The Wow Factor

People with children know about the wow factor. It happens when you least expect it.
Today was a normal day. A day that I would never expect the wow factor to come into play. As usual, everyone was up and around by 6:45 am. I asked Will to please go upstairs and start getting ready for school. As always, I was met with little resistance, but I also knew that I could let 20 minutes pass and Will still would not be dressed, let alone have his bed made, dirty clothes picked up, etc. I also asked Emma to please go to her room and get dressed. As always, I was given the pouty looked, followed by the "I want YOU to pick out my clothes today". What girl says that?! Nonetheless, I sent her up to at least work in the right direction. I left Jack to do as he pleases as I now know better than to ask a 2 year-old to do anything and expect it to get done.
10 minutes later, rather than start cooking breakfast, I decided to check on things upstairs and just see how well my children could follow directions today. When I got upstairs, I was met by Jack who was fully dressed, had his teeth brushed and was munching on a vitamin. Emma announced that she had taken care of him this morning and was just finishing her vitamin after having brushed her own teeth. She had placed Will's vitamin on the counter for him after he was finished brushing his teeth. I was just getting ready to throw out the "WOW!", when I decided I had better change Jack's diaper. No need, Emma tells me. She already did that as well. This is where the wow factor comes in. How in the world did she get all of that accomplished in approximately 10 minutes?! And I didn't even ask her to do it! And Jack looked great - matching AND with a perfectly placed diaper!
Enough said.
Sometimes, we as parents, just step back and look at our children and say "WOW!".
No other words are needed.
Well, maybe "thank you", in this case.


In case any of you are wondering, Will still was not dressed, didn't have his bed made and his teeth weren't even close to being brushed. No wow factor for Will this morning.