Do Hard Things. Then Eat Oatmeal.

Near the end of the school year, Cman (age 14) said to me "I'm reading a book, and I'm wondering if you would be willing to read it too, so you know where I'm coming from."

You know it's going to be good, when the foreward is written by Chuck Norris.

"Sure!"  I said.

He then went on to say, "The book is called Do Hard Things.  It talks about how society believes that teenagers are lazy and irresponsible and that we should live up to a higher level of expectation.  So, I'd like to take on more responsibility, this summer."

?!?!?!

Inwardly, I shouted "HALLELUJAH!!!" and did a "Praise Jesus!!" dance.

Outwardly, I simply said "OK."


And thus began our summer of doing hard things.

Our Summer Projects List

Our Daily To-Do List

Garden work is a daily task.  (compost area shown)

We built a mini stone wall, together.  :)  (I love me some stone walls.)

 We started organizing a pantry.  (Yay!!)

 He cleaned out the refrigerator, for the first time, ever.

And he helped carry food to the attic, then waited without complaint, in the 90+ degree heat, while I photographed the shot, below.

Blueberry Topped Baked Oatmeal w/Quinoa & Coconut Milk

And those are only a few of the things he's done!

Cman's work ethic has increased and the complaining has decreased.   And might I add, what a swell time for this to happen!  He's man-sized now, so he is truly a BIG help to us.  Thank you, Alex & Brett (and Chuck) for such a perfectly timed message!  And thank you Cman, for rising WELL above our expectations!

For all you foodies, the recipe for the Oatmeal/Quinoa dish can be found here.  I substituted blueberries, omitted the coconut and added walnuts.  Oh, and we lightly whipped the leftover coconut milk (with a wee bit o' raw sugar) and poured it over the top.  It was fantastic!!