We have an apple tree in our yard, and only a mild affinity for apples. That means we have a lot of rotten apples on the ground in the backyard. Hard to mow the lawn like that.
So today I put a bucket in the "garden", (giant weed patch that we don't mow), and told the kids to throw apples into it. First person to get three apples in the bucket wins.
We got about 200 apples off the grass, and the kids had no idea that I had just gotten half an hour of work out of them. Now we all have sore arms and an almost clean backyard. Score one for Mom.
Eating rotten apples...now that's just good, clean fun!
ReplyDeleteBahahaha. Now that's just awesome. I can't wait to trick my kids into working. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love creative ideas like that :) Way to go! And what fun for them.
ReplyDeleteI love this post!!! I'm so glad to know there's someone out there as devious as me. I got my kids to play that game on our slope -- only we played "the person who person who can put the most weeds in their bucket wins a prize." I think I'm going to use it as a party game on the next birthday. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, you are so creative. I'm always trying to play the "let's see who can be the quietest for longest" game with my kids; I've never actually considered something where they do REAL work! Brilliant. Even if they do eat rotten apples.
ReplyDeletei need to have kids so that i have someone around to trick into cleaning.
ReplyDeleteWe had an apricot tree in our yard growing up and no one in the family liked apricots so my sister and I always had to gather them. My parents used it as punishment though which always made us take so much longer to get the job done because we spent most of the time throwing the fruit at each other and getting in more trouble.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if your tree gets too big, can I come over and chop it? I'm in dire need of apple wood for the spring.
We are also cursed with a horrid apple tree, but it's our neighbors that just happens to hang over the fence so we can't do anything about it. :( The boys run around stacking them in little piles in the strangest places. I found one stack under our bamboo plants and one in the fire pit - thanks boys!
ReplyDeleteWe also use the rotten apples as dog toys - she loves chasing after those nasty things. :)
Why am I not that clever? They may catch on and go rogue and start throwing them at each other in a few years.
ReplyDeleteChild labour is truly priceless. Yes there is a u in labour. I'm Canadian eh.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, you are the best boy mom ever. Way to get them to do some yard work!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your prowess. Not only are you cleaning your yard you are providing your "garden" with organic material which I'm sure will compost into some seriously rich soil and you will probably, in turn, be able to grow a full vegetable garden without even planting one. Isn't that what compost does? Grow your garden for you? ;) I dump everything in my garden/weed patch!!
ReplyDeleteWOW!! This is even more brilliant than the "pumpkin fairy" :) Score 1 for mom!
ReplyDeleteBethany, you just may be about the smartest woman I know. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteDoes it work on husbands?
Oh now THAT'S how ya do it... hilarious! I taught my 3 year old to fold washcloths one time. Maybe I need to get more creative.
ReplyDeleteYou are freaking brilliant! And sneaky!
ReplyDeleteLove your new(probably old, it's been so long since I've had a computer) look. It's great!
Child labor is a precious commodity and you have shown great skill and ingenuity in harnessing it, Bethany. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteAnd I know that many apples is a pain, but I love the idea of fruit trees in a back yard. Love it.