4 Year Old Chores

Ella and Miller have been helping out around the house a lot.  The task that I am most excited about them taking over is taking care of Sage.  That sounds terrible, but it just always seems that Sage gets super needy when I have just started dinner, one child is clinging to my leg crying, another child is thirsty and another has just spilled paint all over the table.  Right in the middle of all that is when I hear the whimpering that signals Sage wants to eat or needs some water or needs to go out.  

I first started just asking Ella or Miller (mainly Ella) to let Sage out and recently have been letting Ella feed Sage.  Ella went to a friend's house this afternoon so I did not have my little helper.  When Ella is gone, Miller really loves taking charge of everything.  Like clockwork, as soon as I put the onions in the pan to saute, Sage started her whimpering and then of course Sara Wells woke up (not because of Sage, just everything always happens at once).  Trying to take care of everything at once, I asked Miller to feed Sage.  Since we feed her on the porch, you have to stay close so that you can let her in when she is finished so she will not start whining again.

As I was trying to get the onions sauteed and eggplant chopped before Sara Wells just lost it in her crib or climbed out of the crib and broke a bone, in the back of my mind I thought it might be taking Miller a little long, but I thought he must just be staying outside with Sage while she ate all her food.  Then I hear Miller throw the door open and so proudly yell, "Mommy I fed Sage and then I fed her the whole bag."

I thought, 'Murray just bought the dog food, there is no way he could lift that bag out of the trash can (that we keep it in).  He probably just fed her a lot.'  But knowing in the small chance that he really did dump the bag out I better get out there fast because Sage would eat the whole thing.  And the sheer joy in Miller's eyes hinted that he might just actually have done it.  

I ran out to the porch and found out,

yes, he actually dumped the whole bag out.  This was not the actual scene I found, I had to DRAG Sage inside.  

When I asked Miller how he did it he said, "I just picked the bag up..."

 and dumped it out.  I have really strong muscles."

Me:  Miller you know we only feed Sage a cup full.

Miller:  I know Mommy.  I fed her a cup but she still wanted to eat so I just gave her the whole bag.  It is ok though, she will leave a little bit for the morning.  

He was so excited and proud of himself I just could not keep from laughing.  Thank goodness Murray walked in right as Miller proudly explained to me how he did it so Murray got to clean up the dog food.  The onions did NOT burn and Murray rescued Sara Wells out of her bed.  Whew!  What an afternoon.  You cannot let your guard down for a minute in this house!