Friday dawned sunny and bright. My To Do list was long and my children had the day off from school and my brow was stern.
I created a list for Mark and had Braeden and Emma create their own and then show them to me.
We were going to get our work done before we did anything else. No exceptions. None. Forget it. Work before play. I mean it this time.
Then a cute little neighbor boy knocked on the door and wondered if Mark could go out and play. Did I mention it was sunny and bright? How often does that happen in February? I said no. I held my line. My stern brow faltered a little though. It was sunny and bright!
Then there was a phone call. Dillon needed my handsome older son to don his scout uniform and look handsome while they went together to charm donations out of people for Dillon's Eagle Project. How could I say no to that?
About that exact moment, Hannah wondered if Emma could go outside and play. Jill and I had talked the day before about the fact that we welcomed more outside time for our girls. I think my exact quote was, "Have Hannah come over and get Emma to go exercise with her."
My brow was droopy and less and less stern.
I sent Emma out and told Mark he might as well go too. (But only for a little while because you need to clean your room Lego man!)
Then Gavin called and invited Mark to go bowling.
Good-bye resolve.
It was so nice knowing you.
I've discovered two truths.
1) The suburbs with their treacherously cute neighbor kids are dangerous.
2) A trade-off for the sad day when my children grow up and leave home is that I'll no longer have to "teach them to work". I'll happily do it myself (and happily do it to my satisfaction).
But I'll miss them.
And their perilously cute friends.
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