Monday, September 21, 2009

A Modern Day "Little Red Hen"

The Little Red Hen is one of my favorite stories. Since the kids were little, I've told them this story over and over again. Maybe it's a universal feeling with moms that we do all the work and everyone enjoys the spoils. So for Family Home Evening, we had a lesson on work. This all started with me planning a meal that would be cooked in the crock pot (put together in the morning before work), a delicious salad with bacon and hard boiled eggs, and a fruit-topped pavlova for dessert.

The weather cooperated beautifully for the first object lesson. A cold front came through last night and the high temperature today was in the mid-60's. Since dinner was ready by 5, we were able to go out and start picking up all the apples that had fallen off the tree. We took out some music and a couple of the neighbor kids showed up to help as well. Picking up rotten apples is not fun, but it's necessary. We got both the front and back picked up, filling half a trash can in the process, within 45 minutes.

John got home around 7 and by 7:20 we were having Family Home Evening. We talked about the delicious meal we'd had. Did it require planning and work? Yes. Did it happen just in a few minutes? No. Picking up apples. Cleaning the house. Doing homework. Going to work every day. Are these things necessary? Yes. Are they work? Yes. Do you have to be miserable while you work? No. Can you relish in the completed task? Absolutely! And then, this is where it got good. I brought up my old friend, the Little Red Hen. Ian recognized it immediately.

Who will peel the peaches? Who will cut the peaches? Who will make the whipped cream? Who will cut the pavlova? Who will arrange the dessert components? Who will clean it up? Who will eat it? With everyone pitching in on a specific task, we had a magnificent completed dessert within minutes.

I think every lesson should be this delicious!

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