My helper

Terry and I have started shopping for groceries differently in the last month, and without going into the boring details, the goal is that we wouldn't have to go to the store all the time for things we're missing or whatever. It has been helpful, but doesn't always work. Like yesterday. I was making a dessert to take to some friends' house and realized I had no powdered sugar, a necessary ingredient for this particular dessert.

I sure didn't want to go to the store. I had already run around that morning, it was almost naptime for the kids, and Terry was working. It occured to me that I actually know most of my neighbors and their names and could do the old-fashioned ask-to-borrow thing. But I also was in that unfortunate position where I hadn't yet taken a shower and didn't really want to see anyone...or rather, didn't want anyone to see me.

I remembered that I have a four-year-old whose life mission right now is to be a helper. So...I wrote a quick note on a piece of paper in case she got confused and sent her to the neighbors she knows best across the street. It took her three years to walk the sidewalk around the cul-de-sac and get over there, and I watched her stop, look for the two pumpkins I had pointed out to make sure she was at the right house, and then she walked up and rang the doorbell about 5 times. They weren't home. I think she would have stayed there waiting, but I yelled across that she could come back. I then had her try the house directly to the left of us, where her friend Ben lives. They were also gone.

Finally, I told her to go to the house to the right of us, and she said, "What are their names, Mom?" I went blank but quickly remembered that I have a list of everyone in the cul-de-sac on my computer, so I found it and told her, "if a man answers, say, 'Hi, Mark!' If a woman answers, say, 'Hi, Beth!'"

She slowly made her way over with that I'm-so-helpful smile on her face, my measuring cup tucked under her arm and the note in the other hand, singing, of course, and disappeared behind the trees. (it's hard to explain, but we can't see the front porch of this neighbor from ours). I knew that they were home because it took her longer, and soon she came out from behind the trees with a very full cup of powdered sugar, smile on her face, singing. As soon as she saw me, she yelled, "I got the flour, Mom!" It was powdered sugar, but whatever.

I asked her who answered the door and if she said, "Hi, Mark!"

"No," she said. "I said to him, 'Hi, I'm Aidan, and I live next door to you. Can we borrow some flour?' and I gave him the note. He had a big smile and was happy to see me."

I made a big deal about how much she really helped me out, and the rest of the day, she kept saying, "Do you need any more big favors, Mom? You just let me know."