I don't know how I got through last year without this! A few weeks back I started up a Google calendar which is an online calendar - related to Google Docs. If you have a Google account, you can set one up.

It's set up to be shared, at the moment, with Marc and Cait. They can edit certain calendars, so that changes automatically show on everyone's calendar, and also have their own calendars, which they can opt to share with me.

In the name of colour coding, I have a 'Family' Calendar. A 'Tracey' calendar. A 'Netball' calendar (surprise, surprise). A 'School Stuff 'calendar. And a 'Marc' calendar. And a few of Cait's calendars, which I can turn on or off, or use as a resource for the calendars I control.

Now there are no excuses for not knowing what is happening - and trust me, that was becoming a problem.

Marc used to forget about keeping me up with changes in any work field trips.(Plus I was trying to get a grip on a couple of Touch tournaments he had coming up.) "Didn't I mention it?" ["No..."] .... Plus he'd not remember what I'd mentioned about family or school events, and next thing I know it's clashing, and I'm ... not very happy....

And Caitlin was complaining that she didn't know we were planning on doing this or that on certain weekends... and she.. wasn't very happy.

Now, any changes to work trips, he changes it while he is at work and it automatically shows next time I view it online. And he can work around anything specific scheduled for family...

My only complaint is that some days (on calendar view) aren't big enough for the list of appointments and events!

And I'm rather up the creek if our broadband connection, or the computer, is down.

But given our manic months ahead, this could well be the 'gadget' of the year for us.