Text Messaging, Varmit & The South

I tried a new approach this weekend to getting my kids to clean their rooms.

I’m trying to embrace modern technology and we all do text message back and forth quite often.

I didn’t take actual photographs but this is a fairly accurate picture of my lovely childrens’ rooms…

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Close To Home© John McPherson

It was a moment of serendipity when this was the cartoon that showed up yesterday on my computer just a few hours after I had sent a text message to my three darling teenagers.

Back Story and Disclaimer:

There are so many great things about living in the South…

• Friendly people.
• Beautiful scenery.
• Southern cooking.
• All four seasons with the shortest being winter.

But no matter how I long I live here, I will never, ever get used to the
R-O-A-C-H-E-S. They are right up there with spiders and snakes. They make me squeal and run and stand on my bed and sometimes even cry. When the weather starts warming up, these icky varmit come out and I get really cranky when I see one in the house.

You’ll understand why I share that after reading this exact text messaging to my lovely teenagers on Saturday night. Roger Leroy was the only sassy teen to reply (probably only because the other two were working).

Text “Conversation”

Me: Important News Flash. Tomorrow everyone is cleaning their rooms, clean bedding, vacuum, shmop, etc. before ANYONE is allowed to do or go anywhere. xoxo mom

Me: P.S. I saw ALL your rooms & I know why a roach was crawling on Everett this week.

RL: No

Me: Get ur bags packed. I’ll drop u off at xxx’s.

RL: K

Me: That was XXX not xxxxx. I’ll call Mrs. XXXXX in the a.m.

RL: K

Me: We will miss u

RL: K

Me: U r a butthead & will still be cleaning ur room tomorrow before u leave…restoring it to the condition it was in when u were born.

RL: Then i don’t need to leave

Me: We’re delighted that u have decided to stay

Truly, their rooms were FRIGHTENING. And I try to avoid even going down the hall to even see them. I’ve heard I’m suppose to give them space and freedom to live like pigs if they want to.

But when the roaches come, I have to ready myself for battle.

I’ve heard you are suppose to be careful to choose you battles. Make sure it’s the stuff that matters. Yeah, yeah, I try to do that.

But I would have appreciated a little more warning about how to prepare for and at what age that EVERY. SINGLE. THING. we ask them to do becomes a battle.

BIG SIGH.

On the positive side, their rooms are vastly improved.

I’ll let you know if the varmit sightings decline.

UGH.

Happy Monday – have a great week!