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Sweet, Yet Bitter

It hit me tonight. Benjamin is growing up. There are so many things he can do on his own now and it seems that he has mastered a ton of them all in the last week. Here is just a sampling of his new found independence:
  • He can get dressed and undressed by himself (fasteners are a little tricky still).
  • Shoes are not a problem anymore (the Velcro ones anyway).
  • Car doors are a piece of cake. He'll even open Brayden's door.
  • Washing hands and face and brushing teeth come second nature to him. (Though I still like to have a turn with the teeth care. And I don't let him comb his beautiful curls himself. :)
  • He can take his helmet on and off himself and is working on buckling his car seat himself, too.
  • He can now reach all the light switches in the house, which leads me to...
  • He has chores:
    • Turning off all the lights before we leave
    • Feeding Sadie twice a day
    • Setting and clearing the dinner table
While I love watching him learn all these new skills, it is a little bittersweet. Sweet because he is immensely proud of himself and eager to utilize his new talents. Bitter because it means he doesn't need me as much anymore. Yet sweet...because he doesn't need me as much anymore! You know how much time it saves me every morning when he gets himself ready and in the car, practically buckled before I'm even out the door? It's freaking awesome! I mean...sweet. But bitter because it means he doesn't need me as much anymore. Yet sweet...

This could go on for a really long time.

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