Farmgirl Follies

Group project

Posted by Farmgirl on November 7, 2009

Silence is golden … until you’ve been away and come home to an empty house. I dropped my bags and called up the stairs, “Yoooohooooooo!” No answer.

So I did what I normally do … walked outside and listened. It doesn’t take nine years of motherhood to learn it’s impossible for children to be quiet outside.

And I heard them …

They were in heaven. If there’s one thing my kids love — besides Saturdays,  spending time with Daddy and being outside — it’s painting. I rarely let them participate in my painting projects. Then again, I don’t usually have a set-up like this.

Daddies are brave. Daddies don’t worry about paint on clothing or paint blobs and runs that no one will ever see. I admire daddies. They are missing the worry gene. They think simply:

job needs done

put kids to work to keep them busy

make Mommy happy.

And I was. Very, very happy. The kind of pleased as punch feeling you get when there’s a job to do and someone does it for you, simply because they love you.

They are painting the signs for the Tour of Homes. All I have to do is add arrows and numbers.

When I was in school I hated group projects. Not any more. Maybe it’s age … growing patience … softening of the worry gene … I love help these days. Group projects make life worth living. Group projects help the helpers as much as the one accepting the help.

Pay it forward. The painters are painting. I’m alone in the house. I think I’ll go make them something scrumptious for supper … to reward their hard work on our group project.