Update on the Great Bedroom Clean Out.

The boys were shocked when they walked into their room, to say the least.  Alex was, well, Alex.  When he saw the room, all he did was laugh.  With a smirk on his face he said, "Good, I like it."  Not exactly the reaction I was after, but then again, maybe it is.  In fact, when I offered the employment opportunities, he thought that was great, not so he could buy back any of his stuff, but so he could use it toward his missing math textbook.  Again, not the result I wanted, but a highly responsible answer, so I can't argue.

Nathan, on the other hand, had the exact reaction I was expecting.  Upon entering the room, his eyes grew wide as saucers.  The he blew!  Yelling, screaming, tears.  The world was falling apart, starting right there in that emaculate room.  I was suddenly the meanest, most unfair, most uncaring, most vicious mom on the planet.  Wow, what a compliment!  Those were the exact words I was hoping for when I was working so hard clearing out that room that morning.  Nathan really likes his Quicksilver, Volcum, etc. and couldn't believe I would take them all from him!  Oh, the injustice! There wasn't a more unhappy child on the planet at that moment.

So to lighten the moment, I pointed out the good news.  The good news was that they had a huge laundry hamper full of dirty clothes (I only tossed stuff that wasn't where it belongs - so dirty clothes actually IN the hamper were right where they belonged and were safe), and if they hurried and washed a few loads they might have enough clothes to last the rest of the week.  Good news - at least I thought so.

So we'll see how it goes.  Come bedtime last night the boys were desperate.  You see, since their beds were not made, I took their blankets, but put bottom sheets on their bare mattresses, out of the goodness of my heart.  I also took all pillows that were missing pillowcases.  So when the room was done, there were only bottom sheets and one pillow in that room.  First, Alex thought he'd just forcibly take the twins' blankets and pillows, but I wouldn't go for that.  He had to nicely trade his Kinex set that he got for his birthday, and that Derek had been eying, for use of a blanket and pillow.  I let Nathan use a quilt after he helped the Caleb and Luke get ready for bed, changed a diaper and read them a story.  I think I'm gonna like this new deal.

I think I'll give them a few days, and then open one bag and let them peruse the contents.  They might be more motivated to work for stuff when they realize what exactly I took and they realize what they can't live without.  We'll see.

I'll let you know how things progress.  But the important thing is that I feel better.  When I looked in that messy room yesterday morning, I felt so angry.  As soon as I cleaned it all out, I felt much better.  (OK, it was almost the giddy evil cackle of a villian as he plans and carried out his devilish plot.  "Revenge is mine!")  Um, lets just say I felt at peace with my decision.