Skip to main content

Keeping it Clean

I didn't completely freak out today when I caught one of the girls sucking down toothpaste like it was a Go-Gurt. I think I'm growing up.  Or becoming desensitized to "gross."  It's not like she didn't already use her brother's toothbrush...which has spent half of it's life on the bathroom floor.  It's fine.  We've already had every sickness.  We are just working on rebuilding healthy immune systems.

I'm not trying to raise filthy animals, but I'm not doing a very good job of not raising filthy animals.  We recently discovered a shocking lack of soap use by the boys.  We are now very specific when we tell them to wash-up for meals.  

"Boys, wash your hands, with soap and water, and dry them on a towel before you come and eat."  Sometimes we have to repeat the details...twice, but we are getting there.  

We are still working on the niceties' of using napkins instead of clothing and tissues instead of hands or sleeves.  Clean underwear everyday is still a novelty.  "Changing is the worst!" They told me today.  They recently erased their booger wall (thank you Magic Erasers!) and are becoming better at hygiene basics day by day.  I didn't realize when I signed up for this parenting gig, exactly how purposeful and specific we would have to be about each aspect of keeping oneself clean.       

Come to think of it, there are a lot of things I didn't realize.

There, that could be the topic of a book: What you Didn't Know, You Didn't Know.  And the kids could write it because by the time they are about six, they know everything already...Maybe that's just my kids.

Speaking of being a know-it-all, my five-year-old told me yesterday that even though they are grounded right now from hoses (long story), he wasn't worried because I'd forget soon anyway. Say what?!  The time I put him in timeout and forgot about him, is coming back to haunt me.  

My point is, even if we look like we have it together, even if we appear clean on the outside, it's possible we are still wearing the same undies we had on two days ago; we are all just a work in progress. 

Keep the faith.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pink Stinks

Our girls, like most four-year-old girls, love pink.  And purple.  And sparkly things, unicorns, butterflies, lizards and cats.  But especially pink.  Their brothers aren't so fond of pink.  They prefer the color dirt.  I know this because it's what they have chosen for the color of our walls, windows, light switches and their socks.   "Do you like pink?"  Emerson asked Fischer one day not long ago. "No." "Why?" "Because pink stinks !" Cue 'angry tears and screaming.' This of course delighted her brother who began using the line anytime he wanted to see her cry.  Which was often.  It didn't change her passion for the color, however.  She still demanded the pink plate, pink cup, pink shirt, pink shoes, and pink gum if she had the choice.  Because pink is the best when you're four.   Fast forward a couple of weeks.  The girls were collecting pieces of garbage off the van floor.  Why?  I don't know, b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fear Factor

 Did you know that it has been not  scientifically proven that a baby can smell her mother's presence through a closed door.  It's probably the smell of fear that they are actually attuned to, but nonetheless.  I hold my breath and walk on tiptoe past the baby's room and still get busted nearly every time.  My fear is pungent. Besides waking the babies, I have another fear currently in the forefront of my mind.  Don't mind me, this is just another episode of True Confessions.. .  Here it is: the boys are getting so much outside time that they are building up incredible endurance.  It's great really, but it is   becoming  so hard to wear them out. It used to be an hour at the playground and we were golden.  Now, they basically put in an eight-hour workday, and it's just a warm-up!  Does anybody have a treadmill....?  Real school is going to be a bit of an adjustment for the big guy next fall.    Speaking of s...
4 comments
Read more

Reflecting

It's August. I guess I can stop waiting for that call from the Oregon Department of Education.  It appears I didn't earn teacher of the year after all.  I wonder if it had something to do with my mask policy?  It definitely could have been the mask policy.   Personally, I thought the duct tape worked great.   *Sigh* It was probably the mask policy.  You win some.  You lose some.  Better luck next year.   Speaking of next year, we are trying a hybrid homeschool program.  Sawyer gets to go to school twice a week and learn at home the other days.  I'm confident he will fall in love with his teacher in the first eight minutes.  She is young, cute and very enthusiastic.  It's going to either make him work really hard or be a complete distraction.  Either way, on the "home" days, I'm going to make her look really good.  Pajama Mama is neither young nor cute and I'm rarely enthusiastic (which may have als...
4 comments
Read more