful as the last two years. Our focus will be shifted for at least the next 31 days. We are going to focus on family, preparedness, responsibilities and attitude. The whole lot of us.
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One of the things I wanted to get started on right away is my 31 bags in 31 days. I spend so much time shopping and buying at Goodwill, I need to give back. Really, I do! ;) But when it comes to donating clothes, I want to look for other organizations that could really use the clothes, that provide them to people for free.
With my office makeover still in progress (sheesh!), I have so much stuff to go through before I start loading up the new space. I will not be bringing everything back in, that’s for sure! Since that’s the project we are working on now, the first four days of 31 Bags will be focused on clearing out office and craft room stuff that I do not need. That includes SHREDDING (groan!!), recycling, donating, etc.
After that, it’s all about the rest of our humble and chaotic abode.
