In our home we all in some way help out at the supper time. I cook, darling daughter (11) sets the table, strapping son (14) and dearest daughter (16) takes turns with dishes & feeding the cats, and beloved hubby cleans the stainless pots. It's a well oiled machine! Ya, if ya believe that I've got some land for sale yada, yada, yada. Call me.
Here's where the friction rears up its head. (Get it? It's not so well oiled?! OK it's really early in the morning and I've only had 1/2 cup of coffee so far). I like the table cleared and dishes done immediately after supper, so I don't have to keep walking into a dirty kitchen. And you just never know when someone will pop by. Hasn't happened in a year and a half but you just never know. It's amazing to me how two teens who were sitting around or playing before supper now all of a sudden "have a ton of homework", "need to rest", "gotta phone someone", promised so-and-so they would play", "_____________________(insert your idea here)". They have such busy lives, poor dears. The dishes so just get in the way.
Last night however, dearest daughter disappeared right after supper to lay on the couch to read a book. She's really into "Peircing the Darkness" by Frank Perretti. Anyhoo, she's been in there awhile and the call of: "Dearest Daughter it's your turn to do dishes" has gone out. Then the call: "Dearest Daughter let's go, it's your turn". Then "Dearest Daughter, DISHES!" And finally, "GET YOUR REAR OFF THAT COUCH & GO DO DISHES". This people was her sage, teenaged reply (done with an absolutely straight face, mind you):
Dearest Daughter: "Ya I'm going. I have to work out a plan of attack."
Mom (Me): "What plan?" In a very skeptical tone.
Dearest Daughter: "Well, I have to decide whether to put my feet down first and then sit up, or sit up and then put my feet down, or just roll off the couch in one motion and land on my hands and knees. And then do I stand up or just crawl to the kitchen. I need to make a plan".
Mom: "Whaaa..?" Inside thinking: "Lord this is a test right? I'm to stay calm 'cause she's just pulling my leg, right?"
Where do they think of this stuff. I'm sure there must be some sort of class at school that they all take where they can learn and compose and share this stuff with each other so they have a aresenal built up. And it always changes so you are always forced to think on your feet.
I think I need a Plan, too, for all this teenage stuff. Step one: Find My Coffee! Step two: Ummm, ahhhh, Ya I'm thinking! I'm thinking.
Well just to let you know Dearest Daughter did get up quite quickly and did a great job with the dishes. I'll think I'll keep her after all. I better call that travelling circus and cancel them coming by for a pick up.
P.S. Does anyone know how to edit the dates on posts gone up?
12 comments:
Oh, now that is CLASSIC.
My oldest is only 12, but I am amazed at the lengths they will all go to to avoid work, down to the 4 year old's "I'm just so tired!"
We've been on summer vacation for a couple of weeks here, so added to the usual excuses are "I stayed up too late last night." ARGGH!
BTW, I haven't forgotten the meme. Still working on it but it may be this weekend before I get to post it!
Katherine: looking forward to reading whenever it gets up. It's a long one and really made me think
LOL! That was so very funny. I might need to work on my "plan of attack" to get up from here and finish getting ready for work. Ha ha ha...
As for editing dates on posts gone up, let me see if I can help. Go in to your blogger account and to edit posts (a tab at the top).
Find the post you want to edit and click on it to bring it up. Once it is up, rather than editing in the "body" of the text... scroll down to the bottom of the text box. There is a link down there that says "Post and Comment Options". If you click on that it will bring up an area where you can select if you want comments and it will also allow for changing the date and time of the post.
Hope that helps. Let me know if that wasn't clear enough and I'll try again! :-)
That dearest daughter of yours sounds like quite the character... ever thought of raising her allowance?
Yours Truly, Erika
K!M sounds like SUCH a cool person.. oh wait.. HOW did i know her name was K!M? whoa! WEIRD! heehee. ya anyways. Love ya mom.
Love (ahem) Dearest Daughter
momrn2: ya, maybe she is onto something! :)
Erika & Dearest Daughter: aren't you supposed to be in class or doing homework or cleaning blackboards, or something?
I charge my kids 50 cents for each reminder. If they don't have the $$ to pay, then they can earn it by weeding flowerbeds.
Mean, huh? But it is soo frustrating to be ignored!
Mary, mom to many
owlhaven: now there's an idea
I like owlhaven's idea and may try that with my three. We need to just give them rolls of quarters for their allowance so they can pay it back in 50 cent increments.
BTW, darling daughter is a hoot!
Peach: ya owlhaven's idea is great! But in this situation I don't think I coulda done it. It was just too funny! And if I woulda charged the fine right up front, it wouldn't of happened and I wouldn't have had it to blog about. A real catch 22 I'd say! :D
lauren: thanks for coming by. Ya don't tell them please.
Can't help you with the comment thing.
Can't help you with the teen thing, either...mine's just 13, so I'm just starting to grope my way through.
I definitely need a plan of attack.
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