Make it Yourself

So this evening after Friday night pizza, while I was outside on the phone and Stephanie was getting Aubrey ready for bed, Elijah decided to make himself some more chocolate milk. So he got out the milk and chocolate from the fridge and proceeded to mix up the ingredients in his vintage Garfield glass. I walked in on the chef to discover milk all over the counter and the floor, and a glass filled almost to the brim with chocolate and just a thin line of milk on the top. On one hand it would be easy to get mad in frustration, but we could not help but smile at his initiative.

I guess Elijah is just in that "do it myself" stage. He wants to get dressed by himself, put on his shoes, go to the bathroom, carry his bookbag, put in the DVD, open the refrigerator, and even drive the car with his Lightning McQueen keys, all by himself. Now we have to keep both eyes on him at all times anticipating the trouble he'll get into next (like highlighting the computer keyboard).

If only we can get him to clean his room "all by himself."

Life with a toddler is never boring.... Right now we're listening to him on the monitor singing, "I like Clifford, the big red dog."