With a Little Help From My Son

This past weekend, I had to take down the play set in our backyard (for our upcoming move). Calfgrit4 wanted to help me, and that worried me. Usually when either of the boys “help” me, any task takes twice as long to accomplish. And since I figured this big project would take a few hours by myself, I feared it would take all freakin’ day with little hands “helping.”

As it turned out out, it took about 6 hours to completely take apart and remove, but CG4 was actually good help and didn’t hold me up at all. As I removed screws and bolts from the set, he collected them and took them over to the outdoor table on the patio. He even kept them separated by type.

Sometimes he was right there waiting for the pieces as I removed them, and so would take three or four at a time and then come right back. Sometimes he got distracted or played a few minutes before coming back, and then he collected dozen at a time. But he never left me waiting with a lot of stuff in my way.

He was attentive and happy to be working with me. And I was happy to have him with me. Not only was it just fun having my 4-year-old son hanging out with me all day, but his dealing with the screws and bolts like he was saved me the effort and trouble of having to climb down and take the stuff to the side, myself.

We took a break at midday to go inside for lunch and a nap (it was 95 degrees at noon). He didn’t want me going back out to work until he woke up, so I got a little nap of my own. When he woke up, the first thing he said to Cowgrit was, “I need to go help Dad finish taking the play set down.” We went back out together and finished the project.

Calfgrit8 was sick over the weekend with strep throat, so he stayed inside. For a while he was in my and Cowgrit’s bed with the big window blinds open so he could watch us working. CG4 would occasionally wave at the window. We couldn’t see CG8 through the glass because of the bright sun, but CG4 still waved blindly and happily.

Man, I’ve got some wonderful sons. (Except when they drop my cell phone into their water cup.)

Bullgrit