When I was a child, we played a game called, Button, Button, Where Is the Button? It's a pretty self-explanatory game. Everyone closes their eyes, while one kid hides a button. After it is hidden, each person can ask a question of the 'hider' until someone discovers the hiding place.
We-l-l, we have a new version of this game at our house. Let me tell you about it.
My granddaughter, E., has a bedroom in the basement. It isn't the Taj Mahal but it isn't a dungeon, either. A month ago, she asked if a girlfriend of hers could stay with her for 2 months. She would pay rent of $25 a week. (I took it because I can tell you 18-year-olds can use $25 a week in toilet paper and body wash, alone.)
I had a few rules, (besides the obvious ones of no smoking, no drinking, no drugs, no people of the opposite sex in the house). There were a few that were particular to my peculiarities. Rule #1: do not take food and drink downstairs and if you happen to forget, Rule#2: make sure you bring all plates, utensils, etc. back up and wash them.
Needless to say, they didn't listen or obey. The result is that there were never any spoons in my silverware drawer. They were either all dirty, stuck to bowls and plates or the girls were throwing them in the trash. Either way, they were disappearing. The same was true of bowls and glasses.
We will just skip over the conversations and consequences that happened. I had an inspiration one day. I washed everything. Then I packed up every glass: tumblers and juice glasses, and hid them. Then I hid all the cereal bowls. I told my daughter where 2 were hidden, so she and I could have cereal if we wanted. Then I grabbed every spoon in the kitchen drawer; every teaspoon, soup spoon and serving spoon. I wrapped them nicely and hid them.
A few days later, my daughter said, "You know, Mom, it's really hard to eat cereal with a fork." I laughed and told her I would break out 2 spoons, one for each of us. But we would have to wash them each time they were used and hide them again.
Guess what? I can not find those spoons anywhere and believe me, I have searched. My mind is blank after wrapping them. I simply cannot envision myself putting them somewhere. I know exactly where the glassware and bowls are, but not the darned spoons. I have searched every closet, pantry, garage, cupboards, etc. I am beginning to think I accidentally threw them away.
The lack of spoons has provided some humorous moments. One of the girls obviously used a measuring spoon. I tried it; it is very difficult to eat with a measuring spoon. Then my grandson said he ate something with a big black 'cooking' spoon. I would have paid to see that. Yesterday, as he ate a bowl of cereal, he commented, "You know, it's not so bad eating cereal with a fork; it leaves all the milk in the bowl to drink."
I found one iced tea spoon and one red plastic spoon in the back of a drawer, so-o-o I gave the iced tea spoon to my daughter and told her to put it in my purse when she was done with it. Then I used the red plastic one and after I washed it, I put it in the pocket of my robe. (I promise I wash it before I use it again.)
We-l-l, we have a new version of this game at our house. Let me tell you about it.
My granddaughter, E., has a bedroom in the basement. It isn't the Taj Mahal but it isn't a dungeon, either. A month ago, she asked if a girlfriend of hers could stay with her for 2 months. She would pay rent of $25 a week. (I took it because I can tell you 18-year-olds can use $25 a week in toilet paper and body wash, alone.)
I had a few rules, (besides the obvious ones of no smoking, no drinking, no drugs, no people of the opposite sex in the house). There were a few that were particular to my peculiarities. Rule #1: do not take food and drink downstairs and if you happen to forget, Rule#2: make sure you bring all plates, utensils, etc. back up and wash them.
Needless to say, they didn't listen or obey. The result is that there were never any spoons in my silverware drawer. They were either all dirty, stuck to bowls and plates or the girls were throwing them in the trash. Either way, they were disappearing. The same was true of bowls and glasses.
We will just skip over the conversations and consequences that happened. I had an inspiration one day. I washed everything. Then I packed up every glass: tumblers and juice glasses, and hid them. Then I hid all the cereal bowls. I told my daughter where 2 were hidden, so she and I could have cereal if we wanted. Then I grabbed every spoon in the kitchen drawer; every teaspoon, soup spoon and serving spoon. I wrapped them nicely and hid them.
A few days later, my daughter said, "You know, Mom, it's really hard to eat cereal with a fork." I laughed and told her I would break out 2 spoons, one for each of us. But we would have to wash them each time they were used and hide them again.
Guess what? I can not find those spoons anywhere and believe me, I have searched. My mind is blank after wrapping them. I simply cannot envision myself putting them somewhere. I know exactly where the glassware and bowls are, but not the darned spoons. I have searched every closet, pantry, garage, cupboards, etc. I am beginning to think I accidentally threw them away.
The lack of spoons has provided some humorous moments. One of the girls obviously used a measuring spoon. I tried it; it is very difficult to eat with a measuring spoon. Then my grandson said he ate something with a big black 'cooking' spoon. I would have paid to see that. Yesterday, as he ate a bowl of cereal, he commented, "You know, it's not so bad eating cereal with a fork; it leaves all the milk in the bowl to drink."
I found one iced tea spoon and one red plastic spoon in the back of a drawer, so-o-o I gave the iced tea spoon to my daughter and told her to put it in my purse when she was done with it. Then I used the red plastic one and after I washed it, I put it in the pocket of my robe. (I promise I wash it before I use it again.)
I have never been shy about telling things I do; in writing terms, that is called being personally transparent.
I was at the bank talking with my favorite teller, J. When I pulled my wallet out, the iced tea spoon came out, too. Naturally, she asked what I was doing with a spoon in my purse, so of course, I told her. She found that hilarious and told the other tellers. (They would have had an even bigger laugh if I had gone in my robe and pulled out my red spoon.) Now every time I go through the drive-through or go inside the bank, the standard question is, "Gloria, have you found your spoons yet?"
I have had several suggestions: go buy some cheap ones, buy a box of plastic ones, buy some at a garage sale, etc. No. I am not going to buy more. The 2 months will be up soon and then both girls are moving out. THEN I might replace the spoons if I still am unable to find them. (If they get an apartment together, I am going to visit and use every spoon I can find and leave them in the sink, dirty.)
Every day, in my mind, I play Spoons, Spoons, Where Are the Spoons? And you thought we didn't have any fun at our house.
I am certainly grateful God does not hide all of his blessings and mercies from me when I break the rules.
I was at the bank talking with my favorite teller, J. When I pulled my wallet out, the iced tea spoon came out, too. Naturally, she asked what I was doing with a spoon in my purse, so of course, I told her. She found that hilarious and told the other tellers. (They would have had an even bigger laugh if I had gone in my robe and pulled out my red spoon.) Now every time I go through the drive-through or go inside the bank, the standard question is, "Gloria, have you found your spoons yet?"
I have had several suggestions: go buy some cheap ones, buy a box of plastic ones, buy some at a garage sale, etc. No. I am not going to buy more. The 2 months will be up soon and then both girls are moving out. THEN I might replace the spoons if I still am unable to find them. (If they get an apartment together, I am going to visit and use every spoon I can find and leave them in the sink, dirty.)
Every day, in my mind, I play Spoons, Spoons, Where Are the Spoons? And you thought we didn't have any fun at our house.
I am certainly grateful God does not hide all of his blessings and mercies from me when I break the rules.
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