Friday, June 26, 2009

Step One, Step Two

"Thanks for taking us to the pool, Mom. Can we go back tomorrow? I'll help you out tonight. I'll give the little kids baths, ok?"

"Thanks Jackson, that would be great. And we'll see about the pool tomorrow."

So, after Jackson "helped me" by bathing Brooklyn and Clay, I walked in the bathroom to see this...



Let's go inside and take a closer look at the pile of wet towels and clothes, shall we?

Oh my gosh! Could it be? Did the kids actually change the empty roll of toilet paper? Oh my gosh, I think I'm having a heart attack!



Oh wait. There's the empty roll on the floor. I knew it was too good to be true.
Step One: Teach the kids to change the roll of toilet paper.
Step Two: Teach the kids to throw out the old roll.



a water bottle - Makes perfect sense to me. You never know when you'll be peeing and get a sudden unquenchable thirst.


Nice. You can't tell, but there are approximately 52 gallons of water on the floor.



The floor was also covered in unripe raspberries the kids picked and put in their pockets.



And is that the most disgusting thing you've ever seen? That's how much dirt, sunscreen, and bug spray was on my kids last night! It took me forever to scrub the tub clean! And that was after cleaning up from their snack this afternoon...




Note the dustpan. The kids spilled pretzels, got out the dustpan and brush and ran outside to play. Close, kids. Really close. But you have to actually brush the pretzels into the pan and throw them away before playing.
Step One: Teach the kids where the dust pan is located.
Step Two: Teach the kids to actually use the dust pan.

31 comments:

Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting said...

Our children are related. I swear :) How's my fellow mom of six, doing? Seeing all these other blogging ladies going to Disney lately has me missing it and you all over again :) Kids buggin' you to take them there yet?

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! I just happened upon your blog tonight and I cannot stop laughing! I'm so glad to know there is yet another mother out there with kids just like mine! Such beautiful blessings aren't they....(that's the sentiment I call my kids when I'm trying to keep myself from ringing their necks lol. Thanks for making me smile! :)

MaranathaMom said...

This is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh. I'll have to remember it next time I stumble upon a disaster area in my own house.

Pat in France said...

That's actually not the most disgusting bathtub I've ever seen. When I was 17, I worked week-ends in a fancy hotel in Munich, Germany, cleaning bathrooms. And I swear there are adults who leave bathtubs far worse than yours for the maid to clean...

Kalynne Pudner said...

Empty toilet paper roll on the floor? They're doing better than my kids...who inexplicably think it ought to be flushed.

Jen@Scrapingirl said...

A true blogger/scrapbooker runs and gets the camera to take pictures instead of yelling. :)

Kristin and Co. said...

smiles and giggles. That's all I got this morning, but that's enough!

Mississippi Mommy said...

Oh, my goodness! Is that seriously after just ONE bath? You are an amazing woman. I just don't think I could keep my sanity.

Heather said...

UGH! I feel for you!!! I only have two, and the messes are huge and numerous. Can't imagine the mess with six!

Spoodles said...

Hehe... oh my word... looks like my laundry room... only instead of pretzels... I have chicken poo and cow poo and horse poo and mud... and no dust pan...

I need to understand what is so hard about changing out the toilet paper... can you enlighten me? Please? I just need to understand... I think I'm going crazy...

Anonymous said...

Oh my!

mommeeof10 said...

Sounds like my kids. Their idea of cleaning a room entails sweeping, thats it. Unless I move all the furniture so they can sweep under it and supervise the cleaning, they won't do more than a lazy sweep job and think they are done.

Anonymous said...

I dont think I have too much to add other than OMG!!!!! LOL :)

Anonymous said...

Okay, I just bought this stuff -Mega Shower Foamer- it is awesome! You just spray it on and wait and the "scrubbing bubbles" really do take away the grime. You just rinse and you're done! Try it! :)

Pattie said...

My favorite was the mess on the kitchen floor. It's like they meant to help clean it up but there was just something so shiny and exciting out that back door that they ran out forgetting what they were doing! Ha...my kids are the same way!

Suburban Correspondent said...

I used to exhort my children to take the initiative and change the roll, until I realized that bad things can happen.

It's just not worth it.

Amy said...

I got the biggest kick out of the naked doll with the apparent leg injury lying in the corner...just like my house(lol). Just this morning I walked past a naked barbie lying in the grass, or maybe she was just sunbathing??

Bobbi said...

LOL! Your house is so my house!!

Daddy's Girls! said...

ok.... up with my time with God and then looking at your site, haven't done so in so long! and I *so* love this post. Your humor is so similar to mine - I love to see yours in print. makes me feel a bit, well, Normal, did I say normal? lol
LOVE the pics with it! You inspire me! keep up the good work....laugh at it and take pics and show the rest of the world how to laugh at it :) :D THANKS!

Heather said...

How many hours a day do you spend cleaning up after your children??

Anonymous said...

I just found your blog...I am entertained! I am also a mother of 6 amazing almost grown up kids. The messes never change and when they move out you will miss it! ;) I'm going to check back often. Thank you for sharing your journey! Lellie6

Robin said...

With mess after mess how do you not just shut down and leave it where it is? Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the messes that I'm not even sure where to start!

Shellie said...

Those steps are just so complicated, aren't they?

Anonymous said...

Oh, I am so happy to see that other kids make the same messes that mine do - I thought my kids were just crazy!!! Thanks for letting moms know that they are not alone!!!!

Elizabeth said...

hmm...something tells me it's going to be a lo-o-o-ong summer for you!

Anonymous said...

I'm laughing so hard because that bathtub pic looks just like the ads on TV for bathroom cleaners...and when I see those I always thing "ew...whose bathroom ever gets THAT dirty"...of course mine does too...but with my only two kids it takes a few days...not one bath :)))

Anonymous said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My husband and I were just having a discussion (read fight) over house work. He thinks that things should be cleaner than they are. I think this is normal life when you have kids. Your blog proved my point! Thanks:)

Megan said...

Maybe Brooklyn and Clay's snacking make the pros of a dog outweigh the cons. Although no obvious messes like your pretzel chaos make it too easy to put off vacuuming.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it amazing how quickly kid's assistance can turn into more work for Mom? After 13 years, I'm STILL trying to figure this one out! ;)

Donna in PA :)

Billie Wages said...

"Also another question if someone wanted to get an autographed book from the website you posted. Is it signed by you? or just a sticker put on.
It's signed by the one and only me! :D"


I got my book today from there (I gave my first half-read bood to someone else), and NO ONE could have had a rubber stamp that said what hers said to me, plus in the color and flare of the handwriting. I had no doubt about Dawn nor the signature. Thanks Dawn!

Anonymous said...

two words... Swiffer Vac. The kids actually fight over who gets to clean up the floor!

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