everyone is happy and i have clean floors

ben is a high energy kid. like non-stop morning to night. there is no slow wake up, easing into the day. he is usually jumping up and down in his crib shouting, "I'm awake, I'm awake! Mommy it's wake up time!" the instant he wakes up. and from that moment until the sun goes down, i am looking for activities to channel that energy...and trying to keep up with him.

he loves projects. helping around the house. and all yard work. and wants to do it all by himself. "i do it. i do it. i do it all by myself!" and i think he is just now old enough to actually be helpful with these chores.....or "super fun home activities" we'll call them. for instance he oiled all the wooden furniture in the house this week with old english wipes. i'm totally serious. (i should disclose that i gave him the choice of nap time or oiling furniture and in an effort to avoid sleep forever, he choose oiling furniture!) and learned the difference between wood, leather, and fabric. he also wiped his face with an old english wipe. maybe i should have called poison control? that's not the point of this post.

most recently i have discovered that ben LOVES to mop the floor. for real. cries if i am mopping and won't let him help. and he is it actually really good at it. he can see where he's mopped b/c it's wet, and just wanders around the kitchen and living room looking for dry spots to mop.

and when i'm having a bad day. and high energy ben is driving me crazy. we get out the mop. he expels some of his energy. my floor is clean. and EVERYONE is happy! really really happy.

i am actually thinking of making a good old fashions chores chart for us. so we have something planned to do in the mornings while lyle is napping a few days a week. don't get me wrong....the kid likes to color and make play dough pancakes, but he loves big grown up activities and "projects!"