That's so typical

It seems like each of my children have been quite independent from the time they were born. Separation anxiety was never an issue. They loved nursery from the get go and were never upset to get a babysitter. At the age of three, when they grew out of nap time, we implemented “quiet time”. Quiet time was a 2 to 3 hour block time after lunch where mommy slept and the kids could do anything they wanted that was quiet. That break in the day was my saving grace when I had a 1, 3, and 4 year old. My ears were always open for emergency sounds but I was never disturbed.

My kids have consistently showed signs of independence from a young age. For example, when Chandler was 2 years old he wanted to open an Otter-pop. Instead of crying for help he brought me a steak knife and the Otter-pop. When Morgan was two she wanted a helium balloon that was on our ceiling. Again, instead of crying for help she solved the problem by placing a kitchen stool under the balloon, stood on the stool, and got the balloon. Ashtyn is a momma's girl for sure. She has never liked it when I’m gone but as long as she knows I’m around and available she’s good to go. I worked a lot when Chandler, Ashtyn, and Morgan were young so I wasn’t surprised with their behavior. However I’m a stay at home mom with Ethan so his independence surprises me. Even though he’s been my little shadow his entire life, he has never had a problem with me leaving him. He never once cried when left at the gym daycare, nursery, or preschool. Ethan is the only kid in the house during the day and loves his “quiet time”.

A year and a half ago Jason and I both needed to attend a church meeting on Sunday from 7 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. once a month. We wondered how we would get our 3, 7, 9 and 10 year old ready and back to church on time at 9 a.m. No fear. We set their alarms for 7:45 a.m. and prepped them the night before about what needed to get done in the morning. When we got home the kids were mostly ready and we were out the door in no time. This year Jason and I will be in that same meeting twice a month. No problem.

Today was a typical Wednesday for my family. It was so typical that I realized unless I write it down I’ll probably forget what a blessing my independent and “typical” kids are.

Jason will be working 32 hours straight today. Typical. He woke up the kids at 6:45 a.m. before he went to work. They got up, got dressed, took the dog out, ate breakfast, and brushed their teeth. I woke up at 7:45 and had Chandler start the car. At 8:00 a.m. I got into a warm car and took Chandler to school. When I got home at 8:17 a.m. Ashtyn and Morgan were ready for school. We said morning prayer together as they headed out the door for school. Independent. Typical.

After school there was homework, piano, and guitar to do. We had four Young Women girls over for dinner. At 6:30 p.m. I left my kids and went to Young Women’s. Chandler went to the Rec Center to ice skate. Before leaving I set the oven timer to go off at 8:00 p.m. I instructed the kids that when the timer went off they were to get their PJ's on, read books, and go to bed. After YW’s I picked up Chandler and got home at 9:15 p.m. Ethan was in his bed, pajamas and diaper on, sleeping. Morgan was in bed sleeping. Ashtyn was sick, watching TV in my room. Independent. Typical.