Top 10 Things You Won’t Hear Around This House

I was pretty excited when I found out that the daily prompt today was to make a list, and since I normally make Top 5 lists, I thought I would mix it up and create a Top 10 so I could join in. So, here are the Top 10 things you won’t hear around this house:

10. “Is that steak ready yet?”

We are a strictly vegetarian household, so there is no meat around here. Although, we do eat soy product that is supposed to mimic the taste of real meat, and we don’t call it fake. So it’s funny when the girls ask for sausage, even though it’s not really sausage. We can definitely pretend it’s real meat.

9. “I’m done with this TV show.”

If we would let them, these children would watch TV constantly from sun up to sun down, and I know there are many families out there that let their kids do just that. Luckily, we also have kids who love the outdoors, so if the other option is going outside to play, or heading down to their grandmother’s farm, they will gladly take it.

8. “The dishes are finished.”

No sooner than those words are almost uttered, more dishes magically appear in the dish pan or by the side of the sink to be cleaned. I honestly think little fairies somehow show up and deposit dirty dishes just for amusement’s sake.

7. “Bedtime is too late.”

If we would sit here most nights waiting for the children to drop from exhaustion instead of putting them to bed at a normal bedtime, we would routinely be up past midnight. It’s amazing what wonders just lying down in the bed can do for them, getting them to sleep at a normal time and for a normal interval.

6. “Hey! These clothes aren’t stained!”

Having two active children makes for stains galore. Believe me! Every time I go to do laundry there are at least two more pieces of clothing that have fresh stains on them, from spaghetti sauce (even when the four-year old wears a bib), to mud (somehow they get that all over their pants, even with long boots on), to magic marker. We should seriously buy stock in Spray ‘n Wash.

5. “I’m full.”

Hunger is one of the most consistent things we can count on hearing about in this household. My seven-year old comes home from school every day starving, literally starving, if you take into account her histrionics, throwing herself on the couch dramatically, holding her stomach and NEEDING food. And the younger one isn’t much better in that department. It’s all about the next meal, or the next snack around here. It’s why we’ve switched to healthy snacks. Carrot stick, dear?

4. “Don’t worry about it.”

We’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how much we may say something doesn’t matter, or not to worry about it, all it does it make the other person worry even more. So, we just don’t say it. Even if we think it. A lot.

3. “Leave me alone!”

I think we have the two children who want attention more than any other two children in the entire world. Seriously. My seven-year old gives a running commentary of everything she does while she does it. She asks permission to use the bathroom, and the younger one is a snuggle bunny. They don’t thrive on alone time. They need pretty much constant attention. There is never a “Leave me alone!” moment.

2. “That’s your fault.”

Placing blame is something we try not to do here, and this phrase is one of the biggest ones that places blame. Even if it is someone’s fault, and we know who it is, we just focus on how it’s going to be dealt with, not whose fault it was. “Please help us clean up the mess,” we say, instead of, “It’s your fault.” Saying things in a nice way goes a long way to making sure things don’t happen again, much better than pointing blame and making people feel bad about themselves.

1. Silence.

Sam

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