it’s hard to clean the house when the floor is made of lava.

i’m just sayin’.

so i’ve discovered some truths about doing housework with two young boys around the joint: they hate picking up toys, books, clothes, etc. they detest, abhor, despise it. when it comes to general pick-up there’s no love lost.

however, yesterday as i’m scrubbing the bathroom and i’ve got the cleanser in the sink and the cleanser soaking in the tub because it’s one of those cleaning weekends when i feel a little merciless toward the house and the boys sort of have to pay for that because, you know, they’ve heard the speech for the nine millionth time now about how much they have and how it wouldn’t kill them to help out around here and…but anyway…where was i? o yeah. so i’m leaning over the sink with this scrub brush and it’s this awesome! looking aquamarine color and jake comes in and he’s watching me. “can i try?” and i’m thinking he’s being smart or something. because he’s 11 and what 11 year old would actually want to do this? but when i turn around he’s got a really earnest look on his face like, “wow, that looks like a lot of fun she’s having there and i gotta get me some of that!”

so. sort of unbelieving, i hand him the scrub brush and let him go wild. he grabs it and attacks the sink with reckless abandon. i started folding towels and watch him go at it. it was definitely a tom sawyer moment. and then. to top that, as i’m folding and he’s scrubbing, kaileb comes in.

“whatcha doin’?”
“i’m cleaning the tub!”
“oh. can i try?”

so he shows his brother how to do it and then says to me. “i’m giving kaileb a turn.”

and that’s how my sink and bath became sparkling white without me lifting a finger. and then the lights came on and i said, “if you think THAT’S cool, you should try mopping the floor!” ha! they ran around this house washing windows and mopping floors and dusting and polishing wood as if they had just been given brand new bikes with portable video games attached. i’m beyond thrilled at my newfound knowledge. me? i don’t mind. i’ll pick up the toys and books and clothes. as long as they remain impressed with the wonderful world of mind-altering chemical cleansers.