Monday, March 29, 2010

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

This afternoon, we began a very tedious and not-at-all-fun project in the garage.

I won't explain the project other than to say it involved moving hundreds and hundreds of very small pieces of kindling for our wood stove from one spot in our two-car garage to the other side, and then stacking it in neat piles.

*sigh*

It was by no stretch of the imagination fun. Shane and I decided to enlist the boys' help, and they were tired of the project about three minutes in, of course.

We talked about perseverance.

We talked about doing our best at all times.

We told them over and over how well they doing.

We talked about a couple of other things that came to me as I was trying my best to keep them involved and participating.

They began to move slower and slower and slooooooooower.

Finally, I was desperate.

"Guys, remember what Mary Poppins says? What does she sing when they have a task to do that seems hard and not very fun?"

**crickets**

"Remember?" I said. "She sings about (cue my singing here) 'A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down'...."

No one joined in my little tune. I persisted.

"'The medicine go dooooooooooown, medicine go down'....."

I looked at the boys.

Nothing.

Finally, Colin piped up.

"Yeah....." he said, and pointed all around to the large pile of kindling that was still left.

"But what I really wish is that she'd come and do that snapping thing."


8 comments:

Julie said...

Ha-haa-haaa! I FEEL your PAIN! At our house we call it Wood Stacking. Daddy throws the wood in the basement window, and we stack. And by 'we' I pretty much mean Kylie and myself! I make the others help, but they are pretty much just in the way. Not too long ago Reygann chose to sit in her room no toys, books, or anything, instead of helping! Ugh, I'm glad it's getting warmer!

Jana said...

I love it!!!! What a great little mind!!

MaryAnn said...

That's hilarious! Next time try, "Just Whistle While You Work." Although that comes from 'Snow White' which is a princess movies so your boys might not know it...eventually it will work with Lola, though! :-)

Julie said...

Sorry Dev, but you'll probably have to wait until Lola Claire is older to get a sing-along to Mary Poppins going. HA

Maybe you should have busted out the "Clean-Up Song" from Barney. (I can't STAND Barney, but that song seems to work fairly well!)

Amber E. Berkoski said...

Bwahahahaha. Hilarious! How did you keep a straight face when he said that?

Carolyn said...

I wish the same in regards to my packing and moving!

Smart kid!

Becky said...

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kids are so funny!!!! :)

Emily said...

I have to tell you, I found your blog through a friend's blog and have been following for quite a while and LOVE your posts! I have 2 boys of my own, and when you put down into writing what I experience every day, it makes it so much funnier! Belly laugh funny! Thanks for sharing!