My Right-Hand Man

One of the challenges of doing homeschool with Ruth is what to do with Weston. We try to include him in as many of the lessons as possible by giving him little assignments and engaging him in the stories, but his attention span is only so long, and my fear is that he will begin to feel neglected. To combat this, I make a point of spending some time doing something with just him during the day. To this end, he has become my right-hand man. Today, he helped with the laundry--oh the thrill of pushing the elevator button, riding on the elevator, carrying the detergent, loading the washer and dryer, peering down into the floor drain, putting lint in the trash can and watching the things in the dryer go round and round! Things only a child can truly appreciate, because as adults these things have managed to become a chore rather than a never-ending supply of adventure and fun. He also helped with defrosting the freezer, weilding the hairdryer like a soldier on a mission and delighting at the drip of water onto his toes and the floor. Not to mention the satisfying crash of huge chunks of ice being thrown into the sink. And he also helped me unload the groceries, carrying the heavy bags to the kitchen like a man and inspecting the contents to ensure our dining pleasure in the days to come. It was beautiful to watch his enthusiasm for these things, even as my enthusiasm waned. He enjoyed the day as much as any we've had on the beach or in the pool or being out and about, and he was so proud of himself for being such a good helper. I was reminded to find joy in the mudane and that it's not so much about the task but about the attitude with which it is approached. (Laundry can be fun. Say it with me). It was humbling and exhilerating and really sort of freeing. But best of all was spending a portion of the day with my little man and knowing that there is nothing else on earth that he would rather do than spend some time with me.