My Helper

My Kane is now 3, and loves to help with chores. I cloth diaper the youngest of our crew, and I use pocket diapers. Which means ever other day or so, I wash all of the diapers, then have to stuff the liners in the covers as well as fold the "wipes," which in our house are white wash cloths. A few weeks ago, Kane and I were sick, so Bella went to stay with Pap and Nanny for a few days. Max was playing, waiting for a diaper to be stuffed for his bare buns, and Kane was helping me sort covers and liners so I could do just that. He quickly tired of sorting those, mostly because I couldn't stuff them as fast as he was handing them to me, and decided to try his hand at folding wipes. "I can do it" are his favorite words, my little independent soul. I watched as he gently picked up the wipe and held it under his chin. He then pulled the bottom edge up to the top.

He carefully grabbed the ends and let it out from under his chin...

...folding it in half once more. Then he simply put it on the pile of wipes, looked at me with a heart-warming grin, said, "See? I told you I can do it!" and grabbed another wipe. At which time I grabbed my camera and, while greatly praising him for a job well done, asked if I could take pictures of his accomplishment. While snapping these photos, I marveled over the fact that my little guy had never folded anything before. But of course he is ever watching all that I do. And it made me realize how important all my actions are. Not just towel-folding, of course, but many more important things. With the weight of Adam's demanding schedule, my stress levels have gone up and my patience has gone down. This has made for a grumpy Mama, and I can see it effecting my kids. They are snappy with each other, and I cannot blame them, because I am teaching them to be that way. A quick-tempered, low-patience attitude only breeds grouchy, quick-tempered, low-patience children. I know that I have to turn this train around soon before it jumps completely off the tracks... But recognition of a problem is half of the battle to solving it.

So today, with all of the kids walking past our house to go to school, we went home-school shopping and stocked up on work books, pencils and erasers, markers, and other fun things. Like white wrapping paper to feet-paint on. I might have to dive in and participate in that one. How fun will it be to dip our feet in paint and walk around making art??? These things that occupy their minds always make for happier children. And we are on a only-one-Veggie-Tale-a-day week. I am striving to head down the right path with them again. And as #3 wakes up, I will go exercise my patience and tolerance in getting my teething babe back to sleep before #2 wakes up!