Pages

Monday, December 31, 2007

New Year's Eve


The Christmas decorations are packed away. The house is back in "normal" mode. There is some significant cleaning to do, but that will wait until tomorrow, when my daughters will be available to help me. (More about that later.) The grocery store was busy and crowded-- especially with four children in tow-- but I left with not just our New Year's Day traditional meal ingredients, but a week's worth of meals and supplies. The pantry is loaded, along with the fridge and freezer. I have written my goals out and enjoyed reading the ones that people have linked to mine. I am, as they say, as ready as I'll ever be.

Tonight my daughter is in the Matthews Playhouse New Year's Eve Mystery play. She is in rehearsals all day, preparing. At some point, somehow, we will venture out to see her. If we can find a sitter we will go together to watch her. If not, we will go in shifts-- me with the 7yo to the 7 show and him with the 11yo to the 9 show. Not nearly as romantic, but real life sometimes intervenes.

Last night I got on a mission in the kids' rooms-- particularly my daughters' room. They are both old enough to keep their room nice, but they do not. This is an ongoing thorn in my side. I have lectured, and begged, and threatened long enough. When I walked upstairs and saw all their Christmas toys and things thrown around the room like a tornado had hit, I got crafty. I didn't say a word to them. I just got trashbags and gathered everything that was in the floor or shoved somewhere it shouldn't be. Four LARGE trashbags later, their room looked nice again! And it was alllll mine. The new Juicy Couture purse. The new dvd player. That new Ipod. M-I-N-E. (Maniacal laughter erupting while rubbing hands together deviously.)

Oh? You want it back? Well, my pretty, there is just one way to get your beloved things back. You must work to earn the bags back. One. bag. at. a. time. Oh, boy did I have fun with that one! Of course, the oldest girl is gone, as I said, so we will be starting the earning back process tomorrow. And I am going to have a clean house in the new year to boot! Wooowee, I love being the mama sometimes!

There was just one fly in the ointment. This morning I said something to my oldest about what a bummer it was that she had lost all her stuff and asked her when she thought she might get it all back. She paused, "We-ell, I have to admit my room sure does feel cleaner without all that junk cluttering it up...."

Oh.

I always knew they were smarter than me.
Pin It!

7 comments:

Andrea said...

Too funny, Marybeth. I love reading your families "stories". I identify so much.

TheNormalMiddle said...

Happy New Year Marybeth!!! :) Now, I have a bone to pick with you. Thanks to your wonderful ebook, and pumpkin crisp recipe, I have like 10 more lbs to lose! :)

We ate the heck out of that stuff this past week at my mom's house. I ate a bowl for breakfast this morning too! I'll try to forgive you for my weight gain!

Laura said...

Isn't it just the truth? They always have an angle that we haven't planned for, don't they! I'll have to try the garbage bag trick...on my own messes! (I feel another NY resolution coming on). I pray you get to go see the play together and start your new year with that special memory! Blessings to you in the coming year!

Karen said...

Marybeth, I've really enjoyed reading your blog the past week -- such a find! I can so relate to this post. Once I did the same with my boys' rooms and told them they could only have back the things they could name in the bag. One couldn't remember a thing. The other remembered everything! sigh.

I'm still working on getting my house back in order, then I'll get the new year's post.

Karen said...

Make that, I'll get TO DOING the new year's post.

Anonymous said...

Oh MaryBeth - that is AWESOME about the trashbags! I have a 3 & 4 year old and when I threaten to take away toys, etc. they say stuff like, "you're right, Mama, other kids need that toy more than I do!"
Ack - where did my leverage go?

Lysa TerKeurst said...

I feel so inspired to go get some trash bags right now! I love being the mom!!!

Okay, I finally got around to posting my New Year's Resolution. Just one- a nugget- literally!