My friend told me 10 days was too long without a post. So sorry. I have actually had a post "brewing" but I have been mulling it over because I have to choose my words very carefully. Intrigued?

There is a mystery to me in the world of parenting. Try as I may to break the image, somehow it always seems that Dad is fun--Mom is a big, meanie head. Now maybe that is just me, and the rest of the moms in the world are totally winning the popularity contest with their children, but for me that is not the case. Which brings me to the happenings of this past week. I have had a never-ending, never-profitable-for-me battle with the two older girls over their stuff and their disgustingly messy room. I have tried buying organizational tubs, I have tried sneaking in behind their backs and throwing their "must keep forever" craft projects away (now you stop thinking I am a meanie---you have no idea how many projects they do--seriously), I have tried completely redecorating their room and trying to make it a special place they just want to keep clean and I have threatened them and taken their fish away, because we all know fish do not like to live in a messy room, and these are just a few of my many tactics.

Well, Jamie, my wonderful and amazing husband (this is where I have to choose my words carefully) decided that he was going to help--I think I may have actually told him that I was waving the white flag. Anyway,so a week ago Tuesday he told the girls they were going to have "Organization Class". I was headed off to Women's Prayer, so I just caught the beginning (just enough time to snap a few pictures and get a good chuckle over the hilariousness of the whole scene). He had the girls get all dressed up in their school gear (backpacks, folders, lunch boxes, coats and all that jazz) and go out in the garage and reenact how they come home from school. He assigned them both a locker, a coat hook and a backpack hook. He instructed them on the proper way to enter the house, remove your shoes (on both wet and dry days) and place them nicely on the mat (side by side--in a pair), and then he had them sort through their papers and hang everything else up in its proper place and put all their school related stuff in their "lockers". I think they did this twice, just to be sure they got it all down Now if I did this...let's be honest...first of all, they wouldn't do it. Second, if they did they would be frowning at me the entire time. Instead, they were laughing, smiling, telling me how excited they were that they had mastered the school part and that they were getting ready to go learn about the room part. I think Isabelle even proclaimed that she loved organization class. Jamie had them clean almost their whole room that night and I am pretty sure they didn't even complain once. Seriously, what kind of magic potion was he using?

Now the true test for me is if it worked...we are only a week and a half into the process, but I must say the entryway has been immaculate and their room, well, there has not been one thing on the floor. And if they do forget Jamie just says, "okay, time for locker inspection" and they jump, they JUMP, happily down to be sure that fun daddy does not find their papers and backpacks a mess. Jamie is quite proud (as he should be) and has informed me that similar to the Republican party this past election, I have been relieved of my duties in this area. Lovely ;).

Please note...that although this is a mystery to me, I do not feel unloved or disrespected in my house...I just find it entertaining. I will say, that I have taught Macie the obnoxious, but effective, Barney clean up song and I have tried to clearly show her that only blocks should go in the blocks basket and only little people in the other basket and so I am hoping, really hoping for a neat freak. There is nothing wrong with a little O.C.D., right?