Just For the Record

Since we're talking about monumental firsts, I just wanted to share that the babe almost mastered the art of tying shoe laces today and the little guy had his first poop on the potty.  And guess what?  These things were occurring simultaneously on different floors of our house this afternoon.  The babe and her Papa downstairs and the little guy and I upstairs.  How cool is that?

The babe and I got up early and hauled ourselves to the mall to go to a "shoe tying class."  I honestly thought this would teach both the babe and I some handy tips ( I had, after all, given up my coveted sleep in morning).  But it turns out those department store guys don't know much more than I do about teaching kids this tricky skill. 

What it did do is inspire the babe and help us take the training a few steps further at home.  As you may recall, the babe is easily frustrated and is not a fan of not "getting" things the first time she tries.  This means that we, her father and I, need to be insanely patient when tackling new projects with her.  And I am thrilled to announce that all the patience, and the tag team parental effort, brought us pretty darn close to solidifying this critical skill. I am sure a good nights sleep will help her internalize the magic of tying laces.

So while the babe and her Papa were working away in the living room, the little guy and I were just hanging out...and apparently he was busy having a big poop.  So I hauled him upstairs to change him.  Not to get too detailed, but before I slapped on the new diaper, I asked him if he was all done with his poops.  He said, "No.  Potty."  I didn't question his directions and carried him over to the potty. Within 30 seconds he had pushed out the last bit of remaining poop as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  Needless to say, I was pretty psyched.  I cleaned him up, we washed our hands and went back for that clean diaper.  The little guy was pretty thrilled to announce to his Papa what he had accomplished on his trip upstairs.  He kept hugging my husband and my heart melted.

Some days it seems like we're not really going anywhere or accomplishing anything.  Other days it seems like my munchkins' childhood is speeding by.  It's a good thing there's a bit of balance, though.  Because days like this make up for a lot of the crap.