“I Do It All By Myself”

You know you are living with an almost-three-year-old when those are the only words you hear, day in and day out. Truthfully, they are music to my ears.

Suddenly I have this child who picks out his own clothes, dresses himself, puts on his shoes, buckles his seatbelt, goes to the bathroom, and more, without assistance! That is so many free hands that I suddenly now have, if you’re keeping track. He barely lets me do anything at all for him anymore, telling me at least once a day, “I’m a big boy now.” And he is.

But I have to admit, I will miss the baby that he was. If only I’d known he’d be leaving so soon, I wouldn’t have begrudged that last chance to help him get his shirt over his head. That’s why this morning’s words were just as pleasing to my ears as his new manifesto of independence.

As he stood at the top of the stairs, hair every which way, eyes and voice still groggy from sleep, he took one step then called down:
“Maybe Mommy carry me downstairs…?”