Growing Up

Jace and I on his 4th grade field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts a few weeks ago; Seemed fitting to this post :)

I think Jace grew about an inch or so in just one day. It began when I was putting Kyle to bed and asked Jace if he would get me some lotion for Kyle. In the midst of the chaotic bedtime-for-Lance-and-Kyle-routine, Jace randomly asked me if he could take the recycle stuff upstairs. (We usually grow a pile of recycle-able items by the front door every day). Then he came and told me that there was a surprise waiting by the front door. I went to find that all the shoes were placed on the shoe racks and the recycle stuff was no longer there. I could see carpet! (I know, I need to help my family develop better habits upon coming home; I just hope our next house has a mud room for us to enter and un-pile our stuff - oh, I mean, keep our new habits of putting things away as soon as we walk in the door. :)

So Jace was doing unselfish and kind acts, and I asked him what brought this sudden growth spurt. He told me that he felt good when he helped me out while I was putting Kyle to bed, and he wanted to do more things like that that made him feel happy. Then he helped me clean the kitchen, and even folded Lance's pile of laundry for him! I asked him who he was and what he did with my son. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. I assured him I was kidding and so proud of him!

And then we danced. The kind where he twirls me around. We usually have a dance like that when he mops the floor, just to break it in. I think it's important for a child to see how happy a clean floor makes a Mom. And this Mom is quite pleased and proud of a son that will soon be taller than her! What a big little man!