Fend for yourself , you bunch o' Scallywags!!

R at about 2 years old (love the look on her face!!)

From the time my girls could walk, at about a year old, I taught them how to fend for themselves.

Let's face it, who wants to interrupt their eating of bon-bons while lounging on the couch watching soaps just to feed the little buggers?

Not me!

No. Really.

They were really good bon-bons.

And I'm pretty sure Brock wasn't the father of Hailey's baby.

Anyway....

My mom was the same way, as soon as you could, you did.

So, just like Mom, I had the kitchen set up to be kid friendly.  And NOTHING was locked.  If a kid was going to go under the sink and mess with dish soap, she was damn well gonna learn exactly how to use it!  I had all the plastic bowls, plates and cups in the lower cupboards and cereal on the bottom shelf of the pantry.  I even would pour the milk into a small pitcher with a lid and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge!

See the blue stool in the photo above?  The one near the open cupboard door?  I used it to get items from the top shelf.  

The girls used it to put their bowls on to fill with cereal and milk!

By the time they were about 3 or 4, I taught them how to make PB&J sandwiches.  

Which was not an easy task.

They never scooped the peanut butter out quite right, NEVER spread it on the bread the right way and always got the knife all gooped up and sticky.  Which led to little fingers getting all gooped up and sticky.  Which led to sticky spots all over the kitchen.  Which led to them learning how to use an old rag towel and some all purpose cleaner!

BTW ~ everyone in my house knows the right way is MY WAY.

Kinda like the Queen of Hearts.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!

Sorry.  I got caught up in the moment.

By the time they were 8, they knew how to do a load of laundry.  Wash and dry.

Now, they do mine.

While I sit and eat Häagen-Dazs and watch the Real Wives of Orange County.

Okay.  Not really.

I watch the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

S insists she's a slave because I make her empty/load the dishwasher, vacuum and clean their bathroom.

Hell, I don't dirty all those dishes, or leave all those crumbs, socks and sports bras on the floor.  And I sure as hell don't use their bathroom!!

Someday, when they have a home of their own, they'll appreciate it all.

Wait.

Hold the phone.

Stop the train.

Didn't my mother say that exact same thing to me???

Shit.

I'm sounding just like my mother.

Again.