So I went outside this morning to find the entire driveway covered with gravel. Dallin and his friend got gravel from next to the garage and spread it all over the driveway so they would be able to ride their bikes "bumpy".
Without even getting mad, I cheerfully told them that they would have to clean up all the gravel and put it back where it came from. Around 1:00, I realized that this had not been done, and James was coming home in about 45 minutes. I again calmly mentioned to Dallin that Daddy would be home soon, and Daddy would really not be happy to see all that gravel in the driveway. So Dallin and his friend got brooms, a rake, and a snow shovel and began putting the gravel away (with some help from me). They worked really hard, but eventually got tired and wanted to come in and take a break. I told them that was fine, but again, Daddy would be mad if the mess were still there when he got home. They went inside, and I figured that was the end of their working.
Awhile later, I heard them out in the backyard playing in the sprinkler and thought for sure that the gravel mess would now never be cleaned up without either 1) me giving in and doing the rest of the job or 2) me being a taskmaster until they finished it.
Imagine my surprise when I went outside just to check and discovered that all on their own, before going in the back to get wet, they had finished cleaning up the rocks!
Hooray for logical consequences!
P.S. A Dallin funny from today: We got TV dinners at the store in part to celebrate the last day of summer vacation, but mostly because Daddy was gone and I didn't feel like cooking. Dallin always chooses the corn dog with fries. He was busily eating away when all of a sudden he exclaimed, "These aren't French Fries, mom! They taste like potatoes."
Without even getting mad, I cheerfully told them that they would have to clean up all the gravel and put it back where it came from. Around 1:00, I realized that this had not been done, and James was coming home in about 45 minutes. I again calmly mentioned to Dallin that Daddy would be home soon, and Daddy would really not be happy to see all that gravel in the driveway. So Dallin and his friend got brooms, a rake, and a snow shovel and began putting the gravel away (with some help from me). They worked really hard, but eventually got tired and wanted to come in and take a break. I told them that was fine, but again, Daddy would be mad if the mess were still there when he got home. They went inside, and I figured that was the end of their working.
Awhile later, I heard them out in the backyard playing in the sprinkler and thought for sure that the gravel mess would now never be cleaned up without either 1) me giving in and doing the rest of the job or 2) me being a taskmaster until they finished it.
Imagine my surprise when I went outside just to check and discovered that all on their own, before going in the back to get wet, they had finished cleaning up the rocks!
Hooray for logical consequences!
P.S. A Dallin funny from today: We got TV dinners at the store in part to celebrate the last day of summer vacation, but mostly because Daddy was gone and I didn't feel like cooking. Dallin always chooses the corn dog with fries. He was busily eating away when all of a sudden he exclaimed, "These aren't French Fries, mom! They taste like potatoes."
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