"i do it!"

elijah is trying so hard to be a big boy and assert his independence. the most common phrase out of his mouth these days is a variation on the theme: "I DO IT!". he says this in response to any offer of help and any attack on his two-year-old capabilities. most of the time, i can let him do whatever it is that he's wanting to do on his own (brushing his teeth, putting his shirt on, climbing into his carseat, etc.) but sometimes, i just can't. i try to make sure he's still involved in the process, even if he can't do the bulk of the task, though that doesn't always pacify him. it's a stage that all kids go through and we're working through it but that knowledge doesn't make the day to day drudgery of it any easier...