The Apprentice

lately bentley either stays home in the afternoon to help me can or do yard work or goes with his dad on the ripper-disk or grain drill (while bridon and emerson, ideally, take a nap) bentley is a kid that prefers work and being busy over playing ?! i always have to keep him on a project or he goes nuts! he has run the food processor canning pizza sauce, stemmed the grapes for frozen fruit cocktail, and cranked the victorio strainer for tomato sauce. all but two of my tomato plants died, but boy those girls are like manna from heaven. i've got nearly 3 boxes off them so far and they're still loaded with green ones. some things like canning peaches don't work out, but for the most part he is a good little helper...and emry joins us too, usually in her backpack or the exersaucer until she's had enough!

bentley is not overly careful with his stuff or himself, i'll admit. but the other nite he had a mishap that wasn't quite his fault. our well has a little house built over it that ben actually made when he was a kid. the hinges on the door have apparently rotted because b fell right through the roof while climbing on top. he was hanging by his hands just like on the movies. i was holding emerson and ben was stopped in the yard with the tractor. i ran and grabbed his arms with my one, free arm until ben could get down and pull him out. holy cow! i guess we better get that fixed. he is one, lucky boy...and so are his parents.