The Powers That Be: Milestones

This has been a week of milestones for the kids. It is weeks like this where I keep thinking, "When did they grow up?" and then I feel this desperateness that time is slipping through my fingers and I have so much still to teach them! Those of you with grown children - does that ever go away?

Mikayla and I did some "girl" shopping this week. Of course, shopping like that leads to related conversations. I am trying to recall when I had these conversations and I am fairly confident that it wasn't when I was 11 years old! The conversations are good and her response is encouraging. She still doesn't believe me when I tell her she WILL care someday what a boy thinks about her. Today I will treasure her innocence and naivete.

Carra Grace read her first "book" today. It didn't seem strange to me when

she turned 5, but the thought that she turns 6 next makes my head spin. She pulled out the book "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" and declared that this was the book she was going to read first. I admired her positive attitude, but thought maybe we should start a bit smaller. Since we have been doing some phonics together, I gave her a BOB book that had a whopping 4 words in it and told her I would give her a dollar if she conquered that one first. She sat right down and suffered her way through that book. I gave her the dollar, but we will be reviewing the book again. I was so proud of her endurance - not that it should have surprised me. If she puts her mind to it, she will do it! Of course, money helps.

We were fixing lunch today when we heard the toilet flush and the lid drop in the bathroom. I looked up to find Owen tearing out of the bathroom declaring that he had done stinky all by himself in the bathroom! Success has never smelled so sweet . . . okay, it actually stunk - but we did celebrate! If nothing else exciting happens this year, I think I will still consider the year a success! To be diaper free in 2008 . . . what a dream! Now if I could just make it rhyme . . .