Half Empty or Half Full ... THAT is the Question

This picture is from the snow last March... the snow is now to the 4th step of the porch and none of the bushes are visible. It's still falling over an inch and hour...great, just great!


Snow is falling. Again.

Don't get me wrong, I love the snow. It's the cold, wet, slushy, brown mess it becomes that I dislike so very much.

And it's the decreased amount of sunshine and warmth. And the sloppy mess left on the floors when kids tromp through the house a hundred times a day to change out of their wet clothes.

But I do like that it has brought out the enterprising spirits, and I'd like to think, Good Samaritanism, in my children.

Instead of sitting in the house bored, staring at the tv, playing video games, they have combed the neighborhood, snow shovels in hand, finding clients in need of snow shovelling services.

They targeted the elderly and those with very young children as potential clients as these are the ones least likely to be able to do it themselves, but most in need of ice-free walkways.

I am proud of them for their entrepreneurial attempts. But even more so because they did not ask for specific amounts of money. They asked for whatever the cleint felt was reasonable.

BoyChild, aged 14, asked for $5 for his efforts, and was rewarded with $20 AND a cup of Hot Chocolate at one house alone.
He also learned about competition. TeenGirl, aged 12, and her friend were working the same area.
They learned that by dividing the streets there was plenty of work for them all.
And that a job well done will give you loyal clients.

Lessons they will call upon many times in the years to come.
This is all great, of course. But the very best part is...

I don't have to entertain them!