Home Improvement

I am not an organized person. My house is usually in some state of messiness, especially the dining room table. GH likes to think he's an organized person, but "his" garage is a God-awful mess, so I'm thinkin' he must mean his thoughts are organized. Yeah, that's it.

With all this talk of moving, I've started looking around the house and thinking: "There is no way I'm moving that, and that, and that, and that...." So, I've begun to purge. I figure, even if we don't move, we'll have a tidier house with less stuff.

The Prince tends to be the neatest one in the house. His room gets messy, but he has days when he just has to clean it up, without being told. The Princess, on the other hand, has to have privileges revoked, and entire days devoted to cleaning! She a big-time list maker, but when it comes to organizing her room, she's couldn't care less. Like mother, like daughter, I'm afraid. We'd rather read a book, or watch a movie, or engage in just about any other activity than cleaning. So, although I get upset with her when her room goes into pigpen mode, I have to realize she hasn't really had a terrific model of housekeeping. I remember as kid that my folks finally just closed my door, and left it at that.

Chores. You know, those things that need to be done to maintain a household? I NEVER HAD TO DO ANY CHORES. Not one. Gosh, I wonder why GH had to teach me to cook. And I've gotten more advice about cleaning from my darling mil than from anyone. It's embarrassing, actually.

My kids, on the other hand, have chores. The Princess unloads the dishwasher, crushes aluminum cans, vacuums the living room. Unfortunately, I have to tell her to do her chores everyday! You'd think she'd realize that the dishes in the dishwasher need emptying everyday, but no. The Prince has to scoop dog poop (lucky guy), vacuum the family room and take out the recycle stuff. He does his chores on his own sometimes, but again, I have to remind a lot.

I have a plan. I'm going to send them both to Africa on a missions trip so they can understand the honor and privilege of living in this country. What? Too drastic? So what. The Princess is already on board (it was her suggestion, initially). She will probably be going next summer, since our plans for this year are so up in the air. The Prince will have to wait for his trip. He's just not mature enough to be away from home for six weeks yet.

In the meantime, both kids are participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. They are each raising money individually, and with friends from our missions class/homeschool group. World Vision puts this on every year to raise money for starving children. The kids will then have a 30 hour fast, during which they will hang out together. I'm not sure what all they will be doing (I'll be there), but they both think that being hungry will be "no big deal." Neither of them has ever fasted, so I think they're in for an interesting experience.

The Prince is always so motivated to raise money. He cracks me up. I just don't have that confidence to walk up to people and ask them for their money. He, however, did just that the day after he got his materials. He walked next door, asked for a donation, and came home with a check for $50.00. It's a God-incidence for sure that the next door neighbors had a dear friend who worked for World Vision who recently died, and they were going to make a donation to World Vision in her name! How's that for God's timing?!

Have a blessed day!