Busy, busy, busy...

As they approach the cusp of turning four, both Elena and Clara have become increasingly helpful around the house.  Not only does this help us get more done than we ever have before, but it makes all of the tasks more fun, too!  Today they helped out a lot in the garden, watering and weeding.

Here's Elena, tending to the spinach:

And then watering the mint:

 

 And then watering the poppies:

 

 Finally, she watered the broccoli she planted - each of us picked something special to plant in the garden this year, and broccoli was her choice.  Can you see the baby broccoli in the middle there?

 

Elena was smart enough to stop her work and take a moment to smell the flowers (in this case, the peonies we planted in memory and celebration of Christina's grandmother).

Clara took a sniff, too - nothing smells better than a peony - nothing!

Then Clara got to work, both watering and petting the moss.

Clara chose to plant carrots this year, and she diligently went up and down the row giving them water.

She also gave the spinach some attention (with both girls focused on it, it should grow so well!).

Both girls call these tomatoes (don't you love the name of them?) potatoes.  This is an oddly persistent misunderstanding they have - they do it to both the plant and the resulting fruit/vegetable!

 

Once we were done in the garden, Clara helped Christina make the beds.  She said that this bed was her "massage table" and asked Christina to give her a massage (which she pronounces Mashage).  Within a minute, it was clear the mashage had turned into an impromptu nap (which they had otherwise given up in May).

 

Elena, meanwhile, helped Steve repair the asphalt cracks.  Her form of assistance came in the form of telling Steve that he is her special dad, and that she loves him so much.  "You know how much, Daddy?" It turns out it is three claps worth, and her arms spread as far as she can spread them.

 

It is so nice to be this kind of busy!