Rites of Passage....

Right now Sarah is at her first, official, away from home (well just a block away) babysitting job. The people she is babysitting for have 5 children ranging in age from just a few months old to I think 9 or 10. That's quite a start, but she was so excited. It is surprising how nervous I am for her to babysit away from home. She is very mature and has a good head on her shoulders, but she's my baaaabyyyy.

So, while Sarah was enjoying her first babysitting job, Jacob mowed the lawn for the first time. I bought him a smallish lawnmower on Monday and told both Sarah and Jacob that they were going to learn to mow lawns and babysit. I told them of my friend Amy and her siblings who always had to earn the extra things they wanted including piano lessons and braces. I told them that they may not believe me, but working was good and made one feel confident. They moaned and groaned about the idea, but when I told them they could earn money mowing lawns and babysitting, they seemed to perk up.

Jacob can hardly wait to be proficient enough to mow other people's lawns for money. Today's job was a freebie. He's in training...training is free. Even when he's not in training...my yard gets done first and for free. He did a decent job and once the mower was warmed up, he was able to start it himself. It does take a pretty good pull to get it started...that'll toughen him up. Next we have to work on edging. He's actually excited to get to use the edger. We have a cordless edger which needs charging, otherwise he could have done that tonight as well. The battery inside sure makes them heavy though... Perhaps I'll have to get a lighter one.

I am so looking forward to the day when I won't have to pay a Lawn Boy anymore....

My babies are growing up....In some ways that's a good thing.