I've been taking percocet all day because everything got swollen and hurt like blue blazes.

I got a lot of laundry done, but then I made a list for the boy and told him to get to work. He's sat on his butt since school got out and hasn't done squat. I made him a list and told him he needed to help. I also offered to give him a little extra money. I said that I didn't think it was fair when I was sick that Dad was getting ditched with everything, especially after working all day. He agreed.

His sister and I had a meeting of the minds. She told me she didn't want to wipe down the table. I asked,"Do you think I like washing your dirty underwear?" She stared at me stunned and said,"No." I said, "You're right, but when you're part of a family you do stuff you don't like because you love your family. We're supposed to help each other." She wiped everything clean pretty happily after that and offered to set table.

She and her brother did dishes together with minimal fighting. Mike rather enjoyed his supervisory role.

I'm hoping I can get them in the habit. It may take some mean mommy work in the interim, but I'm willing. I want my kids to understand that working together is a good thing and that helping each other is a good thing. Russell has that, but I think we've babied Genny so long that we haven't pushed that with her and that's a bad thing. I think we need to teach her how to be a functioning part of the family and not just the "baby."

When I had Russell, I was a single mom and I needed his partnership in the things I did or I was sunk. We've been working as a team longer than anyone else in our family. Our relationship as a team was what we taught Mike. Now, we all three need to teach Genny.

I want her to have that because it makes us all so connected and I think that connection will stay with her forever. My brother and I have that kind of relationship, too. When I am at my mom's house, I realize that I still have that relationship there, too. At my mom's house, though she was the evil bitch and no one did it to do anything but avoid her wrath. At our house, we do it because we get sick of the mess collectively and we like the house clean and nice to live in.

Maybe, I've just had too much percocet, but I figure, if I can get that sense of community across and how we all contribute, that I'll have done a lot to make Genny a good person.