Week one of laundry duty is done.
To say it was stellar would be less than true. We’re still far from getting the hang of it. Our biggest problem – Clara (who helps me on Wednesdays and Fridays) is entirely too efficient!
“Go upstairs and get your laundry. Today is your day.” I inform Teen Take-Out.
“I don’t have any laundry.”
“Yes. Yes, you do.”
“No I don’t.”
“YES. You do.”
“I DON’T have any!”
“Get upstairs and get your laundry right now. If you don’t get it right this minute, you…. well (searching for something good)… you – won’t get any t.v for the rest of the week!” (So there!)
“I don’t have any laundry,” he muttered as he schlomped off.
I mortify myself sometimes with my ridiculous comments. Why can’t I avoid the verbal tug-of-war? We enter these ping-pong matches almost daily. I think he actually enjoys it.
Yesterday, as we sat in the carpool line waiting for the girls to finish their typing camp (they’re so excited this is the last week!!), I picked up my phone and clicked on an app called “Diner Dash”. All the kids love it, so I thought I’d try my hand. I turn to TTO.
“Hey… how do you do this game?”
“Which one?” he asks.
“This one…. Diner Dash.”
“Oh, you mean Dinner Dash?”
“No. ‘Diner’ Dash.”
“Mom… that’s ‘Dinner’ Dash.”
At this point, I actually question myself. Maybe I read it wrong. I look back at the phone. Yup… It’s for sure “Diner”.
“What are you talking about? It’s ‘Diner’ Dash. D-I-N-E-R.” I point emphatically at the app staring both of us in the face.
“It’s ‘Dinner’,” he calmly replies.
“OH MY GOSH,” (I’m no longer calm) I indignantly reply. “Are you seriously doing this. You can read. You know it says ‘Diner’.”
Forehand. Backhand. Forehand. Backhand. Volley. Lob. Forehand. It’s a ridiculous game that I think he just sits and enjoys. Watching me take the bait each and every time, he cherry picks whatever he’d like and I push back with all cylinders firing. He knew it was “Diner”. He just likes arguing.
But today … he was right about the laundry. Clara had beat us all to the punch. He didn’t have any laundry. Not only had she washed it all, but she had put it away. Quick Draw McGraw. That’s her new name. I think we were all a little bit relieved to have avoided the day’s laundry lesson. Maybe someday soon I’ll learn my lesson on the rules of engagement … don’t engage.
Today when we were sitting in the carpool line, picking the girls up from the last day of typing camp, I heard him say, “Diner”. I turn to look at him. There he sat staring straight ahead, sparkly eyes, with the cutest little smirk.
“You said ‘Diner’,” I poke at him. “I know you did.”
“Huh?”
“I heard you. You said it. ‘Diner’.”
“I don’t think so. If you’re talking about that thing yesterday, it’s still ‘Dinner’.”
That kid cracks me up. I love his sense of humor … when it’s not getting the best of me!
Thanks for walking the road with me :)
-Kay
(A side note … I’m so happy to have TTO in the car with me. Life may involve a few more verbal matches, but I sure love him sitting next to me instead of facing the X-Box. Yes – life is better with that thing in a major back seat. … Oh how I hope he uses his tenacity to do great things in life.)