There are certain milestones that babies and young children hit in their childhood development, that are celebrated with great joy by their loving and adoring parents. Usually these milestones are photographed, video taped and all around bragged about.Like:
"My little Timmy just learned how to sit up all by himself. And he is only 5 months old! Here, let me show you the photo montage I created of him sitting, without his Bumbo baby seat, for the first time."
-and-
"My little Ava just took her first steps! Look! I have 1 hour and 45 minutes of it on video. You have to watch the whole thing... it is so cute!"
(for the record, the walking milestone was not a celebrated milestone in our house.... at least not the second time around when we knew what a walking baby entailed. Good-bye sanity)
(and while I'm going on about it, let me just tell you that Annelie was walking at 9 months. Yeah, that's right. 9 months. Was I happy about that? No. Did I wish she would sit like a stagnant lump and play with her toys in one peaceful pile for the rest of her life? You bet)
Now, I'm not going to lie to you... I celebrate and photograph my kids milestones just like the rest of you moms. Because (just like your kids, I'm sure) my babies are little geniuses and I need to record everything they do and say so I can brag about it for the rest of their lives. But since I'm talking about milestones, I just need to jump for joy for a minute. Annelie, my 2.5 year old youngest, finally reached my favorite milestone of all: Fetching stuff.I don't actually have pictures of this particular milestone, as I'd rather just sit back and watch things, like the TV remote control, or the telephone, come to me when I ask for them. I'm finally getting a chance to rest for about 3 minutes out of the day.
And I'm taking it. Without jumping for the camera so I can make a YouTube video of it.
Granted, Annelie doesn't always get it right. Like the other day when I realized I had forgotten to restock the bathroom with toilet paper. I begged and begged for Annelie to bring me some. Though she enthusiastically shouted, "Okay, Mama!" as she went off to get me some from the kitchen table (where the new rolls were still sitting in their grocery bag), she came back empty handed three times. Luckily, 4 year old Gracie came to the rescue. She's a pro at this fetch-stuff-for-mommy business.
Just ask my husband, who, behind my back, taught Gracie how to fetch his beer from the fridge. Now, I'm not really a fan of preschoolers fetching beer for their lazy parents. The remote control is one thing, but fetching alcoholic beverages just seems wrong to me. Will knows this fully well, which is why he was in the dog house the evening I discovered Gracie getting beer from the fridge for him... especially when she looked up at me and whispered, "Shhhhh... I'm not supposed to tell you that I'm getting Daddy's beer."
Ahhh, those fabulous milestones. Now I just need to teach my girls how to do the laundry and dishes so I can really sit back and enjoy myself. Fetch is nice... but all the household chores? That will be bliss.
How about you? What are your favorite kid milestones?
xoxo,
Mmm..why after two kids hasn't it dawned on me to have them fetch stuff? Clearly I'm not a creative thinker. Amelia walked at 10 months...which actually was OK because havoc was not her MO. Merrick on the other hand...Annelie's partner in terror...was turning over and crawling way too early. I thought for sure he'd be walking at 9 months...but he didn't need to. He learned to crawl like lightning and got into enough trouble on all fours. He actually stalled and waited until he was 1 to walk...and upped the ante on the destruction. For all of his mayhem, he is actually pretty good at fetching...I'm starting to potty train him, so I'll work in a few fetch lessons while I'm at it. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is when they're fulling potty trained, during bedtime and naps too! Ah, one down, one to go. Fortunately, my four year old wants to take on the task of teaching my two year old, and I'm okay with that. I'd rather sit back and just have the two of them fetch me stuff.
ReplyDeletehahahahahaha my kiddos play "fetch" for momma too! But in our case its not working out so well because Gage will usually decide that he wants to get up and get something for me (some random toy that he thinks I'm in need of at that particular second) when hes supposed to be sitting on the potty.
ReplyDeleteyeah .... before you know it on his way to the toy or on his way back to me is usually where it hits him that he has to pee and all over the floor it goes.
I'm so training my kid to fetch now! Sometimes if I say, "put the toy in the box" he gets it right...
ReplyDeleteLOL!!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Great post! I used to fetch beers for my dad too! That led to me trying it (with his permission of course), sneaking sips when he wasn't looking and getting drunk for the first time at 4 years old because one day he decided I could "watch" his beer for him while he was doing yard work. My folks had a good laugh when they realized why I was falling asleep at the dinner table that evening!
ReplyDeleteNote to Gracie: Sorry Gracie--I am sure mommy won't let you fetch beers for daddy anymore!