Growing Up

This weekend we made a trip down to Long Island to see my sister graduate from high school.  I clearly remember when she was born...I was 14 years old after all.  She has transformed from the baby who I held in my arms, who would fight sleep with every ounce of energy she had so she wouldn't miss even one minute of action, to an amazing young woman who is ready to take the world by storm.  In just 14 years from now, Mudgie will be reaching the same milestone.  I can already see how quickly those years are going to come and go.

Aaron is shedding his "babyhood" every day.  He wants to do whatever the "big kids" are doing at daycare.  He no longer calls us "Mama" and "Dada," we are now "Mommee" and "Daddee."  He even knows his own name, which is adorable to hear him say it!  He is trying so hard to be independent.  He wants to do everything himself (get into the car, get into bed, open anything, pour his own juice, etc), and will scream, "Me, ME!" if you try to help him in any way.  In order to get anything done, I need to trick him into thinking he's helping me.

Mudgie is still a character.  On the ferry ride to Long Island, he was totally pulling out his "moves" for this 6-year-old girl sitting near him.  They were both on a long bench in front of a window, and Mudgie kept scooting closer to her, inch by inch.  Then he'd do a little excited hop, and just happen to end up closer to her than when he started, but he wouldn't talk to her.  It was a hoot to watch!

They are finally starting to really play together, and at times, they can be so sweet and generous with each other.  Unfortunately, there are other times when they are deliberately pushing each other's buttons, and recently, they have started karate chopping each other.  I'm trying to step back from these arguments and give them space to figure out their relationship on their own, but that's hard for me.  It's a skill I have to work on.

While it's sad to see them out-growing some of the things I love the most, it's also exciting to see them learning new things, things that I hope I will grow to love even more.