Surpise, surprise.

This evening the kids and I went to my sister’s house and cleaned it for her as a surprise while her and Jake were shopping in Jackson. She has been a bit overwhelmed these days and when I was overwhelmed with my babies she used to come over and do the same for me while I was out. It always feels good to help someone out, especially as a surprise. But the amazing thing about tonight is that I got to show my kids how great that feels. At first they weren’t so keen on the whole “cleaning” idea. Kate was quicker to join in than the boys. After she joined in I just started giving the boys odd jobs. At first they complained, but then when Michael pulled in the drive they thought it was Jake and Jess. They ran up the stairs yelling, “they are here, they are here!” After they realized it was their dad they began cleaning faster with more excitement now. So all of us scurried around putting the house together. It was so great to teach my kids the joy in helping someone else. When Jess got home she called, Kate was still out of bed and was grinning ear to ear when she heard how excited my sister was over the speaker phone. I remember my mom doing the same with us when we were kids. So I am glad I am passing it on. I would love to hear some of the things you would like to pass on to your kids if you want to share.