Cleaning

I have on my 'cleaning' clothes today - a pair of brown jeans and an LPC sweatshirt that have 'bleach' spots on them. When I wear this 'outfit', the kids know I mean serious business about tidying up. H. has been helping all morning since returning from a sleepover. B. has 'helped', also, though it's mainly working on getting his room so that the floor is visible.

I had to cancel dinner with my old boss tonight - the boys have big school projects due (as do I at work) and I decided that it would be prudent of me to stick close to home to 'supervise'. B. also has a full (garage) band practice scheduled today - and of course, put off evey lick of homework he has until the bitter end. He will be scrambling to get done tonight and will most likely be up into the wee hours of the morning. No matter how much we stay on him, lecture him, beg, plead, threaten, etc. he still consistently puts everything off until the end. Procrastination is the ONLY thing he's consistent about. Makes me crazy. But at the same time that I'm 'scolding him', I know I'm just the same way. I'm the most driven, most motivated, most focused when I HAVE TO BE - when there's no way 'out' other than to buckle down and DO what I have to do. It's a bad trait to pass on to your kids. I apparently have. I'm going to now have to work on 'accepting' that I've passed it on and live with it. B. just doesn't 'move' on things until the last minute. Yesterday, he took a NAP on the couch for almost 3 hours....I was worried he was sick but he said he was just tired. He curled up with the dogs (who were in heaven with a warm body to curl up with) and slept. Something he rarely does.

Everybody needs down time. Kids, too.

Will go mop the kitchen floor and then head upstairs to clean the bird cage, vacuum upstairs, etc. Happy President's Day! (or whatever holiday this is that is a 'day off'). Poor J. is working but he's going to try to take off next Monday with us.