Go to your HOME! (A Happy Gilmore Reference)

Every time I clean the kids' room, or just glance in at the job they've done on it, I hear Adam Sandler's voice screaming "Why don't you just go HOME!" a la Happy Gilmore.  I tell the kids everything has a home, so just put it in its home already!

They don't get the reference, nor do they understand why I chuckle a little under my breath every time I say that.

Sort of blurry, sorry.  Green ribbon for "done"
and gets moved to red for the next day.

Yesterday was an exercise in patience.  Riley lost her Chorepack -- which should have been clipped to her clothing -- and after listening to her whine about not being able to find it, I went into the bedroom and tossed it.  And when I toss a room, I toss it Marine Corps boot camp style.  Hey, it's what I know.

And then I just got mad.  Mad that they weren't really cleaning the room every night like they told me they were. Mad that I wasn't checking it.  Mad that they took advantage of me and my kindness like they were.  (Which I know is a totally ME issue, now that I've had time to cool down and reflect.)

So I cleaned.  And cleaned.  And cleaned.  For five hours I cleaned a room that I have previously spent about 48 hours cleaning in the past.  But not only did I clean, I labeled.

I labeled the home for everything I could think of.  I taped notes down that said, "Do NOT put ANYTHING under here!" at the bottom of the dresser and under the closet rod of shirts.

Even the Chorepacks now have a home at the end of the day.

Maybe it will work.  Who knows?  If these kids can be diligent and I can monitor it daily, we'll pull it off and their stuff won't be too good for their homes.