When We're Helping

Sometimes the children love to help. Since it is hard for me to work in the front yard and keep the children out of the street at the same time, I work in the backyard when I have a free moment or two so that they children can play. Tonight they wanted to help by dragging some branches to the pile in the front yard. I walked around the house to check on them - they had been rolling the bigger pieces down the neighbor's driveway. After that mess was cleaned up, we went back to the back yard. Each of the children brought me some flowers that they had picked. I told them the flowers were very nice and thanked them for picking them for me, and then I asked them to set them aside until I was finished digging up some dead weeds. Ignore these children at your peril. I thought I heard snatches of conversation about Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa, and people who "live" at our church. After a while they were very anxious for me to see the surprise they had for me. Yes, they had picked just about every flower in the backyard and thoughtfully laid them out on the kitchen island. They were so proud of themselves for doing such a nice thing for me, their grandparents, and for everyone at church. Thanks, children! Now, if only I could convince them that pinecones are worth collecting...