Sweep It Under The Rug

Every other Wednesday morning a husband and wife team comes to clean our house.

So every other Tuesday night we clean up before they come.

I know.

Ridiculous.

Don't ask.

Who in their right mind cleans up before the cleaning people come?

Don't get me started.

I just think it's easier for them to clean if toys and papers and dirty clothes and everything else is put away.

Anyway, I told Fletcher to go clean up his room while Kevin was bathing Luke. We finished bath time and were tucking the boys into their beds. Fletcher's room was "nothing but carpet", a phrase I often use with him to indicate that all I should see in his room is the carpet on the floor. But then I noticed a cardboard box in the corner of his room. He sometimes takes old cardboard boxes and makes them into "Star Wars houses." I lifted the box and there hidden in a neat pile were several of the toys that had been all over the floor earlier.

Then Kevin saw a light saber peeking out from under the bed. He pulled it out and then did an under-the-bed sweep with the light saber. Out came clothes, shoes, toys, silly bandz. Another sweep yielded pajamas, socks, and more toys. Yet another sweep brought stuffed animals, an old backpack and a paper from VBS. It was unbelievable how much stuff he had crammed under his bed. Kevin started laughing.

It is hard to discuss a punishable offense with the offending child when one parent is laughing.

Later that evening Kevin reminded me that we were six once too. I'm thankful for a husband who helps me find the humor in almost every situation. But now I know to be specific when I say "clean up your room."