Cleaning Day!

The kids are whining already.

The truth is, I'm not all gung-ho, either. Although I'll be glad when it's over.

What am I talking about?

Cleaning the house...or, more specifically, the basement.

Ugh.

Today is the day we conquer the mess, the dust bunnies, the - gulp - storage room. Can anyone say, "disaster area?" If you don't hear from us in a couple days, please come looking. We're probably buried underneath the rubble of games, toys, and other junkabaloo. Or there is the possibility that we've been bitten and paralyzed by giant basement spiders. Shudder...

So the plan is Rob will be working outside, mowing and weeding, and the kids and I will be busy little beavers inside, picking up, vacuuming, organizing, and keeping a close eye out for bugs.

I'm trying to figure out how I can get the kids excited about this overwhelming project. But honestly, there's nothing exciting about it. Except the sense of accomplishment we'll feel when the bathroom sparkles, the television screen is clearer, due to no more layer of dust covering it, and we will actually be able to walk without tripping over video games, fort blankets and other miscellaneous items.

But somehow, I doubt the kids will consider "sense of accomplishment" a good trade for their sweat and tears.

Hmmm. Maybe a couple bucks will do it.

Wait a minute. Earth to Lynda! The kids are part of this family too! (duh) Cleaning is part of their "job" description. Especially when most of the basement mess is theirs! Hello! What was I thinking? Of course they shouldn't get paid to help out around the house. It's not like we're slave drivers around here. Really, my kids are pretty spoiled. It will do them good to put aside their fun for the day and put forth a little manual labor. It'll be great for their characters and their bodies.

Yeah...preach it, girlfriend!

But that's not to say we won't reward them for their efforts with a trip to Speedway for some frozen cokes. If they do a good job. And if the whining is held to a minimum.

And...sigh...I suppose that means I need to set the standard and refrain from whining too, as difficult as that will be. The true test will be when we start disturbing those spiders from their hiding places.

Will I be able to keep a whine from escaping?

Stay tuned...