The proof is in the pudding

So today was scramble-and-clean-the-house-because-I-know-I'm-not-going-to-have-time-to-do-it-over-the-weekend day (that's a mouthful).

Confession time: One thing I haven't quite kept up is the weekly schedule that I created in the spring. We are out for so much of the day and doing a variety of summer activities, I find it really hard to stick to a schedule of chores. So I've been doing big cleans twice a week during my daughter's hour nap in the afternoon (according to the books she should be sleeping from 2-3 hours, but my kids never go by the books). The big change is that now that the house is actually tidy, I don't have to work through the mounds of stuff I did before, so it works really well.

So, back to my point. Today was clean the first floor day. Alexander loves to help clean and plays such an active role in keeping the house tidy that it actually surprises me. We made him clean up toys and such before, but now he likes to help vacuum, dust (thank god someone is willing to do it because I hate doing it) and mop the floors as well, and cleans up after his messes instead of just getting me to do it.

Case and point, he dropped an open container of apple sauce yesterday and spent all of 10 minutes in the kitchen attempting to pick it all up with paper towel. HE wanted to do it, I was going to do it for him. He didn't want my help and about half a paper towel roll later he finally got it done to a three year old child's standards. I was super proud and so was he. Although when I offered him another apple sauce he sighed and said they were too much work, lol.

Today, he mopped the floors in the kitchen and even got the corner of my base cabinets where all the yuckies like to collect. He then moved to the dining room and did the floors there and actually noticed that the floor was the dirtiest under his chair. His words to this realization "Mama, I's gots to be more careful when I eating. So i don't make a mess on the foor." Ah, bless his heart. He actually was more careful at dinner that night. He sat in Daddy's spot ;)

Alexander is such a helper and it makes him so proud. These recent changes in his behaviour have shown me that he is learning from the example I am setting.

And before people start to think I'm running a slave labour camp here, Alexander has picked these things up all by himself. Because of his age, his actual chores are limited to picking up his toys, wiping down his chalk board and putting his clothes in the laundry basket.

Add to the list taking out the recycling and garbage only because he is currently totally in to anything that has to do with waste management, as I think most boys go through at one time or another.

His "great helper" (that is what he calls himself) has also really changed his daily behaviour, so much so that both Peter and I are making an effort to slow down and let him take part in more activities around the house, like the cooking, garden work and grocery shopping.

But, more on that tomorrow. Today I am basking in the glow of my shiny wood floors, complements of my "great helper", knowing that he went to sleep feeling like a very proud little man.

Cheers!