My babies are growing up

I just feel like lately I have been realizing how much my babies are growing up. This could be partly due to the fact that we just had birthday season at our house, but there are other signs.

• Doug and Andy now can mostly handle themselves in a public restroom (we're working on the concept of not leaving the stall until your pants are pulled up).
• Josie is working on potty training.
• All the kids can put on their own shoes.
• Andy and Doug can mostly dress themselves
• They are all signed up for preschool next year
• Doug and Andy can buckle themselves in their booster seats
• We might get a booster seat for Josie at a restaurant but no more high chairs
• They are all "getting" things left and right that they didn't understand before
• Doug and Andy are getting better about being able to help with things (picking up toys, clearing their dishes, helping do a job)
• Particularly Doug is understanding more jokes
  

I'm enjoying the new phase because there are things I do not miss, and while I loved earlier phases there are times that I see people with children still in those phases and I am glad that we are done with it. I just can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.