Oh the drama...

Every now and then my otherwise well behaved boys remind me that they are indeed still children despite the fact that they are fun to hang out with now at their age. Case in point yesterday.. G decided that what I had asked him to do was well above and beyond what any mortal 11 year old should be asked to do.

I know what you are thinking.. I must have asked him to reroof the house. Or maybe I asked him to cure cancer. Surely it must have been some kind of request that was just too damn much for an 11 year old to handle. Had you seen the argumentative fit that quickly turned into tears and then a look like I had beaten him with an old belt for an hour or two...you would have assumed that my request was THAT monumentous.

My request however was simply that he clean the kitchen. Something he does on a regular basis. However, it wasn't HIS turn according to him. And it wasn't. There is a system and a pattern and it technically wasn't his turn. However, I asked him to do it anyway and while I didn't expect him to be happy about it, the emotional drama that ensued was absurd.

So, my younger son and I sat down and had a little chat. I reminded him that while he sits home all day during the summer enjoying computers and xbox's and wii's and mp3 players and tv and bikes and going out with friends, he is actually asked to do very little in return. They are occasionaly responsible for cleaning the kitchen and they have to clean their room. Every now and then they have to mow the lawn. Thats pretty much it. Cleaning their room is not even enforced that often and most of the time it looks like a tornado passed through right after someone dropped a couple of hand grenades in there.

So, after reminding him how many things he COULD be doing during the day to help out around the house, he smartly decided that it would not be too much to ask of him to clean the kitchen even though it was not his turn. See.. its all about perspective. He even came up and apologized for being a drama queen over the whole thing. Maybe there is hope for him yet!

I get to go see a show tonight for the first time in a long time. I love live music. If its live acoustic music, even better. If its also in a small venue, then its perfect. Really looking forward to it. I have never seen Mat Kearney, but my SO really likes him and he seems to be in the Jack Johnson / Josh Kelley vein so I am sure I will enjoy his music.

My family is flying in on Thursday and I can't wait to see them all. Bring your winter clothes Mom. It was 54 on my way into work this morning. :P