I wanna do my chores Mommy!

This week I have been fighting one nasty cold, which has made me one lazy Mom. I have finally gotten my kids into nice chore routine. They almost crave that structure that desire to help me each day. Its great and its been such a big help for me. But as we all know there are just some chores a child cant do alone. One of them being mopping. The one chore Tyler begged for from the minute he woke up. I held of all morning with excuses that Mommy had to shower and get kids ready for school. I told him we could do it in the afternoon after school.

What was I thinking. I am the most exhausted in the afternoons and this nasty cold didnt help in that department. To be honest I just didnt want to do it at all. I didnt want to get the mop bucket all ready. I didnt want to clear the floor and sweep, and I didnt want to referee his younger brothers and the dog during this chore. I just wanted the kids to go outside play in the dirt and let mommy pass out on the couch for a couple of minutes. But today I had to remind myself the importance of being selfless, the importance of digging deep and finding strength and energy beyond understanding.....beyond my mortal capacity as a Mother.

I splashed some cold water on my face stood up on my feet and helped Tyler follow through with his most favorite chore of the day. And you wanna know what. I let him do it all by himself. And he did such a great job. He even drew this caution sign and hung it outside the bathroom door for his younger brothers.

What's normally my witching hour around the house ended up being quit lovely. I placed the dog in the backyard, put the two younger boys in the toy room with their dump trucks, and I kicked my feet up on the couch while Tyler mopped his little heart out for 45 minutes. I didnt set a time limit. I didnt check to see if the bathroom was flooded, I just trusted his desire to help and willingness to succeed and let him do his job. The house was the quietest it has ever been in a long time this afternoon. I learned today that enforcing chores even when Im sick is one of the best ways to tame their immense amount of energy....and focus it in a positive uplifting way rather then destructive and chaotic. Motherhood is one of the most selfless jobs in the world, but the only job rewarded with the most blessings. Today seeing a smile on my sons face while mopping the bathroom was one of those moments where I saw passion for service in my his eyes and a desire and eagerness to help. He wouldnt have gained that skill if it wernt for my willingness to put my own desires and feelings aside. I just love being a Mommy and the life lessons it teaches me. Thank for your helping today Tyler, its nice to have a clean fresh bathroom now.