When I was a kid I occassionally had to muck out the milking stall. We did not have a "barn" like most people think when the think "farm." There were various shelters around that the animals used in inclement weather, rabbit hutches and chicken sheds, and milking stations scattered willy-nilly about the place. It actually served to keep the concentration of "ick" down. The stall where we milked the cow was the one place that would get thick and deep. Luckily, as it was hard, backbreaking type labor, it usually was my brother's job - you know, a "manly" endeavor. Then he graduated and left home. Being the youngest means EVERYTHING gets handed down, including chores.
Living on a fairly dysfunctional farm taught me a lot, and the joy of working all day on physically difficult, mind-numbing projects, that end in obvious accomplishment is one of my favorite lessons. A lesson that I was able to pass on to my daughter yesterday. We spent the day cleaning her room. Really cleaning. We threw out 3 large bags of stuff, have 5 more ready to go to Goodwill. Vacuumed, dusted, pulled the old carpet out of her closet, rearranged furniture, debated over what stayed, what got tossed. And it is DONE.
Realize - her room is never "dirty" but, she may have acquired the pack-rat gene that runs strong in my family, and stronger in her Dad's. Yet, she overcame most of it, and we spent the day with only one 5-minute tense moment, followed by her having lunch, and us getting back to work. She is a child that thrives on organization, and she is now prepared for "back-to-school." I love having a happy child. She expressed (hugs and verbalized!) appreciation for my help, and a sense of pride that includes REALLY wanting her friends to come see her "new" room.
On another note - we are days from ordering the 2010 WildChildPics calendars. Yay - it is all coming together.
No comments:
Post a Comment