Kevin, after he’s finished vacuuming: So, why did you space all the furniture out so much?
Me: Well, I need room for a 6′ table in the middle, so Noelle Allen (or her staff person) can set up the SLOWFIRE ceramics there.
Kevin: Oh, makes sense.
I think what I love about this exchange is that when I moved the furniture and asked him to vacuum, he didn’t question it — he just went ahead and vacuumed. When I’m in prepping-for-an-event mode, I think my family mostly has gotten used to just following orders. 
Well, the children have gotten used to hiding upstairs in order to avoid being assigned chores, at least until I text and make them come down to help…
