Whoo Hoo! Child Labor

I actually had child labor in the garden today. Which is completely different than laboring with child, I'll hasten to point out, and infinitely more pleasant. Three days, I tell my kid, three days and no painkiller [allergic] laboring to bring you into this world; ecetera. ecetera. (He always says; "Thanks, Mom)
Today I interrupted his challenging summer program (which, come to think of it looked far more like Xbox than foreign language study) to announce that at 2 pm I would pick him up and that he would travailler in the garden. I've always found that it helps to make firm announcements (as if this were scheduled for days; what, you didn't get the memo?) It also helps to throw in a few foreign words (especially if it was Xbox and not foreign language study.) I used to use fake Latin on him (not PIG Latin, I did study Latin in high school but forgot most of it) until he studied enough real Latin to catch me out on it. Non composis mentis.

And DS was actually quite helpful. And he said that he enjoyed it, which bodes well for the future. Not that people actually mean what they say all of the time. Today I learned that the all-purpose file which DS bought DH Matt last Father's Day was perhaps the all time blooper of presents. Which is puzzling, because the helpful man at the hardware store said that it was his best-selling item and also what HE would be thrilled to receive. DH Matt said that the hardware store man must have been yanking my chain. He did seem so sincere, but it was awfully strange to have a helpful hardware store clerk.