For D. with love

My girlfriend just asked why I haven't posted for awhile. 
She said, "The kids have been out of school for 3 days, so you must have something to write."
This only reminds me of the advice that Thumper doled out in the movie Bambi, "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all."

This is often my problem when we have no-school days, so I try to say nothing at all. 

I'm not kidding.

I have been trying for three days, yes three, to get my children to clean their bedrooms.  I've been super nice and super mean.  I've tried bribing them with a movie (didn't happen) and I've taken away all electronics (didn't work).

Really, how difficult is it to pick up your clothes, make your bed, put the toys away, and vacuum the floor?

The past three days have gone like this:
Me- Is your room clean?
Child- yes
Me- Are you clothes picked up and put away?
Child- I didn't know I was suppose to put them away. 

Later-
M- Is your room clean?
C- Yes
M-So you cleaned up the candy wrappers all over your floor?
C-What candy wrappers?
M- Go down to your room and clean it up.

And 15 minutes later-
M- Why are you watching TV?  Is your room clean?
C- I was taking a break.
M- A break from what?  You haven't done anything.
C- I made my bed!  (seriously, with an exclamation point)

An hour later-
M- What are you guys doing?
Children- We having a nerf gun fight.
M- Um, you are suppose to be cleaning your rooms.
Children (because now they are a united front)- But we found all the nerf gun darts and watch this mom (child proceeds to jump off the couch and over the chair while shooting his brother) and so we thought we'd have a nerf gun fight.

Now, here is my big dilemma:  All three children are getting along and playing together.  Do I encourage the sibling bonding or get super mad and send them to their rooms?   Luckily, daddy walks through the door.

Children- Daddy!  Check this out- more running and jumping over furniture while shooting.
Daddy, can we go to the movie? 

Daddy takes one look at me and knows the answer, but he lets them down easy.  No movie since you didn't clean your rooms, but hopefully tomorrow night we can all go.

Three days of this nonsense!  Three days! 
So tonight, after three days of not cleaning bedrooms, the kids went to papa's and grandma's house and daddy took me to a movie!  And this is why I love daddy so.