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Tales from the ArcaMax Chef
The Jungle Boys (our 14 and 16 year old sons) finished school last week for the summer. The idea of the Jungle Boys being home with nothing to do for three months has been very exciting for them over the past few weeks. The idea of the Jungle Boys, and their neighborhood friends, being home with nothing to do for three months has been terrifying for She Who Must Be Obeyed (my wife) and me.
Something happens to boys when they reach those teenage years ... I can't explain it exactly but the result is something akin to their brains falling out of their skulls and hiding under the bed.
For the most part of the day, the boys walk around completely brainless. Rather than decide to take the trash out, the boys will continue to pile trash on top of the trash can until the trash piles up on the floor. She Who Must Be Obeyed will ask one of the boys to take the trash out. Were the brain in residence, the boy would do so and get it over with quickly. However, with the brain hiding under the bed, the boy is more likely than not to say something brainless like, "It's not my turn."
This brainless response is further compounded when the second boy, whose brain is also under his bed, is asked to take out the trash, often in the direct proximity of the first boy and within seconds of the first boy's response. So what does the second boy say? "It's not my turn."
She is a woman who appreciates certainty. The mysteries of the universe and unexplored ocean territories do not excite her. She wants to know that 1 plus 1 equals 2. In the same vein, She wants to know that if there are only two boys in the house, and one of them has trash duty at any given time, then one of the two boys must necessarily be responsible to take out the trash at any given time. The result of the brainless boys' mutually exclusive responses as to who has trash duty is inevitable ... She gets mad and one of the boys bears the brunt of the anger and gets in trouble.
Every once in a while the brain comes out from under the bed and the teen age boy has a normal thought like, "I should pick those clothes up off of the floor". Most of the time, however, the brain stays under the bed and the teen age boy is oblivious to the fact that She has told him 25 times to pick those clothes up off of the floor in an increasingly strident tone of voice. Unless that brain happens to slide out from under the bed in time the result in predictable ... She gets upset at the teen age boy and the boy ends up in trouble.
Add neighborhood kids into the mix (all boys) and the results become more problematic and unpredictable ...
God Bless America.
Enjoy!
This news arrived on: 06/19/2008
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Posted Comments:
06-20-2008 13:45
Ann wrote:
The Jungle Boys
I thought that it was hilarious.
I have three boys, now adults. When they were young I bought each of them a hamper for their clothes. I told them their dirty clothes go in the hamper and I did not want to see any clothes on the floor. It really worked well for me and them, because I didn't have to holler at them about clothes on the floor. They were toddlers when I started doing that.
As for household chores, make a chart and list each day with who has to do what and do that for the whole summer and into winter. If they don't do their chore, than they lose a privilege for a day or if they don't do their chores for a whole week, then they lose their privileges for the whole week. Tell them every Morning that they should check the chart before they do anything else.
I also taught them how to cook, clean and do their wash as they got older, because I worked. When they got older and wanted a car they had to save for one plus the insurance. When they were still at home and working full time they had to pay board. My husband and I were preparing them for the real world.
It made our life a little easier and I was preparing them for the future. They are now on their own, working, buying a house and taking care of them selves. One is marriaged, one has a girlfried and the other one is still looking.
PS: We helped them out when they need it and they help us out to by fixing things around our house.
When they are finished with the project, I cook them a meal.
I have three boys, now adults. When they were young I bought each of them a hamper for their clothes. I told them their dirty clothes go in the hamper and I did not want to see any clothes on the floor. It really worked well for me and them, because I didn't have to holler at them about clothes on the floor. They were toddlers when I started doing that.
As for household chores, make a chart and list each day with who has to do what and do that for the whole summer and into winter. If they don't do their chore, than they lose a privilege for a day or if they don't do their chores for a whole week, then they lose their privileges for the whole week. Tell them every Morning that they should check the chart before they do anything else.
I also taught them how to cook, clean and do their wash as they got older, because I worked. When they got older and wanted a car they had to save for one plus the insurance. When they were still at home and working full time they had to pay board. My husband and I were preparing them for the real world.
It made our life a little easier and I was preparing them for the future. They are now on their own, working, buying a house and taking care of them selves. One is marriaged, one has a girlfried and the other one is still looking.
PS: We helped them out when they need it and they help us out to by fixing things around our house.
When they are finished with the project, I cook them a meal.
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