Maid Service For Under $10

I know they should do it anyway, but sometimes my kids just need a little extra incentive- especially when they have friends over. The beauty of this system is that everyone participates.

I don't really care who I give the money to as long as the jobs are done.

This is a great system for kids ages 3 to about 10 years old.

Start with a big jar.

Write all the jobs you want done on slips of paper.

They cannot be "Clean the living room," but. rather they should be components of a larger job. Therefore, "clean the living room" becomes:

"Put away things that don't belong in the living room"

"vacuum living room rug"

"sweep living room"

"dust living room"

Each job is worth a quarter. The amount of money each kid makes is determined by the speed they work.

Jonah quit when he had 2 quarters. He's 5. I guess 50 cents was enough for him.

One of the friends decided she wanted a dollar, so she did 4 jobs.

Eventually, everything got clean.

And then we had ice cream.

Speaking Of Expectations

This yumminess was brought to the table by my very capable 12 year old.

He used this recipe- mostly.

I did not help in any way.

That is why we had dinner at 9pm.

But, it sure was good. And, by that time, it tasted even better because we were all so hungry.

We all decided that we did not like the bok choy because it was too bitter. The next time we do it, we will use spinach.

You Are Genius. And, I Love You For It.

A love letter to the absolute genius behind Oxi-Clean;

Dear sir or Madam,

Marry me!

I have long been a fan of your original Oxi-Clean, buying it in bulk from my local Costco. I was especially fond of your powdery goodness when my children were in diapers. Any leak or downright explosion could be easily rectified. The small stained clothing was simply placed in the bucket of Oxi-water solution I kept in the laundry room until the next time I washed laundry. The last task of laundry was to create a new, clean bucket of Oxi-water. Alas, we have outgrown the need for a bucket of Oxi-water, but our love affair with Oxi-clean lives on.

Imagine, if you will, a bathroom that I rarely enter. A bathroom that I avoid at all costs. Against my better judgement, I pulled back the shower curtain in said bathroom and nearly fainted. Let me just say that I have seen cleaner service station bathrooms. And then I saw the commercial for Kaboom Foam.

Marry me.

Kaboom Foam cleaned that disgusting mess as easily as the commercial showed. Sprays on blue, turns white, wipe, rinse. And it smells good, too!

So, from a grateful housewife, I have just one request:

Marry me? Pretty Please?

P.S. Feel free to send me a lifetime supply of your fabulous products for this completely unsolicited endorsement. My lifetime, not yours.

Dirty Dishes

Never once have I claimed to be a perfect house keeper. In fact, I tell my friends that they are welcome to stop and see me any time they want, but If they want the house to be clean, then they need to make an appointment.

My mom, on the other hand, cleans her clean house every day. She dusts her dustless furniture and scrubs her scumless tubs. But it wasn't always that way. I remember as a kid, we had to find the table so we could eat dinner everyday. I also remember PILES of laundry- which you would expect with 6 kids and various extras.

So, where am I going with this?

There are certain things that are expected at our messy house. All the kids except Jonah wash, dry, fold or hang, and put away their own laundry. Jonah is expected to put his laundry away in the drawers or the closet. Most of them can (whether they do it or not) clean a bathroom from top to bottom. The easiest thing of all, I think, is that every one is expected to load their own dishes in the dishwasher. They can all empty the dishwasher, and can all put away the hand washed dishes.

So, when kids come over and they leave their dishes on the table, I call them back, smile sweetly, and tell them that I will not put their dishes in the dishwasher for them. They will, invariably, look at me like I am off my rocker, and take their dishes to the dishwasher. I tell you, with out fail, I find those dishes right side up, on top of other dishes, with the spoon or fork beside them on the top rack. Really?

Am I really that strange to think that a child of 5 years or older should be able to take their own dishes to the dishwasher and load them so I wont have to?

It's Like A Completely Different Country!

Well, I went to Canada. And they let me come back home. Which is good.

I don't have any idea what I actually read on the ferry schedule to Victoria, but I thought it said that a car and driver were $16 and each additional passenger was $5. Those would be normal ferry prices. We got to the ferry and we were informed that it was $75. One way. Yes, I realize that would be $75 Canadian, but the Canadian dollar is only pennies less than the American dollar at the moment, so it still would have cost $150 to get there and back. That was why we didn't take the Victoria clipper- which includes a berth for overnight.

We considered going anyway- right up until the ticket agent said it was $75 EACH WAY. Then I looked at her and said, "Suddenly, I don't care to go to Victoria. At all." We ended up driving away from the ferry terminal, but I wonder how many people suck it up because they want to go to Victoria and already have a travel itinerary.

