They work cheap

I blanched but kept my mouth shut today when my husband told the kids to clean out the inside of the battle van.

I didn't have to say anything because they protested enough all on their own.  I saw his point, though, so I also ordered them out.

"But Moooom," Nolan whined, "there's nothing in there that belongs to me, do I have to?"

"It's just like the house, son.  We all live here, we all clean it up.  We all use the van, we should all clean it up.  I spend a lot my time in it, hauling the lot of you around, and yesterday, when my co-worker and I used it to go to lunch, I found myself praying it didn't smell too much like ass as I unlocked the door.  I gave her the "I have no idea what's in there" disclaimer, too.  Thank god I had taken those blueberry muffins to work, and their scent lingered."

"But.."
"I guarantee you will find at least one thing, hmmmm, let's see, like a game recharger, that belongs to you.  You'll see."

Sure, I fretted as they went out the door, but I didn't follow.  I told them where our freaky outdoor vacuum was, and that was that.  I giggled as I overheard Nolan and Ben bickering, over who would do what, and I really chortled when I overheard my words coming out of Nolan's mouth:  "You just have to make this more difficult, don't you??"

I walked down the hall, stood in the doorway to my bedroom, and bowed down to Mr W.  "Brilliant!  Genius to put them to work..." as I updated him on the comments I'd heard.

It didn't go entirely smoothly, but they all tried--even Audrey helped.  Nolan found a game recharger, as predicted.  (Behold the power of Mommy and fear her omniscience!!)

And now the van smells like Simple Green.

With a hint, just a teeny hint, of ass.

(You can't have everything when the labor is free.)