Mabel: This is unacceptable.
Me: What is, Mabes?
Mabel: This room. I can't believe what a mess it is, and I am. Not. Happy.
Me: Well, why don't we pitch in together and clean it up?
Mabel: No Mommy, the maker of this mess needs to clean it up, and that is me. I'm cleaning it.
Me: Okay, good for you Mabel. Everyone can make a mess, but only smart people know about cleaning up their messes.
Mabel: Mommy, today? At school? I made the hugest mess. It was like, not even, it was unbelievable.
Me: Uh huh. So then what did you do about it?
Mabel: Nothing. I said, hey this mess is not good and Deyen and Carter came over to help me clean it.
Me: Well that's nice. Did you all clean together?
Mabel: No I let them clean it because they wanted to do that and I went and played with Play Doh.
Me: You didn't help them clean?
Mabel: No. I know boys like to clean up for girls. Daddy always starts cleaning when you walk into a room and say it's unacceptable.
Me: Okay, yeah, but I usually help him clean. Especially if it was my own mess.
Mabel: But then what's a boy's job?
Me: Pardon?
Mabel: Daddy cuts the grass, but it's not the season. So Daddy has to clean.
Me: Well Daddy, um boys do a lot of things. They do everything that girls do. And if they live all by themselves they have to do EVERYTHING that girls and boys do, all by themselves.
Mabel: That's sad.
Me: Not really Mabes. Some people like living alone, it makes them very happy. It's all about living the way that's right for you. And being happy.
Mabel: Okay, but it makes me really happy when I can get the boys at school to do my work for me.
Me: Yeah. I'm going to let your Dad bat clean up on that one.
Me: What is, Mabes?
Mabel: This room. I can't believe what a mess it is, and I am. Not. Happy.
Me: Well, why don't we pitch in together and clean it up?
Mabel: No Mommy, the maker of this mess needs to clean it up, and that is me. I'm cleaning it.
Me: Okay, good for you Mabel. Everyone can make a mess, but only smart people know about cleaning up their messes.
Mabel: Mommy, today? At school? I made the hugest mess. It was like, not even, it was unbelievable.
Me: Uh huh. So then what did you do about it?
Mabel: Nothing. I said, hey this mess is not good and Deyen and Carter came over to help me clean it.
Me: Well that's nice. Did you all clean together?
Mabel: No I let them clean it because they wanted to do that and I went and played with Play Doh.
Me: You didn't help them clean?
Mabel: No. I know boys like to clean up for girls. Daddy always starts cleaning when you walk into a room and say it's unacceptable.
Me: Okay, yeah, but I usually help him clean. Especially if it was my own mess.
Mabel: But then what's a boy's job?
Me: Pardon?
Mabel: Daddy cuts the grass, but it's not the season. So Daddy has to clean.
Me: Well Daddy, um boys do a lot of things. They do everything that girls do. And if they live all by themselves they have to do EVERYTHING that girls and boys do, all by themselves.
Mabel: That's sad.
Me: Not really Mabes. Some people like living alone, it makes them very happy. It's all about living the way that's right for you. And being happy.
Mabel: Okay, but it makes me really happy when I can get the boys at school to do my work for me.
Me: Yeah. I'm going to let your Dad bat clean up on that one.
