Keys

Katey is really growing up fast. I think she's teething again, and knowing how long her teeth take to come in that means 3 or 4 months of chewing and biting on everything! She is at that great stage where she wants to pick objects up and put them inside things, which means I can get her to help around the house, sort of. Like asking her to help put my piles of laundry into the laundry basket or put dirty clothes in the hamper. Then, she claps for herself. Anytime she does anything, she claps for herself.

Kyle is still growing, too. We've decided to start him early on a chore, so he is responsible for setting the table. That includes plates and silverware (no steak knives, though), and placing any potholders I need for pots in the center of the table. He hems and haws a bit, but is willing to do it. In another year, he's going to be out of the stages (baby, toddler, preschooler) and officially a "kid". It's starting to show already with how he talks about things and the questions he asks. The other day we were feeding our neighbor's dog while they are out of town and I was locking the front door on our way out:

"I have to lock the door, Kyle. Wait for me, please."
"I want to do it! I want to do it!"
"Okay, here you go." I give him the key and he turns it and I help him pull it out. We turn to go. "Kyle, why don't you hang on to the key and give it back to me when we get home. You're pretty good at using the key so every day when we feed Chesty you can hold the key and lock and unlock the door, okay?"
"Yeah, I want to do that! And maybe I can drive the car now, too?"
"Uh…no, sorry. Driving the car is more than just using the key."
"Oooohhhh, but Mom, I can steer the wheel, too!" (Now, I'm just laughing!)
"Maybe when you're a little older, okay?" He makes a face.