The Third Biggest Milestone--

--lagging only behind toilet training and sleeping all night in their own bed (and, well, breathing on her own, but you can't count Syd milestones that way, lest you first count down a list of at least forty medical-related milestones, from 1. breathing on her own to 41. finally getting our insurance companies to cover her $200,000 hospital bill), is witnessing the children put on all their own snowgear, from snowpants with the elastic ankles and zipper up the front and overall straps, to snow boots that go under the elastic ankles, to sweaters that need to be buttoned or zipped, to the hat that's pulled on just right to keep hair out their eyes, to the coat that needs buttoning AND zipping, to both mittens, even that tricky second one that you have to put on with your other hand in a mitten!

Of course, it's handy to have a sister to assist you.