Realizations

Sometimes, as a busy parent, the little things escape you. You're always in such a rush to tackle the ever-growing, mile-long to-do list or hurrying off to school or playdates or work, that you miss the finer details in life. Like the fact that...

• Jax can now get ready for school all on his own. That includes selecting a coordinating outfit, completely dressing himself, PLUS brushing his own teeth. He does still require a little help getting out of bed.
• Baylor can wash his own hair. He'll grab the shampoo bottle, but he requires your help opening it. Thank goodness because otherwise I fear I'd find him washing his hair at the most impractical times. If you squirt the shampoo into his little hand, he'll then proceed to lather up and rinse. Oh, and he must know how to read because he often wants to repeat. I guess he believes it's necessary to follow instructions exactly, "Lather. Rinse. Repeat."
• Jax no longer answers my almost daily question, "How was your day?" with the phrase, "I don't know." He has learned to express himself and share all the dirty details of the day like who made who cry at school and who had to sit in the time-out chair. That he didn't sleep during nap time, but since he did lay there quietly, he still got a nap treat. Oh, and my personal favorite, he fills me in every single kid who wasn't there that day. Sometimes, I think he's a little too observant.
• Baylor can put on his own shoes, and half the time they're on the right feet! He still needs help tying them. Good to know he's still a few months from complete independence.
• Jax can now open his car door by himself. He always needed help reaching the handle before because I drive a SUV that sits pretty high off the ground. Once he was able to reach the handle, he still needed help because of the door's weight. Well, not anymore! He can can load himself without any assistance.
• Baylor can now feed himself with utensils, and some of the food actually makes it into his mouth!
• And, finally, both Jax and Baylor have secret hiding places around the house where they stash their most treasured possessions in effort to keep them out of the other brother's hands.

Obviously, I didn't actually miss these events, but somehow I failed to really take note that they were happening. I'm sure there are so many more common, every day behaviors that I'm overlooking. The boys are growing up before our very eyes. Guess I should pay better attention!