Sam, the PaleoSitter is our regular baby sitter* and has been indispensable help to us as we wrote, photographed and edited Real Life Paleo this year. Even so, we’re aware of how many moving parts are involved in watching our three boys, so when we were about to go on our crazy whirlwind book tour this month, we were a little worried about whether Sam could handle four straight days alone with them. We shouldn’t have worried, because it seems like they had a super adventure while we were gone, full of fun times, and a slew of defeated bad guys in their wake.
We’re so glad to have her on the team and invited her to share her experience in running Paleo Parents Central while we visited you!
*Ed Note: See issue #115 of The Paleo View and 20 Suggestions for Paleo Toddler Snacks
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As you all know, Stacy and Matt just released Real Life Paleo, which amazingly I was able to be a part of. It’s a practical and very useful cookbook that anyone can use, whichever stage of the paleo life you may be. I highly recommend it; there are some fantastic recipes in it, including one of my favorites, ribs. YUM!
Stacy and Matt asked me if I would watch the paleo boys while they did the first part of the book tour. I immediately said yes. I have been watching the paleo boys on and off for the past year, and am familiar with the boys. I decided to do a daily journal of what we did.
Wednesday, Day 1:
This morning I woke up to a pitter patter of little feet. I could tell by the noise it was Wesley. Getting up and out of bed, I asked what he was up to. He was pretty surprised to see me. I asked him if he wanted breakfast, of course the response was, ‘yes.’ I made eggs with mushrooms while Cole, Finn and Wesley got dressed and ready for the day. Wes was going to Aunt Coco’s house for the day while I was in class. (A huge thank you goes to Aunt Coco for watching him!) Once I was finished with class for the day, Wes and I headed back to Paleo Parents Central. After everyone got home and homework was done I made dinner. There were Drumsticks in the fridge along with Brussels sprouts, which is what we had. I made a honey mustard glaze for the drumsticks and just sautéed the Brussels sprouts with some ghee.
After dinner we watched some TV and relaxed. When it was bedtime, Finn read one story, and I read another. Off to bed they went, which I followed closely after.
Thursday, Day 2:
Eggs and mushrooms were ready a little early this morning. All the boys went to school today. After dropping Wes off at school, I went to the grocery store to pick up some meats and veggies for the rest of the week. The paleo boys requested breakfast for dinner Friday night, with potatoes instead of waffles or pancakes. I also grabbed some meats that were easy to make for Saturday.
When Wes came home we made some pumpkin cookies, and had some hot chocolate. I had class this evening and Matt’s parents were going to take the boys to Elevation Burger, one of their favorites. A gigantic thank you to you guys! When I got home from class it was time for bed, stories were read, and everyone went happily to sleep.
Friday, Day 3:
It’s Friday!!! The boys had school today; I did some chores and picked Wes up from school. We played with Legos until Cole and Finn came home.
Since there was no homework for the weekend, I let the boys play until dinner was ready. I made some potato hash, eggs and sausage for dinner. Stacy had gotten a package from ZaZa Raw Desserts and we decided to try some. I split the pieces in half and everyone was able to try whichever ones they’d like.
I had the Strawberry Cheesecake, and Chocolate Cheesecake. They were both really delicious, and the boys seemed to like their pieces. After dessert we went and watched ParaNorman. It was perfect for after Halloween, and was a tad bit scary. Once the movie was done, we read stories and off to bed we all went.
Saturday, Day 4:
We decided to go for a brunch to Silver diner. It was pretty good. The boys ate like they hadn’t been fed all week! Our waitress even commented on how much they ate. She said they were going to grow big and strong.
After brunch we stopped at Target for some miscellaneous things then headed to Big Hero 6. It was surprisingly good! The boys enjoyed it, as well as I. It was funny and had a lot of action. Overall, I could probably sit through watching it 200 times.
After the movie we headed home for some relaxation and chores. When it became dinner time I made some bratwurst with caramelized onions and asparagus. It hit the spot. Dinner was finished pretty quickly and we decided to play Pokémon Monopoly. We stopped playing when it was time for bed. Books were read and everyone was tucked in nice and snug. I packed up my things and waited until Matt came home.
This was a great learning experience for me. I had a lot of fun watching Cole, Finn and Wes. I didn’t have many issues, and if I did, they were resolved quickly. It is a lot of work to have children. I have an infinite amount of respect towards parents. YOU GUYS ROCK. Children can be challenging and you guys do an amazing job to make it all run smoothly. Thank you parents for everything you do.
