Standards

   

Our 8-yr. old, Benjamin, has been known to say on various occasions when he is called upon to help clean up a younger sibling's mess, "And THIS is why I'm never getting married." He will then elaborate on how getting married means having kids and having kids means picking up their messes.

  

This is true.

  

The other day, after Lily (6) had just finished sweeping up a cup's worth of scattered wheat kernels from the floor and Jonathan (19 mos.) had just finished dumping said swept kernels and the rest of the trash's contents back onto the floor, Lily let out a moan. "JON-JON!!!"

  

"See?" said Benjamin. "Do you still want to get married?"

  

"Well," Lily hotly answered, "I'm NOT marrying Jon-Jon!"