Home of the Half-Job

Kevin has a motto, a mission statement if you will. It is "Richards' don't do half-jobs". While I fully support this-I probably would word it different(as usual)-but the concept is solid. The theory is that you put effort in all you do and try your best to accomplish the task at hand. Kevin is a great example of living this at home, work, church, etc. but we have found you can say it's your family motto all day long and be an example of it but it just doesn't make it so.

A strange thing happens during work time in our home. First, Luke's bowels instantly loosen and he just must go to the bathroom -for an extended visit- right that second. Then Colin tries two different approaches either random limbs begin to ache or are tired, or he picks up one item and quietly walks around with it trying to blend in like he's doing something. Then there's Ryan my ever consummate Ee-ore/martyr. He actually does the work, in fact most of it, but if you listen closely you hear the mumbling. "Here I am doing all the work and no-one helping. I guess they will never help and I'll just have to do it all--again." About this time Luke emerges and kicks into his management skills. He could run a sweat shop I tell you, he has those little guys doing all the work while he ,like Colin, walks around appearing busy and directing them to areas that need attending to.The funny thing is he is so smooth that they don't even realize he is doing it. That just leaves Kristen who is literally the anti-clean. She can destroy a room in like 10 seconds flat and like any natural disaster it comes on fast without much warning and leaves you with utter destruction to sort through and clean. This is when Ryan about loses it because if you remember he is the only one that is actually cleaning and he sees his work has just been completely destroyed. This same pattern happens pretty much daily. They all know they have jobs but instead of excepting and enduring they (some more than others) spend their efforts in getting out of it instead of just doing it.

They teamed together recently and approached me like any "Union" might. They had their representative Luke(smart choice to get the straw boss) inform me that they feel that they are slaves or servants and that they do everything around here except for like 2 or 3 big jobs me and Kevin do. WHAT! Are they blind to what goes on around here or are they just out of their minds. Each of them has like 2 chores a day-fold towels or unload part of the dishwasher, straighten a room or bring in the trash cans, etc. With those my "servants" do a shotty half-job and I have to keep bringing them back from their 'union breaks' to finish a job. Apparently though that is all that has to be done around a house to keep it clean and orderly. I feel this fiery rage bubbling within but despite that I somewhat calmly begin to list everything Kevin and I do and then compared it to there meager little list and then informed them they were welcome to switch. The negotiations were short and the grievance suddenly dropped (for now). I'm sure they are plotting as I type to find new ways to gain freedom from their bondage that they are just sure they are in. So if anyone is in the market for some half job servants let me know there may be some available very soon.