We Are Getting This House Cleaned Up!

The dreaded words of every child's Saturday morning. Or in this case the dreaded words for my children this morning when they woke up. We are having a New Year's get together with another family at our home, where we will eat for six-plus hours straight, play games, play rock band, and laugh too loudly.

While I couldn't possibly be considered a contender for the title of "clean freak", I do have some standards. We're talking basics. Clothes put away, beds made, dishes done, toys put away, uncluttered countered, cleaned bathrooms, swept floors.

So this morning, in a effort to avoid conflict and confusion, I made Clark, Bethany, and Elinor lists of jobs they were in charge of. They are fairly accustomed to such lists, and although the lists were a bit longer than usual, there was only minimal gnashing of teeth.
They completed their jobs and things were looking okay.

But that was at 12:00. The party isn't until 6:00. HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO KEEP THINGS CLEAN FOR SIX HOURS????
Sure enough, out come the dress up scarves to be mermaids. Out comes the skateboard and a cardboard box to make a life size robot. Out come the dominos. Out comes the sheet to make a background set for the movie they are making. Out comes Cannon from his crib (he'd been asleep, which aided in the initial quick clean-up). Oh gracious.

I believe my children are the brightest, most creative, clever creatures on the planet. But must they be so when I have a party to get ready for?











Clark's assortment of homemade weapons. Made from wooden train tracks and aluminum foil. I believe he made them as Christmas gifts for the girls, but they were not as well received as he's hoped. Cannon appreciated them. Brothers are like that.