Helper

Emma LOVES to help Joel or I with whatever WE ARE doing (note: it's a little different when we ask her to do her own chore). Just the other night, I found a few moments where Sam was contained so I grabbed by perennial shears and darted outside to dead head (or pretend to know what I'm doing w/ my perennials). Mere moments later, Emma had found our kitchen shears and was right next to me (I-could-feel-her-body-heat-close), doing the same thing. It was dog-gone cute.

And, I'll admit, there are many times (well, most times) when it's easier and quicker for me JUST TO DO IT MYSELF...when I don't have to stop to explain + show + teach what I'm doing. This is when I look to heaven and beg God to give me just ONE MORE OUNCE of patience. Plus, I'm always preaching this ("Please be patient and involve your kids with what you're doing...life is a learning process...and this will show them...yada yada yada...") to Joel, so how can I not do it myself.

Oh, and again, tonight...I planned to make salsa and fruit smoothies for dinner and Emma asked "when" all day long. She was SO excited to help chop, add, create, taste, etc...and again, my patience meter was hovering on "LOW FUEL" (especially after I realized my dumb mistake of adding about 16 frozen bananas too many to my poor smoothie-maker-that-could) but we made it through and she was so proud to have helped.

Anyhow, all that to say that Joel is FAR BETTER than I am at letting our little people help, when they are able to. He is 100% more patient and an adorable, kind teacher. See him (and Emma) in action below (Joel was trying to hurry up and surprise me, before I got home, by replacing our 46, glaring brass knobs with our new, matte black knobs).