Long day.

Got up at 5:45, got over there around 6:40 - had to get everything situated here before I left - got over there, drank some coffee and then  went to work.   Made the 7, 9 and 10 year old work with me for as long as I could keep them going before they started the whining - which was several hours worth. Took them out for chicken, got a haircut, a few other things and then went back to her place and back to work.  It's important to me to make the most of this time this week and do what I can and hopefully but a good dent into this nonsense.  

I mean, wow.  Just amazingly bad.  Where do you start? I always start with the kitchen, but I didn't want to spend ALL day in there so I got a lot done in it and then started on the living room and also re-cleaning the boys bathroom -- I spent hours in there last time scrubbing the entire thing walls, floors, tub, toilet sinks/counter and expected them to keep it clean.  

But I knew that was a fairy tale because I wouldn't be there to enforce that.  That bathroom was amazingly disgusting.  More pubic hairs in the sink, trash and clothes and towels all over the floor, sink disgusting. Gross. I mean, revolting.  I cleaned it up again but my scrubbing last time was so good it still carried over quite a lot to this time, just cleaniing up the s*** laying everywhere.

There are 2 boys there that are definitely of age of having pubes, the 3rd just turned 13 so likely not as much.  I freaking got all over their case.  I then told them if I found that s*** in there again, I was going to put it in a dustpan and I was going to dump it on their beds.  

Well when those older boys got home, I got them all working.  I'm tired and hungry, they said.  Welcome to my world, I replied.  The outside perimeter of the house was so disgusting - household trash EVERYWHERE - that I just told them we are going to clean all of it up today and no-one can go in the house until it's finished. I was with them the entire time, not like I was trying to force them to do it without helping and directing - of which I did both.  Took at least 3 hours to do that.  Yeah, that's 5 people picking up trash for over 3 hours!  

And we got it done.  I'm not saying it's perfect out there, but I told them this is embarrassing!  They agreed.......left me scratching my head. You agree it's disgusting and extremely unappealing but you go ahead and just continue to trash the place out anyway.  After hours of that, in the house and eat dinner. M'lady made a splendid beef dinner that was absolutely delicious. But as teenagers will, they start talking like - teenagers.  You know.  If you don't I mean, stupidity and hormones.  Mouths yapping a mile a minute.  This is what I expect from them, but at the same time, there has to be respect for elders.  She is soooooo raw nerved right now? She can't deal with it.  She got up and left the dinner table after done eating and they were doing their thing, so I just stayed there and was in the mix.

Done with dinner, up to bedrooms.  Clean, clean, clean.  Now.  Not tomorrow, now.  Yup, lots of complaining, didn't care, get in your rooms and clean them up, period.  Yup, I was up there with them because I know how they are. They will disappear or just not do anything if you don't stay on top of them.  

Huge projects.  Garage will take weeks to figure out how to get it set up and organized.  It's just - trashed right now.  Huge laundry/storage room.  QUITE a lot of work to do in there.  Just - priorities.  Gotta figure out what's the biggest priority and that's what we do. That house needs hundreds of dollars of interior house paint - more than that, it's huge and though not all walls painted, still, quite a lot of paint needed.  

That's it in a nutshell. I could go on for another ten paragraphs in greater detail.  I actually had a really good time with the younger 3 kids this morning and early afternoon and it was cool hanging out with the older boys just they are definitely a handful.  Nothing new to me and nothing I can't handle or deal with and if approached in the right way they don't get too terribly mad if at all and are willing to do whatever.  I'm exhausted and past time to go to bed - this 2 hour time difference a bit much. LOSE 2 hours, not gain them.  I have a week to try and adjust. 

G'nite.

ben