Today was a growing up day

Most days cruise on by with your basic, average, run of the mill things.  We go through the motions like it's no big deal.  I know, somewhere deep inside, that my kids are growing every day.  I notice it when Breckin asks for second helpings of food and ends up eating more than I do.  I notice it when one day Ella's face looks EXACTLY like Breckin and the next day looks nothing like him.  I notice it when the onesies in the wash from the day before don't fit when they are put on that evening AND I used cold water. 

But, today.  Today was it's own BOOM day for growth. 

Ella's favorite game is pattycake.  She doesn't really care about the spider who went up a waterspout.  She could care less about her head and shoulders and knees.  The noble duke of york is not so interesting.  But, the baking of cakes and marking them with b's is really her declared major in the college of babies.  Today, she clapped along.  Mark that down for 9 months and 12 days old for learning to clap.  She did it again at dinner, on the changing table, and while jumping in the exersaucer.

She also loves to roll around on the floor.  And, get up on her hands and knees and wiggle around then shover herself backwards.  But, today?  Not good enough.  Today she rolled and twisted until, magically she was sitting right back up again.  The look on her face was great!  She could all of a sudden reach her gumball machine again and was so tickled that she snatched that gumball machine right up and whacked herself in the face.  Well, perfection isn't necessary the first time.

And, Breckin.  Not to be left out of the major growing of the day.  He is always read two stories at night before bed.  It's one of my favorite parts of his routine and today it changed ever so slightly.  Instead of me reading them to him, he read them to me.  Entirely.  And, one of the books was one he hadn't read it a long time.  He pointed at each word and even read the author's name (I always read the author's name when we read books.  It's ingrained in me from my teaching days).  He's read sight words here and there and the few times that he's read books to me, they've been ones that we've read a few days in a row so part of it was memorization.  This time, it was pure reading.  And, for me, pure bliss.

I'm so proud of my kids.  Now will some please contribute to the Armstrong Chicken Nugget Foundation for the next growth phase?  ;)