It’s only expected that a four-year-old grows more independent daily. Lately, that independence has moved out of the normal realms of the everyday, personal actions — bathing, brushing hair, cleaning teeth — and into more wide-ranging spheres: cooking and buying.

She wanted a quesadilla the other day, so I asked if she’d like to help make it.

When it was done, she ate it with more relish than I’d seen her eat anything in recent memory.

During our first spring zoo outing today, we stopped for an ice cream. L needed to pay by herself — it was imperative.

The “I can do it!” phase is thankfully far from over.