Overheard in the Wyma house during the last 2 weeks:

“This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“We’re the only kids that have to do this.”
“I’m going to Chick-Fil-A for my night. I’ll buy my dinner and a french fry for everyone else.”
“What do you mean ‘unload the dishwasher’? That’s a girl’s job.”
“Hey…their family is doing the work thing, too.”

I love that last one, said matter-of-factly, almost with relief. (Phew! Our mother isn’t crazy… or super mean! Someone else has to do this weird work thing, too.) I’ve noticed they are a little more tired than normal, but they’re also proud of what they’ve accomplished – especially on the food front. The biggest surprise for me? What I’ve nagged about for years (“take your dish to the sink”, “unload the dishwasher”, “cut your own pizza”…), they are now doing sans annoying moans and groans. You know the ones. Audible sighs aggressively released to make a point that they are doing something they should not be required to do.

Here’s a snapshot of last week’s menus:

Monday – The incredibly frustrating B4D. I don’t think Brock will ever be making pancakes again ( … still too soon for me!)

Tuesday – Lucy’s pasta extravaganza. Huge hit. She did it all except for draining the noodles.

Wednesday – Sally’s pizza. Yet another unforgettable experience. We wrestled that dough for at least 30 minutes, trying to get it into the pan. Certainly not as easy as it looks. Our friend Mrs. Silva has invited us over for a hands on lesson. So glad, because this is a yummy variation from our tired dinner options. (I don’t know about you, but, sadly we rotate about 5 different meals.)

Thursday – The teen, who had a load of make-up work held off until the last night before quarter end (that is a whole different story!!), had a last minute change on his night. He opted for short-order cooking (box Mac & Cheese & frozen single pizzas) and ordering out because he couldn’t get it all done. This is his second week to pony up the cash. But his dad & I very much enjoyed our Pei Wei lettuce wraps. He cleaned, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher without one complaint. Who is this kid??!!

And then the weekend began. I’ve really missed them having their days. The sink could have used their attention, the table kept clean, kitchen clutter controlled … I’m getting used to all the help. And I like it!

Today (Sunday) I posted a job on the frig (thanks, Chuck, for the great idea!): Cleaning the interior of our car…not a small endeavor. The girls stepped up to the plate and spent 2 hours combing through the garbage and meticulously vacuuming all the crevices. Not only did they do a better job than any carwash place would do, they did it together! Yesterday, in and out of ignoring each other. Today partners. Work has soooooo many benefits.

Brock’s on for tomorrow’s meal. Since Spring Break is this week, so we might have a few nights vary from what we’ve planned. That’s good, too. I don’t want to be married to the calendar. It’s about what we’re learning, not the letter of the law.

Thanks for walking the road with me!
-Kay

skullduggery ironing boards




Wise Words from the Ironing Board
– Julie Fairchild

 

How would you handle those days when it all seemed to be falling apart?

Not very well sometimes. But sometimes just a short break helps me with an attitude adjustment. When I’m in the house up to my eyeballs in alligators, sometimes I just walk outside and throw the tennis ball to the dogs for a few minutes, soak in a little sunshine and say a little prayer. Ten minutes later I face the alligator pit with renewed vigor and confidence that things will work out.

What surprised you the most about the teen years?

How incredibly quickly they flew by.

 

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