Gabby is definately growing up & becoming more independent! But, she's still a sweet, helpful girl. I added a new chore today--helping me dust. Both kids thought it was a riot! I put an old sock on 1 hand of each kid. Then we moved all the stuff off their little play table, I sprayed & we all wiped it off. SUCH FUN!!! We moved on to the shelves under the big TV... moved everything out--I sprayed and, OH THE FUN, we got to get down on our tummies & reach to the back of the shelf to clean it all up! I've never had so much fun dusting in my entire life!

Gabby also helps put silverware away, set the table and feeds the cats their dinner. If, for some reason, I don't let her do one of these things, Gabby's rather upset. Duncan sometimes helps but most often doesn't--hey, he's only 2.5 years old! Gabby also gets paid 5 cents per bucket of apples she picks up & dumps in the yard recycle bins. Her highest has been 5 FULL buckets--we're talking sand pails here! I usually only do 10-12 per day. We have only 1 apple tree but it's MASSIVE--more than 6 feet around the trunk & has been trying to die since we bought this house 13 years ago! I'll miss the shade when it finally dies, but NOT the apples! They ARE yummy eating and cooking apples tho...no chemicals on these guys--we're too cheap and the tree is MUCH too tall!

This is the only picture I can find of the apple tree--taken just after pruning a year & a half ago. Steve said it looked like a bonsai apple tree on steroids!