The Times, They Are A-Changin'

It started with 3 little words: Gege hit me. That's it. Plain as day.

I turned around from my post at the toaster (making "homemade" waffles for the kids' breakfast) and saw the look on Quinn's face. He knew it as well as I did: now that Keira was speaking much more clearly, his free-pass, getting away with more than he should, was now over.

Now, in his defense, I will say this. Despite his proclivity for hitting his sister for any number of infractions - minor or otherwise - he always fesses up. Of course, his confession is usually proceeded by, "Wellllll...Kiki did such-and-such...and then...and then......"...yada yada yada. But, in the end, he comes clean.

And like a good mom, I make sure they both get a good talkin' to. Don't hit your sister. Don't pester your brother. Or, as heard by them: yada, yada, yada.

So on this occasion, the hit (a smack on the hand) was precipitated by a failed attempt to grab someone's milk cup. Keira ratted him out. And I actually got a good chuckle of of that. "Your life is about to change, young man," is the compassionate piece of motherly advice I doled out.

Well, wouldn't you know. I got mine. In the form of Miss Keira climbing out of her crib. And she does it so gracefully and gingerly, I might add, that you really don't even hear it. (Unlike Quinn, who - the 2 and only 2 times he climbed out - thunked to the ground so hard I think our cat went into hiding for hours!) Anyway, it was only a matter of time before she figured out her escape and quite frankly, I'm surprised it took this long. She mastered the pack-n-play long ago. But now yes, my life is about to change too.

The squirt cheerfully greeted me the other morning, only this time she was at my bedside instead of the other way around. And she greeted me again that afternoon after her nap. "Hi Mama! Kiki did it!" (in reference to getting herself freed from the cage). The whole while, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

After those sweet tastes of freedom, she also escaped the next afternoon after deciding she didn't want to nap. She climbed out and tiptoed downstairs to try to find me. Only she turned left when she should've turned right and I saw her first. I swooped her up and put her back in her crib. It happened so fast, she didn't know what hit her. Being quite startled at that turn of events, she hasn't tried the ol' escape-before-sleep trick since (knocking on wood now).

So what's next? Well, I suppose we should put up a gate or put her in a big kid bed or something. But to be honest, I really love waking up to yet another cheerful face in the morning. Seeing the most beautiful girl in the world so pleased with herself first thing in the morning is priceless.

If only I was so pleased with myself just for getting out of bed.

Well, now that I think about what a morning person I'm not, most days, I am pretty pleased with myself for getting out of bed.

It's the little things, you know.