Good Work

I.10 is sick and teething.  He has had a very rough 3 days.

Today at lunch I decided that this baby would sleep for a long time this afternoon no matter what.  I left the kids at the table with these instructions, "Finish your lunch, do your after-lunch chores, and be ready for dictation when I come up.  I may not be up quite on time, but I want you to be nearby and ready."

I went downstairs to rock the baby.

He was miserable and cried for so very long while I rocked and sang and rocked and sang.  Finally he fell asleep, so I carried him up the stairs to put him in his bed.  I'd head lots of movement after lunch was done, but was unsure of what I would find.

How happy I was to see a cleared and wiped table and a swept floor in the kitchen!
How happy I was to see a tidy bathroom!
How happy I was to hear the washer and dryer running with fresh load of laundry!

They are regular children who quarrel, mess around, and argue back about doing their chores, but today they did them and did them well!  Today, when I really needed to spend time with our sick baby, they came through.

They were also close at hand and ready to begin their dictation exercise.

I thanked them profusely . . . and I think I'll thank them again at dinner tonight.

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