Don't forget to take out the trash Elijah...

...as expected.....one of Elijah's chores as an 8 year old is to take out the trash. He has to check the 3 trash cans in the house everyday and check to see if there are any boxes sitting by the door to take to the big trash room.

Here is some background information that you have to keep in mind as you continue to read:

-- Elijah's life is very routine. He does not deviate from the norm very often.

-- He knows the rules and expectations (selectively forgets them when it is convenient to him) but he usually follows them very well

-- Eddie is on swing shift (2pm-11pm) Elijah and I are out of the house from 7 am - 4pm - we only see Eddie on Saturdays and Sundays

--snow boots are a necessity - not a nicety - here. You will slip, fall, and have cold and wet feet without them

So knowing that info - here we go! Elijah and I came home from school on Monday afternoon. Elijah noticed that his Dad left his snow boots in an empty water bottle box inside the front door. Elijah said, " Why did Daddy leave his shoes in a box inside the door, all wet shoes are supposed to be left outside the house." I said something about he must have forgotten the rules and he will move his snow boots tomorrow when he is home.

Tuesday passed, Wednesday passed, Thursday passed....snow boots still in the same location. Hmmmm I am thinking 'I am sure they are dry by now.' Eddie should be picking his boots up some time soon so that we stop tripping over them as we walk into the house.

When we (Elijah and I) came home on Friday - I noticed the shows were gone........ Yeeeaahhh a clear entry way again - Eddie must have moved his snow boots into the shoe closet.

Saturday we did not leave the house at all.......big snow storm! Sunday, Eddie was headed out to brush the snow off the trucks. He is walking back and forth through the house. I ask him what he was looking for and he said his snow boots.

"Huh, you must have put them away because they were sitting in a trash box in front of the door all week" I said.

He said, "No I didn't move them - they just disappeared." 'Disappeared??' I thought...how do shoes disappear? We searched the entire house. No EXPENSIVE, BRAND NEW snow boots - they looked like the picture....circa $80.

We asked Elijah if he had seen them, he said he threw them away, because they were trash. Elijah said, "They were by the door sitting in a trash box, so they were trash -- I threw them away, Daddy".....with a smile on his face!

I laughed so HARD! Eddie couldn't even be upset because HE was the one that had them in the wrong place for DAYS.