Time to earn your keep, boy!

Perrin loves doing chores. I'm not sure where he got that from... certainly not me or Trey. But we figure we ought to take full advantage of his helpful attitude before he realizes that chores really aren't that fun after all. So I've been putting him to work. Here are his regular tasks:

1. Feed the dog. Theoretically, all this involves is Perrin scooping a cupful of dog food and pouring it into Molly's bowl. In reality, it's more like Perrin scooping up dog food and pouring half into Molly's bowl, half onto the floor, then diving back into the food container and shoving as many pieces into his mouth as he can before I can get to him. The half-chewed globs usually go to Molly... if I can salvage them in time.  

2. Take out the bathroom trash. This is easily Perrin's favorite chore. If he sees me bagging up the trash, he runs and grabs it from me and yells, "Grash! Grash!" (Trash). We go outside together and I lift him up so he can throw it in the trash can. The only problem is that he likes to hang onto the bag for a while, peering into the mysterious depths of the big, outdoor garbage can. And let me tell you, if there are some dirty diapers or chicken bones out there, it gets stinky in a hurry. Sometimes I'm holding Perrin with one hand, holding the lid with the other, and begging him to please, please toss the trash in so I can close the lid. The smell doesn't seem to bother him. I guess if you don't mind sitting around in your own poop, a little garbage smell isn't going to bother you much either.

3. Pick up toys. It's amazing how even very young toddlers can learn to put toys away in a box. Perrin was doing this before he could even walk, so I guess you could say he's had lots of experience. Here's my issue with it: sometimes getting Perrin to put away his toys ends up causing more of a mess. Sometimes he misses the box. Sometimes he gets distracted while cleaning and finds new toys to play with before he's finished picking up the old ones. And sometimes he gets a little TOO into cleaning and starts throwing virtually everything into the toy box--including sippy cups (think week-old milk at the bottom of a toy chest...ew), remote controls (fast-forward several hours and Trey and I are looking everywhere trying to find the dang thing), library books (we've donated lots of money to them this year--against our will), and DVDs (no cases, thoroughly scratched).

4. Help with laundry. When Perrin sees the laundry baskets come out, the first thing he wants to do is go for a ride. So I push him around for a bit, then it's time to get down to business. Perrin climbs on top of an ice chest by our washing machine and helps throw the laundry in. He also spends a significant amount of time splashing the water out. When it's time to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer, he's happy to help. I'll hand him small articles like socks or underwear, which he'll drop on the floor at least twice before hurling into the dryer.

And then there are other chores that he tries to help with but just can't. He is constantly dragging my broom out and attempting to sweep the floor like Mommy. If he can manage to control the broom for even half a second, the most he accomplishes is to relocate the dog hair from one spot to another.

He also desperately wants to help with dishes, but he gets confused about whether we're taking things out of the dishwasher or putting things in. If he decides we're taking things out, he'll grab anything he can reach and dump it into the silverware drawer. He hasn't quite figured out that not everything goes in that one tiny drawer. If he decides we're putting things in the dishwasher, he'll grab anything in reach--which usually ends up being a box of crackers or a can of beans from the pantry--and start loading. I appreciate the sentiment, but sometimes I wish he'd just go watch some TV.

Cutest chicken in the world

Guess who won Best Costume at the Sherwood Forest Halloween Festival... our cute little chicken! He even makes adorable chicken noises (bawk bawk bawk)! Good call, judges.