Daddy's Helper

Ben has always been our Number One Helper. If there is a physical task to be completed or an errand to be run, Ben will help out whether you want/need him to or not. As I'm sure all parents do, we have gotten good at knowing which chores to do stealthily (or after bedtime) and for which ones to openly advertise that we are in need of "help."

This summer, Ben has taken to "assisting" Daddy with the lawn mowing. Although he is not allowed to get too close while the mower is running, he is quite content to either follow Daddy's every move (forward and backward) or walk 10 feet in front of him gesturing with his hands (you know, the kind of motions that airport workers use to direct airplanes?) to show Daddy where to mow next. It's hysterically cute to watch!

Here's my Lawn Crew emptying the mower bag.

This is Ben in "follow mode." Poor Jim. He used to covet his uninterrupted "lawn time" just to listen to his own music and think his own thoughts... I suppose some day, he'll look behind him and miss his little apprentice...

And last but not least, the Crew cleans the equipment before calling it a day. So how old do you have to be before you can operate a lawn mower, anyway? 5 1/2...6...?