The Little Things

The kids are growing up faster than I'd like to admit.  I know that all parents say that. It is just so odd to watch it in your own kids.

Yesterday, Keeley came out of her room completely dressed for school.  I was excited and proud of her (one less battle that morning...) and, after I thanked her for getting ready so nicely, asked her to come over so I could do the buttons on her jumper.  She turned to the side grinning from ear to ear and showed me that she had already done them.  How can she already button her buttons? On Wednesday when Keeley got in the car after school she had a huge smile on her face and said, "MOM!  Tomorrow Mrs. Meepe is going go give me a lesson on the MOVEABLE ALPHABET!!!!!!!!"  That is a spelling work at school.  How is she old enough to start that? I know that she has been waiting almost a year to do that work and has patiently watched her older friends do the work.  Each time she'll tell me, "I can't wait until I can do the moveable alphabet.  I have to keep working on my sounds first."

I was noticing the other day that Kayden is starting to look pretty.  Babies and toddlers aren't pretty.  Little girls are.  It made me sad.  Last night during our "meltdown hour" Kayden was in her room.  Right before dinner I peeked in there and, instead of finding disaster, found her quietly coloring.  She looked up and told me she was drawing and then paused and said, "I was really angry with Keeley so I came in here to color."  When did she learn to manage that emotion?  (We had a major meltdown that morning, but that coping is at least starting to work its way in)
 
None of those things are "big" firsts like the first steps or first words.  They are subtle changes and advancements in skills that I notice and make me realize that the girls are really girls, not babies.

I look at Killian now with an entirely new appreciation.  While it is often challenging that he is attached to me, refuses a bottle, and likes to nurse at least every two hours, I know it is a phase and he will soon be running as fast as the girls.  Even now he is slowly starting to be more distractable about nursing.  Distractibility means he is getting more involved in his world.   We are about to start a lot of his big "firsts".  I'm sure they will be bittersweet as well.