Routine

I'm sitting here in the kitchen looking over at Bennett on the opposite side of the back door saying, "Bye!" I think I already mentioned that he is really into closing doors lately. That phase is still going strong. He's still not once gotten his fingers caught, and now he can't leave a room without closing the door behind him. Sometimes we'll walk outside and I'll leave the door open intentionally (has this weather lately not been wonderful?!). He'll realize that it's open, let go of my hand, walk over and close the door. Then he takes my hand back and we're ready to go. What a responsible little man!

I had actually planned on telling you another cute story about him, but I couldn't sit here and write, hearing his little voice out there, and not mention it.

Last night, we ate dinner over at Grandpa's with Mama and Daddy. It was a true collaboration. Mama and Daddy grilled chicken and steamed some onions and broccoli on the grill. Josh and I roasted potatoes, sauteed some spinach, and grilled a few pineapple rings. It was tasty! Anyway, we ate outside under the "veranda" as Daddy so falsely glorifies it. It's a metal carport. But, it does have nice outdoor lights hanging from the top edge all the way around, a ceiling fan, and we have the grill and a table and chairs set up under there. Oh, and no car. And he's not really trying to falsely glorify it, he's just being funny. He's being him. And it's the closest thing to a veranda that we have, so there you go.

So, we were eating our supper while Bennett ran around playing in the dirt, motor oil, and spider webs. He wasn't actually playing in motor oil, don't worry, but there is plenty over there to dirty his little hands. So Daddy got the hose and some dish detergent and washed his hands off. Shortly after, I took Bennett up to bed. I usually wash his hands before he goes to bed. I'm not quite to the point that I'm giving him a bath every night, but I do at least wash his hands every night before bed. Well, I decided it wasn't necessary last night since Daddy had just hosed them off.

Bennett and I walked up the stairs (after closing the hall door behind us, of course) and when we reached the top, I went right and Bennett went left. Bennett's room is to the right, but the bathroom is to the left. I realized he wasn't headed my way about the time he realized I wasn't headed his, and we both turned and looked at each other. He was on his way to wash his hands, like we always do. Well of course, I joined him and we went into the bathroom to wash his hands. He held out his hand for me to help him up on the stool, and we cleaned those little digits again. He got down from the stool, walked down the hall, turned and went into his room, and climbed up into the rocker that we sit in to read a story each night.

You just don't realize how well they know their routine until you try to break it one time. It made me smile.