Re-posted with permission from Marisa at The Mama Dramalogues on 6/11/09.


[Image]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)

[Image]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.