Somebody Pinch Me!

We've had such a good spring break (apart from one minor detail that I'm trying to not let ruin it for me).  It has been soooo good to have a slower pace.  My parents took our kids for the weekend to Audrey's birthday.  I was sad to miss but also couldn't pack my nearly 37 week pregnant body into a car for 4 hours.  And it gave Mike and I the perfect chance to pack up & me to rest up.  It worked out so nicely.  So that little break helped to start us out on the right foot.

I have been able to feel my tension with Peter lately so have been praying for God to help me love him better.  It can be a tricky prayer b/c who knows what that is going to look like.  But the slower pace this week has helped me to be more intentional to connect with him and slow down and engage with him, not rush him.  

On Monday, I was resting/napping on the couch and Peter wanted a sandwich, so I thought he was going to make himself a PB sandwich- cool.  I woke up to find that he'd made a chocolate syrup sandwich.  (!!! & part laughter)  But the frustrating part was that he'd gotten chocolate syrup everywhere- table, clothes, floor, and his bed, and shower curtain!!  I just didn't know what to do, how to adequately punish this, get my point across.  So I called Mike.  He told me to figure it out.  ;)  So quick moment of 'God, help me' and He totally did.  I decided to have him clean it all up.  Normally, I just feel like there isn't time for that.  But its spring break.  So we got the dishcloth and he wiped and scrubbed, wiped and scrubbed.  I told him that he'd have to do the laundry.  Each machine was full.  So he'd have to empty and switch each one.  I walked him through it but he did it.  Then we started each one on the next load.  To my shock, he sorta liked it.  What on earth?!

We went upstairs and then wiped and scrubbed, took off pillow cases with chocolate syrup and added those to the wash.  Later I found some on the shower curtain.  So I told him that the next morning, he'd have to take down the curtain, switch all the laundry again, and wash that.  

He is our early bird.  The next morning, Mike and I are still in bed, and he comes in our room with an arm full of the dry laundry so he can get started.  WHAT ON EARTH?!  WHO IS THIS KID?

He does the process all again and does a good job.  This is so crazy.  He is focused.  He doesn't normally focus on things besides Legos and books. 

Today, I needed him to help me again.  So I shout down from upstairs to ask him to switch all the laundry for me.  And he totally does it.  What?!  We are still working on the process and order of what goes where when....  i.e., The dirty laundry in the basket doesn't go in the dryer. And talking about washing darks and lights separately.  But he really likes the process I think and focuses.  And what good OT!  He has to climb up and down on the chair, using his core to reach in and get the clothes, his shoulders and arms to move the clothes, hands to turn the knobs.  Who knows where this will go.  But I've enjoyed the encouragement of him engaging in something that is helpful.  

King of the Laundry!