Dear Grandma (and Aunt Gina):
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for volunteering for the best three days of your life! Not only have you awesomely given me and Chance the opportunity to sit on a beach and do nothing for THREE FULL DAYS IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, you have volunteered to lovingly take care of our not one, not two, not three but four beautiful children! Honestly, we can’t thank you enough and hope that you have an amazing time with the kiddos! (Could you please sign appendex 4 and return it with a notary stamp so that the contact is bound and we know that you won’t back out last minute? Thanks!)
I have put together a manual for you so that you’ll have a brief run down of events and schedules, important numbers, medical information, the children’s likes and dislikes, etc. so that way you are prepared for the three days you’ll be here! (It was all my pleasure and the least I could do!) I know you have a college education, two masters degrees and will retire this year from education, but things have changed since you raised me, and I just want to make sure you are properly trained to manage four kids…the right way.
It’s not too long (456 pages, single spaced with 10 appendices) and should be read prior to boarding the plane to visit! I have also taken the liberty to brief you here with some of the more top of mind things you should be aware of. I’ve made a brief outline of what is going on for the day, what your responsibilities are, the processes and procedures that take place so we won’t have many “Mr. Mom” moments…i.e “You’re doing it wrong.” Pretty straight forward really.
I’ve also included the links to instructional videos that you can reference if you have any questuons about how it actually should be done (what goes in each kids’ lunch, how to cut tomatoes, how to make an “Abby Grilled Cheese” or how to read “Pete The Cat” correctly (because if you don’t do it exactly right, Abby might just melt down and possibly explode!
If you remember correctly, I wrote you a four page letter abut 10 years ago when you had first offered to watch our first born child. I think we went to Vegas and I gave you an instruction manual for our then 9 month old. If I remember correctly, you told me you followed everything to a tee, so this should be like riding a bike!
So here it goes! Please make sure to print this out, take notes in the columns and have sticky notes readily available to be able to reference the items in the complete instruction maual that I have Fed Ex’d to you yesterday.
Wednesday
8am Arrival – Marisa to pick you up at airport
9:00am– Short breakfast meeting to go over any questions that may have arisen after reading manual. All notarized paperwork should be turned in.
10:00am– Short “how to go to the park” session with Abby to go over all playground rules and safety procedures when at said park. We will be going to one of the approved parks on the list (See appendix C for complete list of approved outdoor play spaces in Tampa)
11:00am-Return home to begin training. “How to Fix Abby Lunch” will be first on the schedule.
12:00pm– Training continues with “How to Put Abby to Sleep”. It is important to follow proper steps (on left side with blanket tag in hand) or the sleep process might not happen if not followed completely. We advise you take notes, pictures or video to remember.
12:15pm-Training continues with a house tour to guide you through where everything is.
12:30pm-Training continues with a “How to Cook Dinner” Tutorial. Approved menu options can be found on Appendix D in the Instruction Manual.
12:45pm- 12:55pm Lunch or Rest (one or the other)
1pm-Training continues as you prepare to get ready for afterschool pick up, homework, sport practices and afternoon chores.
1:15pm-Training continues with chore list expalniation. Please refernce appendex E for what chores are to be done daily.
1:30pm-Abby should wake up
2:00pm– Get ready to leave. Pack cooler with snacks for after school. Bring pencils to do homework in car.
2:10pm– Leave to start pick up routine
2:30pm– Pick up #1: Shelby. Have a snack and do homework in car.
2:50pm-Pick up #2: Mia.
3:15pm– Pick up #3: Jake.
3:30pm– Arrive home.
3:45pm-Training continues with homework, dinner prep and after school activities.
5:00pm– After school activities begin. Please see appendix C for schedule of after school activities by day. Home work will need to be completed with each child individually. We find that the “new” homework takes twice as long and you might need to pour yourself a cocktail while assisting the children with their common core math homework. Should you need assistance in finding an answer (because you cannot understand the problem) we suggest you ask your Facebook friends for assistance. There is no other alternative.
7:00pm-Meal training. Please see list of organic, free-range and approved meal options. Dinner must be a 4-course meal, chosen from the approved list of meals and must be served at 7:00pm.
7:10pm– Training continues for clean up and bedtime routine.
7:30pm-Watch an approved show from the list of approved television shows (see appendix D).
8:00pm– Read books. The children may choose a book from the approved list (see appendix E).
8:30pm-Bedtime.
8:35pm-Laundry (washing, folding putting away), next day preparation-back packs, lunch prep, breakfast/ morning prep & house cleaning. Please see the checklists for each activity and follow accordingly.
11pm-Take Abby to the bathroom. Should you miss this step, there might be consequences as she is still potty training.
11:15pm-Sleep. But be aware that there might be middle of the night training as nightmares or accidents might occur.
11:30pm-Set alarm for 5am. Sleep
5am-Wake. Begin morning routine training. Coffee is mandatory. Please be showered and ready at this time and meet in the kitchen.
5:15am-Begin to finalize lunches and backpacks.
5:30am- Begin to prepare the children’s breakfast or homemade organic waffles, fruit, freshly squeezed juice and grass-fed bacon.
6:15am- Wake the kids.
6:30am– Make sure everyone is up and getting ready.
7:00am-Hair. You’ll have had to complete beauty school training in order to complete the desired French braids and fishtail braids that the three girls will need preformed on their hair. (This training should have been completed prior to arrival.)
7:30am-Final check.
7:35pm-Leave for school.
8am-Drop off. Begin day with Abby.
REPEAT.
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But in all honesty, none of this really matters.
As long as my kids are in your care, you have my blessings to do things your way. You raised me just fine and I know you’ll have the most amazing time with these kids doing whatever it is you want to do.
I Hope you throw this list away. I hope you make memories with your Grandkids and that you have a most amazing time just hanging out. Take them out of school. Give them donuts for breakfast. Let them sleep in your arms. Let them know that you love them and make memories that they will cherish forever. I cannot thank you enough for watching over them. I love you to the moon and back, Mom. Have a great time with the kids.
Love,
Marisa