Bendovers & Self barbering..never a good thing.

We made a new rule in our house a few weeks ago. If a kid drops something on the floor and then just walks off like they are going to just wait on the maid to show up and clean up after them, they have to do 50 bendovers. So they can either bend over once and pick it up or bend over 50 times as a reminder that it is easier to do once. Oh, they all thought it was fun and games the first time. And possibly the second. By the third time, they weren't so sure this was "fun" at all. Jacob was the biggest offender the first day and the next day he couldn't figure out why his sides and back hurt....till his first offense of the day. At that first bendover, it hit him that THIS was why he was in pain. He has been much less of a slob since day 2. Ryan is pictured doing his bendovers Sunday afternoon while Wes is drawing a picture. This is only about the third time Ryan has had to do them. Now I can just walk into the playroom and say, "I see" and it is like one of those Roombas come through. The floor is cleaned up in seconds by what appears to be a plaque of locusts.

Here's Wesley's picture-- even his clouds are smiling. He is wearing a #24, Jeff Gordon shirt. You can't tell this from looking at him but he is thinking, "Right after I get done with this, I'm gonna go stick gum in my hair to see if it will really stay there."

And obviously it did - because when I went into the bathroom later, there was hair everywhere on the floor, sink, toilet and in the trashcan. I asked Bill if he had cut his hair - but no, not him. I replied, "well, somebody has cut their hair in here today." So I call Carly, who is always telling me her bangs need cutting - but no, not her. All of the kids are with me in the bathroom by now and my list of suspects is dwindling. So I turn to face three little boys and the conversation that follows went like this:
Me: WHO cut their hair today?
Wes: I did.
Me: Why did you cut your hair?
Wes: To get the gum out of it.
Me: When did you get gum in your hair? (knowing with 99% certainty that he did not have gum in his hair when I combed it in the morning for church)
Wes: After lunch.
Me: HOW did you get gum in your hair? (thinking that the only logical reason is if you fall asleep with gum in your mouth and he hadn't been napping.)
Wes: I put it there.

Here is where I pause, because somehow, that is just not the answer I was expecting. Finally after a bit, I snap back to my reality and ask
WHY did you put gum in your hair?
Wes: I don't know.
Me: Well, I wondered why you were wearing a hat today.
Wes: That's why.
Me: Don't do it again - do you understand me? Either part - either the sticking OR the cutting. In your hair or to anybody else. Got it?
Wes: Yes, mam.