3 Down, 1 To Go...

In the words of William Wallace (Mel Gibson) while he was being tortured and having his small intestine pulled out of his conscious body... "FREEEEEEDOMMMMMMM!"

Emma learned how to put her own seat belt on today!

Now some of you may be saying to yourself "big stinking deal." But, this is in fact a big stinking deal! Do you know how long I have been buckling her in her car seat? For almost 5 years now. I have bras that are older than that...

It is me who is always the last person in the car because I am buckling various children in their safety seats. It is me who gets her hair blown by the gusty wind on our way to Church because I am buckling children in safety seats so that by the time we get to Church I look like I am a prostitute on the corner of 5th and Dodge and need to go to confession. It is me who gets a soaking wet back and butt because I am standing in the rain buckling little people in their safety seats. It is me who thinks that she is going to get car jacked while buckling these children in their seats because I am completely vulnerable with my back side to any criminal element that is out there!

But not anymore.

Emma has mastered the art of buckling herself in her booster seat and now I don't have to yell things like "Will you HURRY UP and get in your seat before my butt cheeks get frostbite!" or "Will you please stop hopping around and just get in your seat before the mall police ticket me for loitering!"

Now that she has met this milestone in her life, she now gets to face the "how fast can I buckle myself before my mother starts driving like a bat out of hell" obstacle.

Today she did rather well, she was securely buckled before we even got to the grocery store. I am sure within a week she will be buckled before we are out of the driveway.

She is a quick study.