Our Family Member...Not Me

Dear Not Me aka Not Mine,
I feel the need to write you this letter because you have been blamed for making multiple very large messes in our home.  Seeing as I have needed to accept you as a member of our family for years, I would appreciate it if you would: 

• Pick-up all your dirty clothes off the various places you leave them.  This includes, but it not limited to:  towels, socks, shoes, underwear, shorts, shirts, bathing suits, and anything else you might put on your body.
• When we are folding clothes please don't forget to put everything that is clean where it belongs once the folding is completed.
• When you take the pillows off the couch put them back, and all blankets need to be folded and put in their proper place
• Dirty dishes need to be rinsed and loaded, and if the dishwasher is full, feel free to unload it.
• Instead of over stuffing the garbage can, you have my permission to take the garbage outside, and put a new bag in the can.
• If you break something, please let me know about it and then clean it up.  I will not get angry unless you were doing something that you or any of the other children are not allowed to do. 

This is what we require of every family member, and it helps the house run efficiently if everyone does their part.  We hope that you will feel like a true member of the family & feel free to stay as long as the above things are met.

Much love,
~Momma

Well, as you can tell, Not Me has decided to take up permanent residence with us.  Usually I don't like my kids hanging out with Not Me aka Not Mine.  He/She tends to start squabbles, and encourages my children to do the bare minimum in order to get by.  With our fam, this way of living is just not an option.  Sometimes you have to be willing to do a little more than you are asked, and sometimes do more than others around you are doing.  It's the way of the world.  (It's also biblical.  That whole going the second mile thing.)  So, I've decided Not Me can stay as long as he/she starts pulling their weight.  :)

I would love to know what you do when Not Me shows up.  I just need some new ideas.


Celebrating Life & our new 5th child, Not Me,
~ashley