The Project
Without Prejudice
It began with a rug. A rug of pale blue, pink, lemon. A baby rug given to the Mother of seven boys by her former Mum In Law, a delicate rainbow of subtle girls colours fit for a girl. We spread it out we admired it and we thought of the house we would be putting it into. A house that for the last eight years has seen many a boy but no baby girls.
The house with furniture stored in it by one older son, another's crap left behind before moving out. He had lived there at 23 making complete chaos around him as he is the oldest and an Alpha male. The house was a cluttered untidy mess with a surly teen boy of 17 occupying the back bedroom, closest to the expectant mother, who was still in shock after being told she is having a baby girl.
" I'll put her in with me " she said.
"Yes" I replied, thinking
"Not on your life "
So it began 16 days ago the major project. And it was no no no all the way from the older boys. My daughter, Yvette has one adult male of 24, moved out and gone, although he still calls three times a day. Another 18 works full time, our Foster boy, who is a mate of one of the boys starts his job today and the 17 year old will start next week. Then comes a 15 and 10 year old pair who are still at school and maths geniuses. Then two heavenly toddlers, one off to school next year at 5 and still seems a baby. Then the baby, he's three and we call him Happy Buddha.
The seventeen year old was not impressed I had sequestered his room. Full of crappy old furniture, a chair a game console, a derelict bed. The smell of sweaty boy and fresh food prevalent as I opened the door. I just waited till they were all out and pitched the furniture into the side yard. Then started on the left of the room and just began what I thought was going to be just one room.
I moved the bed to the front room which had housed three teen boys and was a bit smarter as the 18 year old is clean and neat but despaired of his brothers sharing his room as they were untidy. Even as a little boy he couldn't stand mess and always begged for his hands to be wiped. He kept his stuff immaculate, a big movie buff with all his movies lined up or catalogued and in drawers.
The seventeen year old was happy to be in there but typically put his crappy bright green bed right up against the cupboard doors. The wardrobe hadn't been opened in years, the boys happy to use the floor as a wardrobe. They all dress immaculately but their rooms are ghastly.
It began with a rug. A rug of pale blue, pink, lemon. A baby rug given to the Mother of seven boys by her former Mum In Law, a delicate rainbow of subtle girls colours fit for a girl. We spread it out we admired it and we thought of the house we would be putting it into. A house that for the last eight years has seen many a boy but no baby girls.
The house with furniture stored in it by one older son, another's crap left behind before moving out. He had lived there at 23 making complete chaos around him as he is the oldest and an Alpha male. The house was a cluttered untidy mess with a surly teen boy of 17 occupying the back bedroom, closest to the expectant mother, who was still in shock after being told she is having a baby girl.
" I'll put her in with me " she said.
"Yes" I replied, thinking
"Not on your life "
So it began 16 days ago the major project. And it was no no no all the way from the older boys. My daughter, Yvette has one adult male of 24, moved out and gone, although he still calls three times a day. Another 18 works full time, our Foster boy, who is a mate of one of the boys starts his job today and the 17 year old will start next week. Then comes a 15 and 10 year old pair who are still at school and maths geniuses. Then two heavenly toddlers, one off to school next year at 5 and still seems a baby. Then the baby, he's three and we call him Happy Buddha.
The seventeen year old was not impressed I had sequestered his room. Full of crappy old furniture, a chair a game console, a derelict bed. The smell of sweaty boy and fresh food prevalent as I opened the door. I just waited till they were all out and pitched the furniture into the side yard. Then started on the left of the room and just began what I thought was going to be just one room.
I moved the bed to the front room which had housed three teen boys and was a bit smarter as the 18 year old is clean and neat but despaired of his brothers sharing his room as they were untidy. Even as a little boy he couldn't stand mess and always begged for his hands to be wiped. He kept his stuff immaculate, a big movie buff with all his movies lined up or catalogued and in drawers.
The seventeen year old was happy to be in there but typically put his crappy bright green bed right up against the cupboard doors. The wardrobe hadn't been opened in years, the boys happy to use the floor as a wardrobe. They all dress immaculately but their rooms are ghastly.
