Special Day

These are Nathalie's Special Cookies. Today I woke very tired, just groggy and sleepy. I had a number of things that could be done today, yard work, barn work or housework. I chose the housework. I closed windows and doors and turned on the air, I have done this one other day this summer. I am cheap... But it was so very humid from days of heat and rain, and the house was just damp and hot. I said to a friend on the phone that I had a list of housework to do bc I cant just "take a day off."
Nathalie was listening from the living room and she got up and began to work and here is her list of accomplishments:
Unloaded clean dishes
loaded dirty dishes
wiped down all cabinets
swept dining room and kitchen for big pieces
vacuumed dining room, kitchen and living room
Cleaned up clutter

This was after she had gone out to do chores with me, she did all the chores except milking including feeding and watering chickens and 3 barn fulls of goats!

Now during this I was helping her with a few parts, like soaking dirty dishes that couldnt go in dishwasher and I started laundry. She has also folded 2 loads of laundry today.


As a special treat for her choosing to do all this work without being asked, I gave her:
3 quarters, she loves change
let her and Tad help me make cookies and let them each eat FIVE
(the cookies were in her honor of course)
Let them pick special games and had a game afternoon
Read new books that Nana sent her

This picture is Tad after losing the second game. Nathalie beat us badly both times! Luck smiled on her for kindness.


A pan full of cookies, the kids put them on baking sheets. Tad, not being a jealous child, thanked his sister repeatedly for her initiative in cleaning because it caused us to HAVE game and cookie day! The kids have had problems since Frank left with arguing, fussing about clean up etc. This is day 4 of the good behaviour. They are both doing wonderful with this, but Nathalie is the one who had a harder time with work since he left. She felt lazy... Until today!

My children cooking, Nathalie is wearing last yrs dress/tunic, and Tad is quite tanned! They both started swimming lessons last night, more blogging on that later. We will need to have a party for this as well since Tad is a fabulous swimmer and always has been and for the first year ever, Nathalie IS swimming!

Tads nice muscles, my he looks like Frank here! He is of course, in the daddy jeans.

Nathalie often needs to bite her tongue while working, I dont think she will bite it off. My mom has lived since Noahs time and she still has her tongue! This picture shows the nice clean kitchen.

Nathalie doesnt like the black and white, this picture is showing her nice clean floor you understand.

Nathalie feels very proud of herself. I have made it a huge deal that she worked so hard just to be sweet. I didnt ask her to do anything, I would have split the chores among all of us. Tad did work too, he accomplished his chore list. But by no means would I want him to feel he has to do the same thing as her to be kind, so we all had a great time together. He gives her the credit for an extra fun day, and they both agree that being good and helpful is better than being in trouble for arguing... In their defense, they really miss Frank.

In his defense, in case he feels bad, he is a wonderful daddy and husband even when afar. We get more phonecalls, emails and packages than most spouses/families combined. He pays as much attention to us as possible and we love him even more for it. So yes, he gets cookies too. Nathalie made him a bag of cookies and we will mail them first thing in the morning. Now, I am off to swim lessons to watch my fabulous kids play at fish.