I got a call early Friday morning from my brother asking if I had a kid or two free to come shovel a ditch. Now I have to admit I have never shoveled ditch, or not far enough to seer into my memory. I said sure but I have to get some kids to the dentist first then we will come. So after another fun trip to the dentist. Anna to get a retainer to hold her teeth in while she sleeps and Addie to get an abscessed tooth pulled, and lots of town errands we got home. We hurriedly ate and rounded up shovels, gloves, and boots and headed out. Because I had been gone all morning I took all the kids knowing our success rate would be higher with fresh hands and arms to trade-off and on, and I would be happier not worrying about what was happening at home. It turned out fine fields, ditches and mud are dreamy play places for kiddos.
It was a cloudy cool day. Thank goodness this would have been way harder in 80 degrees plus. And so when we got to the field they started shoveling.
Onion skins had piled up in the ditch catching the fine silt allowing weeds to grow. It was deep in places. And mud is heavy.
However the younger ones got sick of merely watching and had to try a few scopes themselves. They got mud out. I love their little piles.
I know why we have child labor laws I get the need to go to school and play. I also know the curiosity and challenge that builds confidence comes from being able to work. Reed, shoeless and all, hung in for the last half of the adventure.
John got the perfect shovel and would not trade. Harold was quite put out and tried many times to get it away from John. But to John's credit he just kept working to prevent that from happening. All the kids did a lot of shoveling but I think John may have been the steadiest just because he was protecting his shovel. It was just the right weight and size.
Everyone was a muddy mess. Livy had a great time playing in the sloppy silt. Afton thought she was in heaven running around playing in dirt and mud and falling and rolling in it too. Millie spent a lot of time in the car reading books. Thank goodness for washers and baths.
Finished!! We raced to the end to be able to show Uncle Kevin our completed work as he too drove out of the field. Yay! 4 + hours of 5-7 kids shoveling. A great feeling. And for all their tiredness the kids did run to the car.
Of course being near the donut town we had to take the edge off their ravenous hunger. So we got two boxes of donuts and a gallon of water and headed fro home. After a donut or two most of the kids took a snooze.
When I was younger I was the strong worker. I tackled hard projects and got them done. Now as the mom I feel old and weak. Carrying around Afton for a couple hours and calling out "Work, get to work" is a big change. I played to roll of boatswain. You know the small person who sits at the front of the boat calling out the rhythm to keep the rowing crew in time and moving best.... yes mom the boatswain keeping the crew safe and moving. A lot different than just jumping in and doing it. But I'm proud of my kiddos, I'm thankful they had the experience- often- it seems to take on big hard projects and get them done. I told them they should be nice to each other because alone or even with two this would have been a nightmare.
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