Operation Independence

Operation Independence
Mission: To execute all household responsibilities, with great gusto, in order to give Mommy (Word-girl) some much needed relief.
Agents: Mad-Scientist, Word-girl, Agent E, and the Littles, oh and Pinky (heading into her third trimester today!

I'm always amazed at how motivated I am by pain. The last few weeks…okay, months, have been a physical struggle for me. I wasn't fully healed from carrying the twins when surprise baby Pinky came into the picture. Round ligament pain, stretched out abdominal wall, back pain, and heartburn have kept me relativity homebound and sometimes downright  "done in"…which looks like sitting on my couch while the twins go between amusing themselves by destroying the apartment and climbing all over me to "check in". It's been a good day when everyone is alive and relatively happy.

Then I had the revelation, that with one child, I was doing everything...and it worked, but with the Littles and pregnancy, I MUST STOP.
Full stop.
So, in my whirlwind fashion of over-the-top enthusiasm for a new parenting idea, I decided to make it a family challenge of seeing how much everyone can do on their own. Brilliantly obvious, I know.

First night on this mission, I taught Agent E, now 6 years old, how to pour his own glass of milk. Don't judge me for how pathetic it is that I was still getting every single drink and snack he needed.
His reaction was priceless, "Whoa, that was totally CRAZY!" Then the next morning I started brushing his hair before school and he said, "Wait, I can brush my own hair." That's when the invisible hand slap landed on my forehead. Of course he can! What the heck have I been doing to him (for him) for 6 years?!?! So the orders started flying…pack your backpack, zip your own coat, put your clothes in the hamper…wait, better yet, here's how to do a load of laundry. Let's see, count out 10 pieces of clothing…here, this drawer for detergent…oops, too heavy. That's okay, I'll figure out a different detergent container for you.

We all know fostering independence is a healthy thing but the honest truth is, we have to let go of a lot of efficiency and perfectionism throughout the training process. The long term benefits are totally worth it…and when you can't move much, you don't have a choice. So I've become the explain, coach, demonstrate, and follow up captain of this operation. We will succeed.

Failure is not an option.

Baby arrives in T-minus 3 months.

For more inspiration check out this link.