I do get excited when my children meet a major milestone. In my mind, it’s one more thing to check off in the “If they do these things, you didn’t screw up your kid so bad” sweepstakes. But, lately, I’ve been noticing the little things that Swee’Pea and TheMonk do that you won’t find in any developmental stages book. Here are some examples…

For a while, whenever Swee’Pea would hear the word “no”, she would look at you, wave her hand with her index finger pointed straight out and say, “No… No… No… No.”

Whenever Swee’Pea coughs or chokes on her juice (she’s currently adamant about us taking the darn sippy cup lid off her cups so she can drink it straight from the cup), she will reach her hand over her head and pat herself on the back. If you’re nearby and she sees you watching, you’ll get the, “Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to pat my back too?” look.

TheMonk is fascinated by our trash can. He knows he’s not supposed to play in it but he’ll make up reasons to go over to the can, you know, just to make sure everything’s okay. He gets a special joy when I give him a piece of trash and tell him to go throw it away. One can only hope this will carry on through his teenage years.

TheMonk loves music. He knows exactly what toys play music and will ask for any one of them throughout any given day. The best part about him listening to the musical toys is the way he shakes his hips side to side. The boy’s got rhythm – the hips don’t lie.

Finally, it’s amazing to me to see the difference in how the two of them face the same challenges. For example, both TheMonk and Swee’Pea have become fascinated with walking up and down stairs. TheMonk shows no fear. He clambers up the stairs, turns around, and launches himself down the stairs (we have a small landing that has two steps that is perfect for him to practice). He does not seem all that concerned that he might do a face plant from the top step. Swee’Pea, on the other hand, is a bit more cautious. Even though she probably has better balance at this point, she must hold onto the wall or my hand before she feels her foot down to the next step.

Before I know it, they’re not going to allow me to help them down the stairs. They won’t need to hold my hand for security and comfort. Soon, they won’t need Daddy’s help.

Excuse me. I think I have something in my eye.