The other day I looked at Maggie, you know, really looked at her.  Somehow, right before my very eyes, this amazing little girl of mine grew up some more.  She keeps telling me that she will be 5.  I am starting to believe her.  We work together to learn new things all of the time, but sometimes, the joy in her face just blows me away.

She knows how to pump her legs to swing on her own.  She has known how to do that for awhile now, but never wanted to.  I’m not sure what changed, although I think it is her trips to the park while I”m playing softball, but suddenly, that’s all she wants to do.  Swing.  You see, until this started, she would have rather been inside.  She is so excited and wants to show everybody how high she can swing, how big she has gotten, and how cool it is that she can do it ALL BY HERSELF.

Nothing compares to the joy you feel as a parent when your kids learn something that excites them.  So, we will go back outside to play.  I will push the baby next to her while she swings all by herself, and I will wait to hear that sweet little voice ask me to push her for just a minute and then she will do it by herself again.