Well, to say I have been dreading this week is an understatement. I woke up this morning crying, what a way to start the day. Reason is we have my Dad’s dedication this coming weekend and so I will leave part way through the week to be with our family in Arkansas. Needless to say the looming cloud that has finally arrived is a bit unwelcome, to be honest it feels like I am sitting waiting on my Dad to die all over again but I hope that after all is said and done we will begin to start the healing process and somewhere within that find some peace to live with. To be honest, and a bit cynical, I don’t know how this is going to happen but I have faith and am told…it will.
Nevertheless I still have a family to take care of and a few days of work ahead; and summertime in my office is absolutely nuts, so I need to be present mentally as well as physically. My plan, to do what I do best, plan. I am starting tonight. We are continuing with our spending freeze and the budget is tight so I have to be sure that everything is prepped and ready for the fam while I am away. I married a man who can cook and is an active father so yes, Brent can and is perfectly capable of taking care of everything but he also works 6 days a week and as a good wife/mother I try to make things easy when I can. Day 1: House is cleaned, everyone has enough clean clothes, and all menu items have been carefully planned out. Tomorrow and Tuesday I will prep and make ahead all of the dinners and the sitter will be fully prepped for “while mommy is away.”
Although the timing is sentimental it also makes it a little hard with father’s day on Sunday. So I have a few tricks up my sleeve to be certain Daddy gets all the special treatment he deserves. I’ll post on this later in the week as I get ready to head out but for now I thought my tips for the plan ahead meals might be useful to the blogging-world to add to their pinning and facebooking of food, menus, and what I affectionately refer to as feeding my personal MOM-OD (My Obsessive Meal-planning and Organization Disorder: symptoms include too many calendars, highlighters, and list-dependence). I have recipes for everything so FB or PM me if you are interested.
Sunday: Breakfast for the week
Overnight Oatmeal in the slow cooker
Purpose: this will serve as a quick, HEALTHY, go to breakfast for the mornings when Daddy doesn’t have time for pancakes and is adhering to the wants and needs of a 14 yr old and a 12 yr old (oh sorry I mean 4 and almost 2) lol A quick reheat and all is well!
Price per serving approx $0.50
Monday: Essentials Shopping Trip
Milk, diapers, wipes, toothpaste, and ice cream
Purpose: By going on Monday my preferred store will be restocked without the lines or weekend craze. The milk won’t go bad within the week that I am gone, and B *shouldn’t have to run out for anything; and by keeping his favorite ice cream in the house his sanity may just be around when I return.
Tuesday: Dinner Prep
The plan is to make dinners for Thurs-Sun so that Daddy and/or the sitter can pop in whatever is on the menu without any prep needed.
-Turkey Chili
-Homemade White pizza with cheese and mushrooms
-Meatloaf and Veggies (don’t fooled I make a MEAN meatloaf)
-Pork Tacos with Corn and Cilantro
-Baked Fish and Rice
Purpose: To ensure that in the darkest moment(s) the local delivery guy doesn’t wind up making one, or multiple, trips to the house and of course that there is still some amount of nutrition going into those little ladies. Also there’s an extra meal as a “just in case.”
Wednesday: Father’s Day Surprise
The girls and I will work to get everything ready for Brent’s special breakfast. It has become a tradition that he gets homemade corned beef hash with poached eggs and toast. I don’t make it any other day of the year so I’ll prep everything and get up early to spoil him rotten 🙂
The purpose: Needs no further explanation lol
Thursday: Breakfast, work, and… Goodbye
An early am father’s day celebration and then final prep and plan review with all necessary parties. I have to work a bit in the am and then I’ll meet up with my step-mom and pack up for an 18-hr (one-way) trek. le sigh…
To avoid my thoughts I am now going back to planning…what have I missed??
The Frugal Fowler Project 