Yep, I'm a quitter

I LOVE this kid.

She is my whirlwind. She always has about 50 projects going. Last night she printed out a calendar on word with pictures on all the holidays. I am sure she will have the whole family organized for the summer by this evening.

She also says it like it is. A few weeks ago, she was given the assignment to pooper scooper the backyard. 2 dogs + all winter = BIG JOB. I told her it would be worth $10 if she did the job well. We ran into a few snags. The weather has been terrible here. Lots and lots of rain. She she got half way done with it, but then didn't practice her piano all week and had to put the $5 towards her lesson. So she still had the chance to finish and make the other $5.

Yesterday the weather was decent andthe job needed to be finish so we could mow the law between rain showers. She was sent out with bucket lined with a trash bag and the pooper scooper shovel. 15 mintues later she came in, in tears telling me how her back was hurting from stooping so much. Didn't get far here, even though she said she would rather be GROUNDED to her bedroom all day instead of finish. She then went out and appealed to the higher source, her dad. He let her have a break by feeding the cows and helping do a few jobs in the barn. Then told her she needed to finish the backyard. After a few bargains, excuses and tears, her dad asked her "are you a quitter?". Her response very matter of factly "Yep, yep I am a quitter". She thought that was the end of it. I am a quitter and I am good with that. Now lets move on with something else.

Unfortunately, that isn't an option in our house. She stomped back in the house, out to the backyard and within 30 minutes had finished. Her dad was pretty impressed as he estimates that she had just under 10lbs of dog doo in her bucket. But she felt good. It was hard! She could have quit, but she didn't.

I don't like seeing my kids go through tough situations. You wish that you could just let it slide, but when they perserver and come out smarter, better and more confident, you know that the suffering along the way was worth it.

Good Job Sidney! We sure love you!