Outsourcing

Clearly I am the last person on the planet to realize this, but did you guys know that kids can do stuff around the house?  This total lightening bolt of an idea just hit me the other day when I realized that the big boys should be helping me clean the kitchen and that they should for sure pack their own lunches.  And now kitchen clean up takes like 20 minutes, and I am not tempted to devour everyone's leftovers because I have an audience.  Also they are very sweet and earnest helpers, particularly Jack, which just makes me think I waited too long to get Harry involved, so I need to start Cooper sooner.

And seriously, the outsourcing of lunch packing was like the smartest thing I have ever done.

Today was another Wednesday of all of the things, and I went to bed late and got up early to write, so I knew there'd be no way I could make it through my whole list unless I had a cup of chai, and with almond milk and lemon, it was lovely because the Whole30 has warped my tastebuds and stuff that wouldn't have even registered on my sweet radar 8 days ago tastes marvelous.  Like dates.  I love dates.

And grapefruit is a freaking revelation.

 Seriously.  They pack their own lunches.

 Beatrix is shedding a million hairs.  I petted her last night until I had werewolf hands.

 She can write her name!

 So, we thought we painted our basement wall with chalkboard paint, but it turns out we painted it with CHALKED paint-- not at all the same thing.  So.  We repainted it with actual chalkboard paint, and I realized you have to color the whole thing and erase it before you start using it.  Which was a GIANT pain in my ass but also really cathartic.

 And then I erased it and almost died from the dust.

 And now they can play.

 Did I mention they pack their own lunches?!