Then I hear someone doing dishes. 

The girls woke up before us, had breakfast in silence and cleaned up after themselves. 

Today they took Rufus out for a morning walk in the fog. They took their sweet time getting dressed and bickering about hurrying or putting on the appropriate warm clothes. 

As long as they give me such beautiful opportunities to observe their initiative, serving heart, hard work, applied self sufficiency, I can go many more extra miles patiently parenting then through the next steps in life. Give and take is healthy not just for the parents. When kids start becoming self aware and altruistic it’s a bright day in heaven and on parenting earth.