Simon Says

Today I woke up and said, "I can't go on living like this..." Does anyone have those kinds of mornings / days? Sometimes I call them 15 minute days. I tell myself I only have to do my first task for 15 minutes and then I can quit. Then I do 15 minutes on the next overwhelming task. After several 15 minute periods, I start to feel ok about life, and have hope that I can get through the day in larger time segments. The funny thing is that I get a lot more done on those days because I am more focused on sticking to my little segments.

Well, anyway, today was like that. Except I needed to engage the kids in their regular school work, house work, etc. As I was carrying a load of stuff up the stairs, the game "Simon Says" flashed into my mind. I went back downstairs and told the kids that all day long we were going to play a game. They were leery, because I have come up with so many hair-brained tricks to get them to do their work. (Remind me later to tell about "the mystery object" game from my Sister!) I told them, "Simon Says, go clean up the Monopoly game on the floor in the front room." Peachy jumped up and got the other two to do it with her. Then I said, "Ok, now you can tell me to do a Simon Says." They conferred and then chorused, "Simon says clear off all the counters." (That was Maddo's job that she knew she was going to have to do before she got breakfast.") So I hurried and did it while they happily played. I hurried way faster than I normally would have, because it was really bugging me that they were sitting around playing when they should have been doing thier morning jobs and school. When I finished, I got to say something for them to do while I "played." This has been going on successfully all morning. It backfired on me when they all decided to say, "Simon says, make us chocolate milk!" But I did it anyway. Dallin got home from a school thing and said, "Ok! I'll play! Simon says, go to the park!" Yikes! I wasn't prepared for those kinds of commands! Luckily it wasn't his turn to issue a command. So far we have got a good amount done, although it is very out of order from what my priorities would have been. It is funny to see what they think is the most important things to do for school and for house work. In fact the reason I am typing this, is because in thier hope to get rid of me for a long time, their most recent command was, "Simon says, Go type your blog!"