The Most Brilliant Plan, Possibly Ever

Photo by Dry Ink

Have you noticed how I've slowly been sharing all the amazing photos from our super hero photo shoot in Louisiana?  I didn't want to overwhelm you with a huge post full of them, so I am slowly sharing them.  I love them SO MUCH and am so glad Erika at Dry Ink had such a cool concept to try out on the boys!  If you are anywhere near the Baton Rouge area, or will be driving through (or visiting for just ONE day for just a few hours, like us)...book her now...you will not be disappointed.

But...that is not what this post is about...so let's get to THE MOST BRILLIANT PLAN, POSSIBLY EVER!

The day after the game that shall not be mentioned, a friend who was watching the game with us and heard me talking about babysitting for someone later that week, gave me a call.  She had just gotten a job at a brand new, not yet opened steak house and was to train in two weeks.  However, training time was non-negotiable and it would overlap with her fiance's work schedule.  She asked if I could watch her cute 2 year old daughter (who has Ethan's heart) for about 2 hours a day for 5 days...so, about 10 hours total.  She offered to pay me, but when she mentioned a training night, where you get to eat whatever you want for free, for the whole family...well, she had me at free. And, because she is getting married this summer and it's just a few hours and I like to be nice from time to time, well, I decided to just take free food as my payment (because I really can be nice sometimes, honest!)

I was excited (hey, I like free food!) and I knew the boys would be stoked...ever since eating at a steak house in Idaho Falls (see picture above, blogger won't let me move it.), you'd think they were carnivores the way they ask to eat steak all the time (yet never get it.).

However, I wanted to play this to my advantage.  You know, not just give away what someone can earn.

I told the boys, "Hey, we are going out for a family dinner in two weeks.  It is at a new nice steak house (really, I think it is an average steakhouse, not like Ruths Chris or something but Bart and I are excited b/c we ate at this place in Alabama once or twice and really like it) and will be fun for our family to go to.  BUT...you have to earn the money to pay for your own meal.  By earning money, though, you can order whatever you want, not just the kids menu."

And, because they are young and gullible and awesome kids, they took this statement to heart and have been working away, night and day, to earn money for their steak.  Sorting laundry was not a challenge...not when it involved them earning a quarter towards their dinner.  Playing with Ethan after school?  No whining there...I get a nickel!  They even ask me for jobs to do to earn another nickel, dime, quarter!

And extra points for the boys finding pennies and other loose change and turning them in.

Abusing my motherly privileges?  No way...they are doing the chores they are expected to do anyway...it's just giving me a two week reprieve from the complaining and ignoring that sometimes happens around  here when it's chore time for the kids.

And I bet that when those boys get to eat whatever they want off of whatever menu they want, they will be so satisfied, knowing they earned it by working so hard.  They seem proud to be working hard and saving up for something they want (ha, food...my kind of boys!) and I am proud of them for doing such a great job at their tasks each day.

I'll let you know how the big night goes.  I think they will need to get dressed up for it...make it even more special for them!