But I digress. So Saturday I told them that they had to clean their rooms and their would be a first place prize of 10 dollars, a second place of $5 and a third of $3. And yesterday they seemed pretty motivated by this brand new sort of chore competition. They worked at different speeds and at different intensities yesterday from noonish to 8pm.
By the time the “judging” was about to occur I started to regret by decision. All three girls were pretty convinced they’d won and in the confines of our room I doubted out loud my parenting technique. I asked mike if it would be okay to give them all ten bucks since they all worked so hard. He said no, that that wasn’t real life and that I needed to stick to my plan.
I said fine but that he had to help me decide!
So first Ruby showed us her very tidy side of her room - since M and R share the bonus room. Some of her proud explanations were an empty laundry basket - her clothes already going in the washing machine, nothing under her bed, tidy drawers and a throw blanket folded nicely in a new fashion on her bed. She was so excited at her work. Gosh she’s cute when she gets really into something- a zest and smile and heightened voice that Ruby lovers understand.
Then Maisie wanted to show us her hard work. She had added Christmas lights to her headboard, a pretty handwritten list of the Disney movies she wants to watch each days of quarantine, newly organized vanity drawers, and her antique nightstand, which formerly housed a lot of clutter - spic and span! She was sure she had done a fabulous job too, except wondered if she should have started her laundry as well.
Then we visited Daphne. She was in her bed already. She had been the first one done earlier in the day and I had seen her prettily made bed already. It was vacuumed and tidy and her windowsill was all wiped down too.
(No pic she absolutely refused 😂)
All three rooms were cleaned beyond my expectations.
Oh shoot.. now I had put myself in a situation ha!
Mike and I retired to our room to deliberate with a little helper who tried to get in on the action ... we shushed him right out because, well, little brothers can be very silly with big ears.
In the end we decided Ruby won because she went the extra distance with the laundry. But it wasn’t easy because Maisie’s side had an extra glow with the Christmas lights and won my heart over with the Disney list.... We decided that Daphne would get third.
We pulled ruby and Maisie into our room and explained that we had a first and second and that they were those winners. It was a close contest and would they like to have a first place getting $10 and a second of $5 or would they like to tie and each get $8.00- Id throw in the extra buck! Nope 👎🏼 they didn’t want a concession like that so in the end Ruby got the big prize, I threw in the extra buck for Maisie and she got $6 and then we broke the bad news to Daphne.
The “losers” were a little disappointed but they seemed glad we had done it.
Originally Henry was going to be in on the contest but I decided he and I would clean his together today because it needs a lot of help. A lot.
These crazy times call for crazy measures. Today we are going to have a meeting about home school and make that a start. Then we are going to do a few more house chores. The big girls start dance tonight on ZOOM too.
Hoping this week will be a little more structure. Not as many goodies. Not as much screen time. We are easing into this new normal.
How are you all doing?
♥️Me
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