Menu Plan Monday - Week of Feb 7, 2011

So last week we got hit with snow and the ice storm. This was after we had all been recovering from colds, coughs, bronchitis, and an ear infection.  So the menu got a little jumbled last week.  My preschooler also had his first snow day, which occurred on the day that he was suppose to have his first ever Preschool Concert and Art Show.  We were very disappointed it was cancelled, but it had been rescheduled this week!  I also have to go out of town for 2 days this week, which leave Dad in charge!

Monday - Sausage Potato Soup
Tuesday - Breaded Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Wednesday - Beef Stew
Thursday - Dad's in Charge
Friday - Dad's in Charge
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Beef Stroganoff

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

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"My Stay-at-Home Husband Isn't a Loser"

Great article by Tara Gentile on Daily Worth!  She talks about the prejudices people have about her husband staying home with the kids.  Check out the article here! 

If you read my blog, you know that my husband voluntarily quit his job last September to stay home with our 2 boys ages 2 and 5. We have also encountered people who do not understand our situation and believe that I should stay home. However I am on a fast track program at my job and have been very successful! I do not want to stay home, I love my career. Having my husband stay home has been amazing and it is a lot less stress for me and our family. I wouldn't change a thing! The dual careers wasn't working for us and we really did not need the income. It felt like we were being selfish and choosing money over our kids. Our kids, my husband, and I are much happier than we were a year ago!

How We Organize Our Month!

Yep -  this is the "hub" of our whole household!

May sound simple, but this dry erase board that hangs on our refrigerator keeps us organized!

It looks pretty empty right now, but by the end of the month it is normally covered with writing on it!  This is how my husband and I stay on task and on the same page.  It is in a perfect location, one we look at a thousand times a day! 

Things that get written on our calendar:

• Birthdays and Anniversaries
• Kids' activities (swimming, karate, storytime, Little Gym, school concert, etc)
• Doctor's and Dentist appointments
• Parties and Events
• Mom's Night Out
• Date Night
• Work Travel Schedules
• and course, THE DINNER MENU!

I put what is for dinner in the bottom of every block!  I usually plan a week in advance.  Putting what is for dinner makes it easy for my husband to have dinner prepared and eliminates the need for eating out "just because".  So this less than $10 dry erase board investments, saves us hundreds of dollars every year!

Kindergarten Decisions

So my oldest son has officially turned 5!  That means that kindergarten is just around the corner for him.  I never knew it would be such a difficult decision for my husband and I on what school he should attend.  Currently he is attending preschool at a private Catholic school, but how did we want to proceed with kindergarten?

I had the amazing privilege of attending 12 years at a Catholic elementary school and high school.  My parents had a strong belief in a religious education and thus sent all three of their daughters to Catholic schools.  My husband on the other hand at 12 years of a public education.  We are both very successful and both hold Master's degrees.

In the back of my mind when we had children, I always thought that I would send them to Catholic schools.  I felt it was the only choice for me and my children.  Well our household has changed a bit (and so has our income) since we decided that my husband should stay at home with our boys.  Now came into the picture, could we afford a private school education?

We seriously began to consider public schools.  We live in an amazing school district, which consistently scores high on state standards.  The thoughts of sending my son to public school were vibrant in my mind, but I still felt uneasy about that decision. 

We decided to attend a kindergarten open house at the Catholic school in our city.  I loved the morals the school portrayed, the uniform policy, and the high academic standards.  It almost brought me to tears when I heard the principal talk about the first time the kindergartners attended Mass with the whole school.

Well apparently, my husband saw how I reacted to that open house.  He commented on how he saw me smiling and so intent on what the principal was saying.  He was sold (and I already was).  We have to send our son to Catholic school, there is no other decision for us.  We will make the sacrifices many families make and give our children the kind of education that we want for them.

I now feel a calm in my heart.  Sometimes the best decisions we make are with our hearts and not with our heads!