Independent 2-Year-Old

I remember when Rachel was two. I dressed her. I cut up food for her. I made her bed. I didn't really start encouraging her to do things on her own until she was almost three. She was my first baby and I really didn't understand at the time just how much kids are capable of. Katie is my third, and she does so much on her own, it's borderline ridiculous. Her new favorite phrase is "No danks...Kay-ey do it."

She makes her bed, she dresses herself, she puts on her shoes, she loads the washer, she even puts away the silverware and sweeps the floor (badly...but props for trying). She just asked for a boiled egg. My hands were full of bread dough so I told her she had to wait until I was done. She replied "No danks... Kay-ey do it?" I was curious to see just how far she would get on her own, so I told her to go for it :) She stood on a chair to open the fridge, got the egg and closed the door. She rolled the egg on the table to crack it, then got a bowl from the dishwasher and started putting the shells in it. I stopped cooking and just watched her.

She did the entire thing on her own. It took her almost nine minutes, but she did it! =) She even washed the table when she was done. I know you're not supposed to have a favorite child, but... Just kidding. I'm gonna teach her to change diapers next.