Brakes and Laundry
Last night the kids all fell asleep before 11:00 PM. That’s rare actually because they know I let them stay up until 10:30 on non-school nights and they also know they can always squeeze another 45 minutes to an hour out of me. I wandered back into my room and checked a few web-sites out and then figured I was tired and went to bed. I never go to bed by 11:00 unless I’m sick or have to get up at 3:00 AM or something.
Then this morning, I found myself rolling around unable to sleep at 7:30 AM. If you only knew me better you would wonder too: what the heck is wrong with me? I am up between 6 and 6:30 AM normally on school days (thanks to the help of a network of alarms and backup alarms) but on weekends the kids know I don’t leave the bed before 9:30. That’s because I stay up way late and surf the net, put away laundry, and well... you’re reading it.
I had my haircut and had spent well over an hour at Home Depot before noon, on a Saturday. Then I finally changed the front brakes on the Suburban and cleaned it out. It’s amazing what the kids will leave behind in a car (especially a large one) in just one week.
My brakes no longer squeak, I spent a bit more than I had planned at the grocery store, washed just about all the laundry, and as I write this I’m trying to get my oldest to help out and put it away. Because she just wants to help out? To instill a sense of responsibility? Because I’m an evil slave driver? No, no, and with all three of my kids laughing hysterically, no. She desperately wants to earn $10 to buy some crappy toy she saw at Walgreens.
I should be happy that my 11-year-old still wants to buy toys and not makeup or outfits. I am happy, very happy, ecstatic when I see her peers. I should probably just give her the $10. Still, I think this is a time when I need to attempt to instill some sense of the value of money. She wants to fill the cats dish with water and then expect me to give her $10. Given the last 12+ years I’ve struggled to learn the value of money, I’d like to try and give her a taste of what it requires to earn a couple bucks. It’s not going very well.
Fej
Then this morning, I found myself rolling around unable to sleep at 7:30 AM. If you only knew me better you would wonder too: what the heck is wrong with me? I am up between 6 and 6:30 AM normally on school days (thanks to the help of a network of alarms and backup alarms) but on weekends the kids know I don’t leave the bed before 9:30. That’s because I stay up way late and surf the net, put away laundry, and well... you’re reading it.
I had my haircut and had spent well over an hour at Home Depot before noon, on a Saturday. Then I finally changed the front brakes on the Suburban and cleaned it out. It’s amazing what the kids will leave behind in a car (especially a large one) in just one week.
My brakes no longer squeak, I spent a bit more than I had planned at the grocery store, washed just about all the laundry, and as I write this I’m trying to get my oldest to help out and put it away. Because she just wants to help out? To instill a sense of responsibility? Because I’m an evil slave driver? No, no, and with all three of my kids laughing hysterically, no. She desperately wants to earn $10 to buy some crappy toy she saw at Walgreens.
I should be happy that my 11-year-old still wants to buy toys and not makeup or outfits. I am happy, very happy, ecstatic when I see her peers. I should probably just give her the $10. Still, I think this is a time when I need to attempt to instill some sense of the value of money. She wants to fill the cats dish with water and then expect me to give her $10. Given the last 12+ years I’ve struggled to learn the value of money, I’d like to try and give her a taste of what it requires to earn a couple bucks. It’s not going very well.
Fej
posted by Fej at 8:52 PM
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