The Pot of Gold

When your kids are little, they seem to go from one thing to the next making messes. A knocked over plant here, and spilled orange juice there. Not to mention the laundry, the toys strewn everywhere, and fights. You tell yourself that eventually, they’ll be helpful. But you’re not sure if you believe it.

I’m here to say, “It’s true!” While Luke and Ariel had summer jobs doing research, Jake and Matt were part of the unemployed masses. (Gone are the summers when jobs for teens were available to anyone who applied.) So Jake and Matt worked for me. And even though they didn’t get paid, they worked hard. I even heard, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” I almost passed out when I heard that.  (Of course, the quid pro quo between computer game time and chores done might have contributed to their willingness.)

Here’s what Matt and Jake did. They mulched, replaced bathroom caulk in two bathrooms, washed mildew from wallpaper, cleaned bathroom ceiling, raked and bagged yard waste, sanded and painted trim, cleaned/organized tool shed, scrubbed and repainted the deck, scrubbed and repainted back porch, and washed blinds. Thanks, boys! (Yeah, they’re glad the summer is almost over.)

Out of thirty projects I put on a list, they’ve finished all but three. Weeding, pressure washing the carport, and painting the carport.

So there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Just seize it while you can. Before you know it, they’ll be gone.