We didn't have tea in a quaint Victorian village, but we did have a scrumptious lunch in Stanley Park overlooking the ocean. That was the highlight of the day. Seriously, that was as good as it got for me.

When our plans took a left turn, we found a Starbucks and asked what we should do in the fine metropolis of Vancouver. The baristas hemmed and hawed.

We could go to the aquarium.

I can do that in Seattle.

We could go to the Bite of Vancouver.

I can always go to the Bite of Seattle.

We could go to the mall.

Then why are all the Canadians always down here at our outlet malls?

So, soon a regular came in and the baristas asked her, "What is there to do on a Sunday in Vancouver?"

She took one pitting look at us and answered, "Oh Gawwwd. Nothing."

The day would prove her right.

So, why a different country?

The green lights on the traffic signals blink. It's disconcerting.

There are intersections where one road has a traffic signal and the cross road merely has a stop sign. It is hard to tell when you should go.

The signs are all crazy looking.

The parking is metered 24/7. No weekends or evenings off.

The hardest thing about driving there, though, is that in our area, we have I-5. It is clearly marked and easy to find. It runs north. Or south. The freeway there? well, there isn't really one. As soon as you cross the border, it peters out into a boulevard through urban streets.

It was crazy.

We came home and ate dinner at the Olive Garden. We knew where that was, right off I-5.

It was good to be home. In a normal country, eh?

5X7=Me!

35 things:

1. I got up and exercised for 20 minutes on my free elliptical machine. I've had it for a few weeks, and 20 minutes is still hard. I did challenge myself to 25 minutes one day this week and I did 2 15 minute workouts one day.


2. I weighed myself and liked what I saw.


3. I sent my husband out to get doughnuts before the kids left for school because I just didn't want to get out of bed yet.


4. I just ate one.


5. I took Jonah to his preschool party.


6. I got so bored that I came home and cleaned the kitchen. Bad, huh? I went back to pick him up when I was done with the kitchen.


7. I folded and put away all of my laundry. That includes hanging all my clothes and putting away the baskets.


8. I took Jesse to get a haircut.


9. While I was there I asked to have my eyebrows waxed and a 'do done.


10. I picked up the girls I babysit.


11. The kids and I made home made ice cream and had cake since one of the girls I watch is my birthday twin.


12. I told the kids all I wanted for my birthday was a clean house.


13. I instituted slave labor and had the kids clean the family room, the game closet, and the play room.


14. I should have included the bathrooms in that list!


15. Sebastian brought me a bouquet of red roses and white lilies.


16. They are on the counter next to the anniversary bouquet of pink carnations and yellow lilies that I bought for him on Monday.


17. He also brought me a package of Milano cookies, since they are my favorite.


18. I made the kids mad by not opening the cookies.


19. Before you think my husband is a cheep skate, on Mother's day he brought in a huge box and said. "Happy Mother's day. Happy anniversary. Happy birthday." It was a stand mixer.


20. It was exactly what I wanted.


21. My dad called and asked if I wanted to go out for dinner.


22. We went to Mexican.


23. I had a margarita. I thought it was REALLY strong, since I was still tipsy after my dinner.


24. I made Jesse order off the kids menu.


25. We both ordered enchiladas suisa. I got 2 he got 1.


26. We should have just traded plates since he ate my second enchilada!


27. We came home from dinner, put the kids in bed, and watched Alias on dvd.


28. Correction: Sebastian watched Alias. I watched the inside of my eyelids. But I was already ahead of him since I watch it in the morning when I work out.


29. I guess that makes us officially old.


30. Tomorrow my friend and I are going to go to Canada.


31. If you recall, we usually go out to dinner and a movie.


32. This year I wanted to do something different, so we are going to Victoria, BC. That's different.


33. Only the blond and the brunette are going because the red head can't get away.


34. I'm not bitter... I'm not bitter... I'm n....


35. It kind of messes with the whole joke. "A blond, a brunette, and a read head go to Canada...."

Lucky Number 13

What was so lucky about it?

Well, we were lucky that the tire didn't blow out on the mountain pass in the middle of the night. We were lucky that it waited until we hit town the next morning. We were lucky to slide into Les Schwab before the morning rush. You were lucky I bought you four new tires. Don't say I never bought you anything.

We were lucky to find friends and family to watch all five of our children on short notice so we could have a fun weekend of wine tasting.

We were lucky to get to spend some time together. I was extra lucky that you forgot your cell phone at home. No one called us all weekend!

But, mostly, I am lucky to be in love with you, my best friend.
Happy 13th Anniversary.