Non-Standard Units of Measure

It was one of those math units that I taught when those poor kids had me for a math teacher (sorry kids!) - it was a unit about how you can use just about anything to measure just about anything.  We challenged the kids to use everyday items to measure things - how long was your desk from one end to the other, in jelly beans or marbles or sneakers or elbows. It was one of many units that I endured.  Then, I found my soulmate team teacher (thanks, TT) and she loved math like I loved Language Arts.  And it was there that the magic was made in Cedar Park and Leander, Texas.

So today, I was reflecting while at the pool with my kids about the measurement of motherhood.  And yes, you can measure it in months, years or typical milestones, but I was pondering the non-standard units of measure for mother hood.  And I came up with these - here's how you know you are moving along the motherhood continuum, at a rate that most of us would say is way too fast:

• The first night your infant sleeps all night - and you are convinced that something terrible has happened to him or her, and that panic until you go rushing in and there he or she is, perfectly fine.
• The swap-over from the bucket carseat to a bigger kid seat.  Your child goes from spilling over, arms and legs, to being swallowed up by the bigger seat.  It's a circle of life thing - you get too big for one, and then you're too little for the next.
• Taking down the crib - for good.  Dewey did this for me close to a year ago, and rolled his eyes while I teared up.  It was hard to watch the dismantling of the snuggly space that held your babies and kept them safe - that you hung mobiles from and you got to see your baby jumping, laughing, and reaching for you from every single day.
• When your child goes from calling you "Mommy" to calling you "Mom".  It'll hurt the first time it happens, and you will be speechless.  (I have two that are making this transition currently, and it's breaking my heart.)
• The day your last child makes a habit of waking up dry - and you realize you will never have to buy a $30 box of diapers or pull-ups again (we celebrated this within the past few months too).
• The day you go from having to be in the water with them at the pool to being able to sit on the edge and watch - (with them in reach of course) - without having to get wet.  (I lived this one tonight - halleljuah!!!).

Those are mine that come to mind right now - how about you?  What's your favorite non-standard unit of measure for motherhood?