In which Anne is a helper, a helper, a mighty fine helper

My title is taken from a song that Brian made up for Anne. It goes a little something like this:

It partners with another tune he made up for bathtime. You mention the word “Bathtime” and Anne immediately starts to dance and clap her hands, ready for all of us to sing along. And if we don’t sing, she stops the song until Mummy and Daddy are all singing and clapping together.

And then Anne runs shrieking into the bathroom and takes off her pants, before starting to beg for “bubbles!”. When we add the bubbles to the bathwater, she celebrates like it’s the first time she’s ever seen a bubble in her life “Bubbles! Bubbles!” while she dances with glee.

Anyway, the reason for my title is that Anne does, indeed, like to help with everything. The other day, I was having one of those snarly days…you know the kind. Just pass me the Snarly Crown and then everyone has fair warning. So I woke up that morning in a mood and then when I opened the refrigerator door, what did I spy? But an entire bottle of caramel sauce that had tipped over in the door and then leaked everywhere – it was sticky, gooey, congealed caramel on everything and in every nook and cranny. I was not impressed. So Anne and I decided that since Brian was at school, we would have a cleaning day. We put on our grubbies. Anne decided that her fancy-dancy shoes would go best with her sweats, so I let her wear her little white shoes for the fun. Then we attacked the fridge. I’d spray a bit of vinegar and water, then she’d scrub away. We swiffered, we dusted, we organised our fridge. And then we did some baking that afternoon. Usually, while I bake or work in the kitchen, I put her on a chair right in front of the sink, give her a few tupperware bowls and a measuring cup and a spoon and she “cooks” to her heart’s content with water.

Here are a few pictures of our fun little helper:

Why, yes. I do believe in child labour. How did you guess?