Sam the Working Man
A few days ago, we were over at the in-laws helping them out with a little landscaping. I absolutely love this kind of work. Good manual labor to keep the mind sane, cause staring at pixels all day will make you lose your mind. While I tend to enjoy the more physical part of any outdoor job all the whilst getting my hands roughed up and dirty; Melissa prefers the gentile touch of a flowers petal on her hands and loves the aesthetic aspect of working outside. Now that was putting it politely folks. What it really boils down to is her telling me where to put the rock and where to dump the earth, so she can toil away with the flowers and make things pretty. But we are both happy in our roles, don’t get me wrong… It’s Sam that has managed to throw a little monkey-wrench into our outdoor proceedings.
Now that Sam is walking around like no one’s business, he sees fit to oversee any and all adult activity happening at anytime, anywhere. Thus, as we are busily working on his grandparents property, Sam pops over here to point and throw a little rock. Then, he shuffles over there to grab a stray gardening glove, only to walk back over here to place the glove in the hole I just dug, hoping to watch me bury it… So I do.
Bah! If you saw the glove, you’d bury it too! Grandma’s got enough of them anyways! Then you hit this quiet patch where Sam hasn’t come by in the past three minutes, and you know something is up. Sure enough, he’s usually keeping himself busy by destroying flowers or picking up a stray item here and there: like the garden hose.
Now, while having a little foreman running around while we try to get some work done sounds like a cutesy thing; it’s not. Not only is he slowing down the work, because I can’t help but play with him when he comes waddling around, but he might get hurt around all the hoes… Ummm, gardening hoes. So, what better way to keep him occupied than putting the kid to work? Hell, he’s the youngest amongst us; he’s got a good back, endless energy and a basic understanding that he shouldn’t eat dirt. I say put him in the fields! Let him earn his keep! He’s been living free of charge with us for what… 14? 15 months? The free ride is over kiddo!
Yep! Every young man’s got to know how to handle a mower! After all, Sam will have a lawn of his own one day, and as you’ll see below, Sam got plenty of room to practice! Besides, I got him to do the whole yard for 6 ounces of milk and two arrowroot cookies! That’s a great deal!
I have to tell you all that he loved pushing this thing around. He would not leave it for five seconds. If he did, to look at something in the grass, he would suddenly bolt up and run back to it grabbing onto the handle bar tightly… as if we were going to take it away from him. Really Sam! As if Dad would do that! Besides, I like the ones that spit bubbles…
- Sam having just revved up his Fischer Price mower!
- Oops! This is Sam on his way down after tripping on a rock!
- That’s a lot of freakin’ grass…
- I gotta do all this too?!?
- Do I have to prune Grandma’s bush too Grandpa?!?
- After a little help from Dad, Sam’s back on the job!
- Whew! Break time in the shade! That afternoon bottle is gonna be sooo goood!
Next up for Sam, re-carpeting my basement.
Until then, keep working hard and remember to have fun!
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I have a lawn that needs doing, will Sam do it for three cookies?
Deal! Provided you handle the airline ticket!
Done