Perspectives

I started a garden this year. It's my second attempt at one. A few years ago I tried to grow a small garden, but I was like 18 and a half months pregnant and it was the middle of the summer, and well, I just didn't waddle my butt out there to take care of it, and the plants died! I know, shocking, huh?!

This year, I went all out. I have a pretty large area that Dan so kindly tilled up for me (thank you honey, I know it was not something you wanted to do!) I am attempting to grow yellow squash, zucchini, acorn squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, pea pods, watermelon, and cantaloupe (which will probably not grow because I planted the seeds too deep! Finicky seeds like to be just an inch or so below the soil and I thought I should plant 'em 7 or 8 inches below the ground! Oops! Sorry cantaloupe, I'm new at this!)

What's funny about this, to me, about growing a garden, is that I used to HATE to work the garden with my mom and step-dad! I loved the veggies and fruit we would get from it, but detested having to pick and snap and wash and on and on. It was just so much WORK! That dreaded 4 letter word that all kids hate, WORK!

It's funny, though, I guess as you age you find that the things you thought you hated as a kid, can be really cool things as an adult.

Like, here's another one, we used to have to go out to the woods, as a family, and the boys and Jerry would chop a fallen tree up, and I would have to help load the wood into the truck. Again, WORK, I hated it! I just wanted to stay home and play records on my Fisher-Price record player, or play dress-up with my Barbies, anything, but WORK! It was hot and sweaty and boring!

But, now, I wish so much that Dan and I had acres of timber! We'd be out chopping and loading and having a picnic lunch! And my boys would be responsible for helping with it all. Now, to me, that sounds like fun!
Amazing how your perspective changes.

Perspectives have been on my mind a lot lately. Especially because everything we ask Griffin to do, is called WORK by him. And, Gosh, don't you know work is hard?!?!? Well, apparently, if I ask him to clean his room, that is work, and cleaning is hard, and "Mom, I'm not a good cleaner, it will take me forever. You clean it, you're a good cleaner!" Yeah, sweetheart, it's called practice and I've had a good 25 years or so!

Which brings up a conversation we had the other day,
Me: "Griffin, we need to come up with a list of chores for you. You want to earn money, and well, you should. So, Daddy and I are going to come up with a list of chores for you."

Griffin: "Okay, I like money. I need money to buy stuff, so give me some chores, Mom."

I told him Dan and I would talk about it and we'd sit him down soon and tell him what his chores will be and what we will pay him to do them.

So, then, yesterday, we get home and Griffin says
"Mom? Have you and Dad made my chores yet?"

Me: "No, we're still working on it."

Griffin: "Well, I know what they should be. I should have to get up in the morning, and fix my cereal, and eat it. And, I will just ride my bike and listen to you and take a bath."

Oh really, is that right?? You mean I get to pay you for existing! Great!! I think I already do that by putting a roof over your head and cereal in your bowl and a pillow under your head!

Me: "Well, honey, fixing your cereal is something you do for yourself, and it does help us, but I don't think it qualifies as a chore. And, riding your bike, listening to me, and taking a bath are just things you do. So, they're not chores, either."

Griffin: "Huuuuhhhhh? Chores are work, aren't they?"

Me: "Yes."

Griffin: "I don't want any chores, Mom. Chores are work and I DO NOT like WORK, it's hard."

Oh buddy, you have no idea!

So, that made me think about Griffin and his perspective. If Work equals Hard and Play equals Fun, then maybe I should start changing his perspective on fun?
So, I think I'll start making him dress in skirts to ride his bike, and wear a girl's swim suit to go swimming. What do you think? Cruel and Unusual? Or just a new way of changing your child's perspective??? Doing chores doesn't sound so bad if it means not having to go to the pool in a bikini, huh?!?!
****Note to self: Don't forget to take pictures!!