Cleaning

I woke up today with a great desire to have the whole house clean. I told the big kids if you clean your rooms, the basement, the living room, and the kitchen table then I'll take you out for frozen yogurt this afternoon. (The living room and kitchen table are an everyday thing.) After breakfast they quickly descended into the basement. Before their baby brother was down for his morning nap, they were back with pleas of not me and pretty pleases. What they actually wanted was me to clean the basement, while they played. With a new cardboard box that became empty after a diaper change, they were once more below except this time creating a bigger mess. They often say cleaning the basement is too hard, which I don't understand, all it is throwing toys in boxes. Eventually the box was no longer new and they searched for my companionship. I asked my daughter if she was ready to clean her room, she said yes. First task, pick up all the dirty laundry. Second task, get all the toys out of her bed so we could wash her sheets. She even went a step farther and strip her sheets and put them in the laundry. I was so proud! Then I helped her clean up the rest, organizing toys in her room is extremely overwhelming to her, and a job she cannot complete on her own. (The basement is a chore they have completed countless times on their own.)  Once baby brother woke from his nap, J man spent less than 20 minutes on his room. Then twice I reminded them of our ice cream deal. Twice they looked at me, with not even a sideways glance at the basement stairs. Twice they looked away from me with not even a plea of come help us. 

Overall it was a success today. Their rooms where cleaned without weeping or wailing or gnashing of teeth. (It is not uncommon for someone to growl at me when asked to clean.)  I saved $10, because no ice cream was rewarded. Monday morning holds the bright future of cleaning the basement. I did not nag, i only mentioned the deal three times. Plus we went to a party tonight where they had unlimited cookies, cake and jelly beans. 

And if asked after the bedrooms were clean I would have join them in the basemen. I would have gladly read my book in the cool basement as I told them, did you put away the blankets? Now find all the (toy) food. Now find all the cars. Put away all the stuffed animals. Etc etc