This parenting stuff ain't easy

See these faces?? These are the mugs of 2 little boys in deep trouble.

For anyone who has been around my boys after they've been playing, you might have observed they are not exactly - shall we say - cooperative when it comes to cleaning up. They're horrible. HORRIBLE. Of course, they clean at school. Not so much at other kids houses, although sometimes they'll surprise us there.

This has been a very long, ongoing battle. 2 years ago it resulted in me taking away ALL of their indoor toys for nearly 3 months. They didn't bat an eyelash...they just found other ways to entertain themselves. While I admire that skill of perserverence, it makes it more challenging for me to find ways to encourage them to get over this deficiency. Thankfully, now they have a few things they care a little more about losing - Pokemon cards and all things Star Wars.

Tonight it came to a head again. I gave them 20 minutes to clean the playroom - it really wasn't even that bad...everything has a place, they needed to put stuff back. They didn't. I'll spare the details (let's just say I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call to check on me) but the evening cumulated in me having a sit down with the older 2 to discuss this situation so I can both understand the why and have them come up with a punishment plan should they continue to fail in the cleaning department.

And here is what was funny. (Because this is both a gripe and a story!) The 3 of us sat on the floor and I asked them what stops them from cleaning at home. The crap that comes out of their mouth is...well, insane!

Colin: Sometimes my ears just stop listening. No, it's my brain that stops listening. No, my brain and my ears start talking to eachother so I can't listen. Yeah, that's what happens.

Aidan: Well...I sometimes hear, like, a loud bang? And so I just worry about that and I can't clean anymore.

I can't even remember the rest of it. There was more, that's for sure. I sat there staring, wondering where I'm failing as a parent. And how I can get through their thick skulls that this is part of their responsibility in this house! I swear, I'm not asking a lot - just for them to pick up the stuff they take out. I organize it so everything has a home - they just need to bring it back to that home!

This is particularly important because for anyone reading who doesn't know, Joe is about to head off to 12 straight weeks of training at FLETC in Georgia to become a Customs and Border Protection agent. And I need a little cooperation in keeping the house in order!