Time Trials

We were having a hard time getting Alex to be excited about doing his chores, but who can blame him! Most days they seemed to be more work for us reminding him a million times a day then him actually doing them. Since he always took out the trash and then got the mail, we seeked the opportunity to make the task's together a race. The first day of the race I stood by the microwave to push the timer button while Robert, and Jack stood in the kitchen awaiting the sound of the garage opening to start the clock. As soon as the garage opened the race was on, he ran with the mail key and a bag of garbage down the street. I am sure the neighbors thought we were insane or that he was being punished! After stopping off at the dumpster he ran full speed to the mailbox. After getting the mail he ran through the garage up the stairs and stopped the clock on the microwave. Day one time for garbage removal and mail retrieval 1 minute 41 seconds. The second day I was in sales meetings all day and night and so the race resumed without me. Robert and Jack stood by to start the clock and he was gone again in a flash. The next morning I was told he shaved .15 seconds off his original time, an AMAZING feat! Robert did let me know that Alex looked pretty green and was breathing so hard that he had to sit down. Needless to say we decided this was cruel and unusual punishment to make a 10 year old boy sick from a few simple chores.