Summer, thy name is whining. And bickering. I think I'll have to refresh my memory on how to amuse these kids by reading this post.
Things are back to normal with Anna. I never mentioned that, in her hurry to catch her plane last month, her room was left looking as if a tornado had torn through it. When she got back, I told her to clean it up. She looked exasperated each time I pointed out that her room still needed attention. Who cares if there's trash on the floor, clothes everywhere, and dust bunnies the size of a schnauzer under the bed? I mean, she already picked some stuff up yesterday. She's busy. Is it her fault there's still more to do?
Well, I'm happy to announce that today it got all cleaned up. You can eat off her floor (although I wouldn't advise it). Was it the end of the jetlag? A sudden flash of empathy and appreciation for her devoted mother? Perhaps, even, a new-found desire not to live in a dump?
Ha, ha, ha - you mothers of teens know that the answer is "none of the above." This morning I threatened to take her door away if the room weren't spotless. Sometimes a little motivation works wonders.
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Okay, Susie is sitting on the couch, singing forlornly to herself. And the other kids are banging on the (locked) door and demanding popsicles. Time to get back to work...
mh, dunno if i'm for the one sidebar-look...i am really into the colors though! the more often i stop by, the lesser i want the orange back!
ReplyDeletefranzi
I don't mind... much... I'm the exact same way.
ReplyDeleteThere's always an ulterior motive when my 18-year-old son cleans his room. Always.
ReplyDeleteI love it- when my kid goes to her dad's she knows if her room is left a mess, she'll come back to a bigger mess (because I will then go through floors and pile everything in the middle for her and she hates it. I've also pulled out the 'I'll take your door off' card- my parents did it on me- and then I hung a bedsheet...
ReplyDeleteSo now? clean room every day and her bed is made every other Friday. Hell I'll take it.
I like the doors. I like to CLOSE the doors so I don't have to see what is in there. Sometimes my teens get very industrious and clean up on their own...they always have to bring me in and show me...""did you SEE mom? I cleaned and organized" I tell them it looks great and a few days later it is back to status quo. I don't have to live in it. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteOoooh...good threat with the No Door thought....how long will that threat last until you actually have to put it into action?
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO @ Cheri!! Thanks for the laffs you have NO idea how much I needed that today.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to know I am not the only one who has threatened and unfortunately had to follow through with the door threat.
And I like the 3 columms better and just added tabs to mine as well, even if it does make my blog look fat! *snarky laff*
I had my bedroom door removed as a young teen because I slammed it one time too many. And then I did it again about 2 weeks after "earning" it back. Obviously, I am a slow learner.
ReplyDeleteMy kids cleaned the kitchen without being asked, AND they have been cleaning up after themselves for the last two days.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost afraid to find out what they want.
I like your new layout.
I liked the other look--I didn't think it was too busy. Just my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, why do kids whine so much in the summer? I thought it was just my kids; I'm relieved to learn it's universal. (Or at least our two families...universal enough!)
I like the colors and the one column sidebar. I've been thinking of rearranging the furniture on my blog too... Maybe I'll go find Dawn and drive her crazy too! :)
ReplyDeleteThat makes me laugh. I remember coming home from work one night years ago and when I pulled into the garage, there was a door."This is new" I thought to myself. Our older son had slammed it one too many times and my husband removed it. He kept saying "can I please have my door back now?"
ReplyDeleteI used to have 3 columns on my blog too, but eventually I came to the same conclusion you did. And I knew those sweet Anna possibilities HAD to end with something like, "I stormed into her room with a dozen giant black trash bags and hauled everything out myself." And "take away your door" is close enough!
ReplyDeleteOh, poor Susie. Now I want to give her a hug and a popsicle.
ReplyDeleteThat old "take away the door trick" works every time.
I want to be like you when I grow up.
ReplyDeleteIf they leave their rooms messy long enough that it bother me, I clean them. I'm old, so I can't remember anything, like where I put their legos, barbie shoes, dirty clothes, etc. I rarely have to clean up their rooms more than once a season, for them to remember why they should clean it themselves.
ReplyDelete