Helper Penny

For all the frustrations of dealing with a toddler, part of the benefit of Penny's drive towards independence is that she will often try to help us do things. She has certain "chores" that she is required to do including picking up her clothes after her bath and putting them in the dirty clothes basket, and I also have her put the napkins on the table at meal time. I always try to give her something to help me carry into the house when we get home from the grocery store (this also helps get her into the house instead of her taking off running across the yard towards the road and giving me a heart attack). She also helps us empty the dishwasher by pulling the things out one by one and handing them to me/us (I always get out the sharp knives first). If I'm feeling generous I'll let her stand up on a stool and put the silverware away as I hand it to her, but it is so infernally slow that I don't do it often. Anyway, she often looks for ways to "help" us like above (taken before Christmas when I was moving some pieces of wood into the shop/storage building. She wanted to help me carry each piece. She really likes to feel useful. :)

Here she is "helping" me balance on the flower bed edging. What? Not every task can be full of meaning.