Helper

This has been a tiring week for me.  I've been sick, Primary has been a huge morass of unfilled callings and upcoming events, and sleep deprivation has set in big time.  But today I had the best helper ever. 

In the morning, Jed shouted at me as I walked by with a load of laundry "Mom, is it ok if we use these wipes to clean the drawers?  We hate these black spots.  Also, we are going to clean the walls."  Well, a woman can't turn down an offer like that!  I offered spray bottles and sponges, which pretty much sent them over the moon with excitement.  Before long all the walls had been sprayed down below three feet and surprisingly, much of it had been wiped down, too.

After lunch, we read books for quiet time.  Zane sat bright eyed and bushy tailed in his baby bouncer.  I sighed, wishing for a nap but realizing it probably wouldn't happen today.  As I got up, though, Jed asked "Mom, can't baby stay with me?  I will take really good care of him."  Hmmmm.  Seemed ill advised at first, but as I thought about it, I couldn't think why.  Usually Zane slept by himself in the front room during quiet time.  Jed takes excellent care of the baby and knows all the important things (never pick him up, never put anything over his face, etc.) and is probably better at keeping an eye on him than I am.  (OK, he is better.  Jed is a most solicitous elder brother and I am a fairly distracted mother.)  So, I decided to give it a try.  I told Jed that if the baby started to fuss, he should come gently tap me on the shoulder and I would come get Zane.  "Don't worry, Mom, if he starts to cry I just put the binky in his mouth!" I left both bedroom doors open so I could keep a close ear out for how things were going in there from just across the hall.  Baby cried for a second, the binky went in, and then he was quiet.  After about 10 minutes I peeked in the door.  Zane, bound up tightly in his blanket and strapped in his seat, sat there, alert, binky furiously wiggling in his mouth.  Jed sat right in front of him with an array of toy trucks and machines, telling Zane a story in a quiet voice, occasionally punctuated with the appropriate sound effects.  I checked in a little later and Zane was fast asleep, Jed sat on his bed reading books.  Then I fall asleep.  When I woke up 45 minutes later, everyone was right where I had left them.  So lovely!

Fast forward to this evening.  Michael was an hour late at work (they're at a busy time finishing off the quarter or somesuch), and I was running to tend the kids and get dinner on the table to eat during the 15 minute gap when we would all be home together before I was off to the church for meetings.  I had both the kids up at the counter helping assemble the pizza, but Zane sat on the floor and cried and cried and cried.  I knew he was hungry, and I just wasn't getting it all done in time.  I looked at the pizza.  I looked at Jed.  "Jed, do you think you could put the pepperoni and sausage on for me?" "Sure Mom!  The whole package?!"  "Sure."  I picked Zane up and sat on the couch, listening to Jed coaching Zoe in the kitchen.   ("NO, Zoe, don't eat it all!  Only one piece!")  When he finished I went in to check and wow he had done a fabulous job.  Then I asked him if he wanted to do the cheese.  I continued nursing and he happily spread cheese all over the pizza and a portion of the floor, but really quite good for a first timer.  "I put on extra cheese, Mom, because I know how much Dad loves cheese!"  By the time Michael got in the door, the pizza was totally finished, the oven hot, and Zane's belly pleasantly full.  We popped the pizza in and a five minutes later dinner was on the table.  I never could have done it without Jed's help.  He has really turned into an awesome little helper.  Tonight I wrote him a little love note telling him how much I appreciated his help today.  He likes that sort of thing.