To tear or not to tear my hair out...that is the question

Rather than let my children remain idle all summer, I like to give a couple of chores before I leave for work to remind them that, unfortunately for them, they were not born sloths, but rather human beings. The chore I left yesterday was to weed around the flagpole before the flag looks like it is miraculously hovering above waves of grass.

Now that summer vacation is here, I find my home number scrawled across my caller ID at work at least 10 times a day. So on more than one occasion yesterday I had a chance to remind my little royal offspring of their one chore for the day.

"Is the weeding all done?"

"We started it, Queen Mum."

"You started it, wonderful. But is it finished?"

"No, not yet."

"Why do I hear the television on if the weeding isn't finished?"

"We were just taking a little break."

Now water breaks are fine, lunch breaks are fine too...TV breaks, however, are not fine. TV breaks become all out battles of will, as in "will" be incredibly difficult to pry oneself off the couch once situated there.

So I get home hoping the weeding was finished...but knowing better. As I drive up the driveway I see the wheelbarrow next to the flagpole, only half full, and plenty more weeding to be done. I began my voice exercises in the car, ready to let them have it. But then, I walk in the door...Prince Michael has instead decided to clean off all the kitchen counters (which I must admit, he did one hell of a job) and make a beautiful bouquet of phlox and a single rose from our yard.

So now what do I do? Punish him for not getting the job done that I asked to be done or thank him for the job that he did? The answer: both. No electronics for the rest of the day and into the next day until the original request was completed. I swear these kids must but secretly investing in Lipitor.