Please list the following ad under the "Lost & Found" section:
Lost: My Voice!
When: early Saturday morning (or possibly Friday during the night)
Description: Active from pre-dawn mornings until way into the wee hours of dark. Sometimes very loud (alright--yelling), but has a loving toneation at most times.
Favorite phrases:
Love ya!
Because I said so.
Because I am the mom.
I don't have to have a reason.
Hurry up or you'll be late!
Love ya!
Stop it right now.
If found: Treat w/TLC. Teach it to always say positive, kind words. Fill it with expressions of gratitude and love. (Maybe you can hold on to it for a day or two longer--I kind of like having my children coming close to me and looking at my face when I talk to them. And I haven't yelled for 5 days now!)
Reward: Words of thanks and gratitude. I'm sure my children would pay you NOT to return my voice, but I kinda like it :)
Besides, we didn't get to finish our spring cleaning because of the icky sicky bug that swept through our family. Do you know how hard it is to keep clapping your hands to get every one's attention? Then you have to whisper commands--put that here, no there, no--just get rid of it! It has been torture not being able to bark out commands from one room into another room. But on the other hand, I have seen my children much, much more since losing my voice! (since we have to be face-to-face to communicate at all).
