Charge!

Last Thursday night it was late but I insisted we talked about our family vision.  The kids were drowsy after scriptures, but I promised it would be quick.  I explained basically what a 20 year vision was hoping to just to get it started in our family dialogue and we'd revisit it in detail later. I asked them questions like "Will you be married" and "how many kids do you think you'll have?" and to my surprise they all perked right up and got very excited (too excited for 11pm) telling me all about their plans.  Ethan, always the one to have to out do the others, said he's gonna have 13 kids (He'll only be 30 years old) ~ I told him good luck with that.

We tried to review our vision again last night, something that (committing myself to policy here) we will do every Sunday evening from here on out, cause Sunday is our "Family Planning Night" where we'll review our vision, maybe recite a family motto or pledge, and we'll see if we're on target and talk about the schedule the upcoming week.

Since it wasn't late yet, last night we were able to talk about all 3 visions in more depth - "A House United" suggests having a 20 year vision, a 2 year vision, and a 2 month vision.  Our 20 year vision is a big winter party in 2012 (ski trip or Christmas gathering or both), our 2 year party we're turning into a 2 1/2 year party so we can do something in summer time, I'm thinking it'll be a road trip or some kinda camping and water party excursion.  (Maybe a cruise if Corey makes it big by then!) Our 2 month vision is a fancy dinner where everyone contributes an entree to the menu.

So, getting to my point here, last night, with the book "A House United" and a notebook in hand, we had a great family meeting.  The big insight came after I talked about some fun things I want to do, the kids all got excited again and had tons of ideas too, we were writing them down, and it dawned on me that this is good - the kids and I actually DO have the same vision!  Everything I suggested made their eyes light up and just put fuel on the fire, then they suggested things faster than I could write and I was like "that sounds awesome!  That would be really fun!"   We ARE on the same page!  So no need to be frustrated that the kids aren't with me - they do understand and want the same thing! 

The kink in the system revealed itself again as Ethan said "Mom, we always plan out these things and I get really excited, but then we never do them!"  (Mel and I had that epiphany on her 1 on 1 last week and we resolved "This is our year to DO.") "You are right!" was my reply, "You know why?  It's cause it takes all my energy just trying to keep up with the dishes and feeding you guys.  This is too much for me to do without you guys - I can't do this all alone..." Corey concurred "We need your guys' help.  These fun things won't happen without you guys working hard and contributing."  Corey told the kids everyone who make goals and does them every day this week gets treated to Chuck A Rama for lunch on Saturday.  Kids were sold on that idea easy.  Then we talked more about "doing" and I remembered the Night at the Museum quote by General George Armstrong Custer as he proudly declared: We're Americans, we don't plan, we do! and modified it to be one of our family mottos: We're Wrides ~ we don't just plan, we DO!

So then we made our plan to get there, and after getting the kids to calm down from their excitement for what is in store and "ok, no more suggestions now, let's just take the first two" then we made a basic family daily schedule which starts off with a bang ~ (drumroll) We are getting up at 6:30 (we all did it today!), then I took each of them individually and we made their personal schedule, cause they all have different school schedules and time needed for their goals.  Joe will wake up and head out, the other kids have time to do their goals in the morning.  Mel's already practiced her flute today - wow. I think Ethan is the busiest cause he had to up his siblings' wimpy "30 minutes music & reading" goals and he's doing an hour of each.  I think we can use this sibling competition to our advantage!  So Ethan's schedule is really tight, but with the 2 hours in the morning instead of 1, he got his reading done from 6:30 - 7:30 this morning. Good job, Eth!

Anyway, it was great.  And since Hyrum is my homeschool helper (and cause he doesn't have PE), his 3rd goal this week is "Exercise with Mom" at we planned it for 8:30 am after the other kids are off to the bus.  Win-win, Hyrum's gonna help me stay committed to exercising cause I gotta help him cause it's one of his Chuck a Rama goals this week.  Go team!  As we make our goals each Sunday evening we'll plan a reward for the Saturday, which was one of the kids' wishes, doing fun stuff on the weekend.  We got it planned, and "We don't Just plan, WE DO!!!"