About two weeks ago we decked our halls (we only have one hall, but the word ‘halls’ sounds better here), fireplace mantle, living room, kitchen, and bedrooms with Christmas lights. Carter was a bit disappointed that we did not string up lights in their bathroom but I felt I should draw the line somewhere. Now you would think with all these techno colored, glowing, twinkling, light chasing strands of lights in a house with a five and a three year old boy that we would be Christmas lit up twenty-four seven. That is where you would be wrong.
Of the many mantras in our house; your dirty clothes go in the hamper not next to the hamper, did you use soap and water, be nice to your brother, use your napkin not your sleeve, don’t waste energy; the last one seems to have stuck fast and hard. While they like the Christmas lights they consider them a waste of energy. No amount of explained will sway them. I walk into a room, plug in the lights and admire them. They walk into a room, admire the lights and unplug them. It is a vicious cycle.
Carter is especially diehard regarding energy conservation. On our way out of his speech therapist’s office last week, we had to walk by a small room set up with books and toys for kids to play with while they are in the waiting room. He sees no one is in there and quickly snakes his hand inside the room and flicks off the light. Then with an accusing tone he turns to his therapist and frowns “you waste eee-leck-tris-tee.”
I can only imagine what Carter would have to say about this.
Shoes On The Wrong Feet 
OMG I LOVE this! Go team Carter!!! I am a light ‘Nazi’ I go around and shut every light off if no-one is in the room. When my (grown) kids come over they turn on Every. Single. Light. It drives me nuts. They say I live in the dark, I like to believe I am not wasting eee-leck-tris-tee.
Please give Carter a hug from me. 🙂
Hug given. 🙂
I am big on turning lights that are not in use off but Christmas lights (especially since ours are all LED) are a different story. Oh well, it makes me laugh and it is good to know they are actually listening to what I say regarding conservation.
Maybe he would have this to say…..
LOL!!! I love this – thanks for sharing! 🙂
So relate to this. My girl is big on reusing, which means that bottles and boxes are pulled out of the recycling bin. Green Elmo did his job.
We are all about boxes (and toilet paper tubes and yogurt containers…) too. We got a new freezer a few weeks ago and the box has taken up pretty much all of our living room space. There are several holes cut out with scraps of laminate plastic over them from Cody’s school that we used as windows. It had to be moved to make room for the Christmas tree so now their box fort is behind the couch in the tv room. Hooray for Green Elmo!! 🙂