Fun Friday

I just told my two younger boys that we are going to have a great day on Friday for two reasons: One, we are going to go see "Surf's Up" at Canton Cinema (Can't beat it for a dollar!), and two, we are going to clean their room.

I am really excited about the "clean their room" plan.

Colin and Liam have a large desk in their room that is covered with stuff (I will try really hard not to call any of their belongings "junk"), under their beds there is stuff, in their closet there is stuff, on top of dressers and books shelves there is stuff and there is stuff generally all over their floor. I do admit, it could be much worse - I don't think there are any food pieces or food wrappers - which is good. And most of their laundry is where it belongs. I try to help them do this super cleaning at least 2-3 times a year, but it is amazing how much can accumulate in such a short time.

There is nothing like walking into this kind of environment with black trash bags in hand, music playing, anxious expressions on the boys' faces. (I have the determined expression.) I just love this kind of project!

The big reason for this task is determining what they have in the way of clothes for fall and what we need to purchase. This is the incentive for Colin and Liam to cooperate in this adventure. When we have wrapped up this herculean project, we get to shop!

I anticipate that it may take 3-4 hours to complete. Colin and Liam are aware of the plan, and are (I'm sure) just as excited as I am. Maybe. But they really do love it when we are done. They keep everything so neat, put everything away right away, and inform all of their friends that it needs to stay that way. And this will last for at least a week.

And they thank me. Really. It is so good to know that even if they don't, at this age, have the continued motivation to keep it clean forever (or at least take on the task of overhauling by themselves) they do appreciate how good it feels to be clutter-free, knowing things are where they belong, and the place looking fabulous. It makes my heart happy.

Perhaps when they are all grown up, they will be the ones with the determined expressions and black trash bags, with their own little sweeties with anxious expressions, bravely embarking on the "clean their room" plan.