Ginger Flashback

Ginger had such a great attitude while cleaning this morning, she didn't want to stop!  She used to always have that kind of attitude about helping out, but I can see her willingness fade as the days go by. I'm not sure how many I have left (sob!).  

Ginger used to help around the house, unbidden, all of the time when she was younger.  So much so, that it was quite shocking to Rophone and me-- none of our other kids have even come close to her level of helpfulness.  When Ginger had just turned 4, and I was hugely pregnant with Bud, we had this Ginger experience:

It was early on a Sunday morning and Rophone and I were snuggling in our bed trying to get just a few more minutes of sleep while Ginger, always an early riser, was puttering around. I could hear some clinking noises coming from the kitchen, but wasn't too concerned because my kids just don't cause trouble that way (especially not at age 4). It wasn't until Ginger came into our room and grabbed a stray glass from the dresser that I thought to ask her what she was up to. She replied, "It's okay, go back to sleep. I'm just doing the dishes." Okay, then!

A little while later, Ginger came into our room to ask me if she could fold the laundry (I had washed a load of towels the night before and they were in a basket on the floor at the end of our bed). " Sure, Ginger!  Why the heck not!" (or something to that effect) was my answer. So, Ginger quietly folded towels and stacked them neatly on the end of our bed while Rophone and I slept. (Well, I wasn't really sleeping at this point. I was much too amazed by what my 4 year old was doing! I felt no desire to get up, however. I mean, why would I? There was no need!)

The capper was when, after folding laundry, Ginger came up and tapped me on the shoulder, "Mom, Mom!". I cracked my eyes open and asked her what she needed. She pulled on the skin around her eyes and questioned (with much anxiety in her voice), "Mom, do I have wrinkles?!"  Ah, Ginger, my 40 year old 4 year old!