For those of you who read my blog regularly, you might be wondering how a few things in the Meyer household unfolded. I imagine you wake up at 2 a.m. wondering things like, 'I wonder if they ever found a replacement vacuum?' and 'I wonder how that chore app work out?' Well, I won't leave you hanging any longer.
Remember when my vacuum broke and I did that embarrassing 80's lip sync farewell? In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. Not the lip syncing. The vacuum breaking. I didn't think I'd fall in love again so quickly. It was love at first sight. The new vacuum had me the moment it came out of the box with its sleek design and multiple attachments but when I took it for a test spin, I was smitten. It's the quietest vacuum ever and there's a little lever to hook the power button into place so you don't have to get carpel tunnel syndrome holding it down. Dyson didn't have that. And, and, and...it has a light to blaze through the trails of crumbs which makes the whole experience so much more satisfying as the dirt and dust that I'm about to suck up is highlighted. (Drink) I was so enamored I felt the need to put together a little mash up (I don't think I used that term correctly, but you know what I mean).
I should probably tell you the name of the vacuum - it's the Tineco A11 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner. Buy one. You won't be disappointed. I think I just endorsed my first product.
Endorsing is fun! While I'm at it, here's another one - the Busy Kid app which is the chore app I was touting a few weeks ago. We didn't buy the debit card which is how the company makes their money, but we did link to our bank account, so once we approve the weekly pay day, rather than count out the cash, it just comes out of our account and into accounts created for each kid. If they decide to spend, the money goes from their account, back to ours and then we just place the order for whatever they decided they want to spend their money on and five months later it arrives. The first two weeks I thought I was going to have to take a second mortgage out on our house to afford my new employees. I was averaging $40/week in "allowance." Then the novelty wore off and I'm now down to about $7/week. Phew! (Drink) But the most important takeaway here is the lesson Paige learned. Initially, she was saving for $200 Nike Airs. But upon (drink) stepping out into the work world, she decided that was too much to pay for a pair of shoes and settled to spend some of her hard earned money on a much more reasonably priced pair of Nike slides. I don't really care if they never use the app again - the lesson learned was worth the exercise.
While we're on the (drink) subject of chores, you might recall that I experienced chore envy recently when James was hogging the laundry folding job. Because you get to watch TV and zone out while doing so. I knew I'd regret bringing it up. The following morning, he texted me from across the house while I was starting the excruciating breakfast routine, with a picture of an overflowing laundry basket explaining that he was tied up with laundry and unable to help with breakfast. Hilarious.
However, he has relinquished the coveted chore on several occasions. Just yesterday, I warned him that I was very close to a meltdown. "Go fold the laundry," he said, "lock the door and put the TV on. There's a lot." What an odd conversation. But I was grateful. There's nothing like folding a basket of laundry in peace.
One last follow up - some of you expressed concern for Kaleb when he was scared to ask for toast because I'm so moody. Turns out my occasional (frequent) outbursts are effective. The kids have been walking on egg shells, saying things like, "I hate to be a bother, but please may I have a glass of milk?" So I advise scaring the crap out of your kids from time to time. It just might pay off.
Ending abruptly. I spent way too much time compiling that mash-up. And James might take the laundry folding job!