7 ways to recognized boys live in my house

From a distance,you might say, "Ahw, what sweet boys." But upon closer examination of this picture, you find their true selves showing through. Note: Tay is all attitude - standing in an "oh yea?" stance ready to dismiss or argue with anything you tell him. Tann is actually flipping off the camera (yeah, he is my kid), giving it his common "screw you". Trev is flashing the innocent peace sign, which really means, "I am the baby and I can get away with anything."

Today I am finally getting my disgusting carpets cleaned. As such, I needed the boys (and myself) to do some cleaning to ready it for the cleaners. Caution: What I am about to disclose may incite your gagging reflex, but these are actually things I found that would clue you in that boys (gross piggy boys) live here.

1) Tay has been whining that he can't find any jeans or t-shirts, yet he got 3 pairs of jeans and probably 5+ shirts for Christmas. Today, after he had "cleaned" his room, I found a zipped suitcase stuff in his closet, filled with jeans (some still with the tags on them)and shirts. Now I admit, when my travel schedule gets hectic, I tend not to unpack, but at least I leave the suitcase open and accessible and so I can wear my stuff.

2) In order to find the suitcase, I had to remove a huge wad of wet towels and dirty socks that had been stuffed in his closet rather than taken to the dirty clothes. (the smell from that combination is lovely.)

3) I found several plates, with food reminants, half drank diet cokes that had been snuck from my fridge, and a cadre' of granola bar and candy wrappers shoved under Tay's bed. I am shocked he isn't sharing that room with an army of bugs.

4) Do you know what a farmer blow is? You know, blowing your nose without a Kleenex. Yep, I dared venture into Tay and Tann's bathroom (something I rarely do, because of the filth factor), there all over the wall, was what I finally deduced to be the remnants of a farmer blow. (are you gagging yet?)

5) Yesterday I moved the couch in the family room and found 13 gross dirty socks shoved between the window and the couch. I wondered what that smell was.

6) When I moved the lounge chairs, if found enough string cheese wrappers stuffed down the sides, that if layed end to end, would stretch to IDAHO! If I add in the wrappers I find behind any plants, picture frames or other decorations, we could stretch it to New York

7) There is an unidentified smell coming from Trevor's room. And that is after I cleaned it. Now that is scary - who knows what might be in there, as in the past, I have found food stashed under his pillow ("Mom - I need a midnight snack")

Don't you wish you had boys at home?