The boy happily picked up the rake and began. Forty-five minutes later I glanced out the window and saw him still hard at work. Wow! Impressive. I opened the upstairs window and yelled some encouragement. After another 20 minutes I told him to come warm himself up with hot chocolate if he was getting too cold. "I'm okay, Mom!" He worked another 10 minutes before coming in.
In the playroom, the other kids had popped in a movie and were settling in. Shakespeare joined them with his hot chocolate. I went upstairs to finish my task and was shocked to see the leaf raker back at it within ten minutes. The boy worked until sundown and finished the task. I helped him with the final sweep, but my boy did the mother load of the work.
I was so proud. I talked about it for a week and bragged like a grandparent. I also gave him $2--big bucks for a seven year old. Yea! Shakespeare!!! I'm still bragging.
