Mommy Monday--cleaning

Me: Ok kids, we’re cleaning the house today

Older kids: cool! Who’s coming over?

Me: nobody

Older kids: but we always clean the house before someone comes over.

Me: well no one is coming over and we are still going to clean the house

Younger kids: why mommy?

Me: because the dust bunnies have dust bunnies

Younger kids: what are dust bunnies?

Older kids: the fuzzies behind the doors are dust bunnies

Younger kids each run to a door and take a look behind

Missy D: we can glue them to our picture! They can be the clouds in the sky!

Missy T: yeah!

Mr. A: I volunteer to help them!

Missy M: No I will!

Me: listen you kids, there will be no gluing of the dust bunnies! (pointing at each child) grab the Roomba and run it in the dining room, grab the vacuum and start on your room, girlies: you clean up all the Barbie clothes in the playroom. Go!

Mr. A: I don’t know why we have to clean if no one is going to see it.

Younger kids: yeah.

Missy M, wisely quiet and lugging the vacuum to her room--being the oldest has the benifit of knowing this is the wrong question to ask.

Me, glaring at the boy, pointing to the mess in the playroom for the girlies, imagining banging head on the wall…when…

Hubby: Uh, when you have a minute could you come and tell me how high you want these blinds hung.

Me (rolling my eyes): I’ve been waiting for you to hang them 3 yrs, so anyway you hang them will make me happy…

Is it any wonder that getting anything done at my place takes forever? Sure, I could run about the house and clean it myself in less time than it takes to argue with the kids about doing it…but then I’d turn resentful that no one ever pitches in and the kids would never learn to pick up after themselves….

Then again, maybe I should get a clue out of that first question…it’s the one always asked when I tell the family it’s time to clean up!