You know occasionally, you’re going about your normal every day business and all that motherhood involves, and something just stops you? It makes you pause for a moment, relish it, perhaps see memories whiz by or moments flying into the future. I can’t be the only one who has this, so I’m hoping at least one person out there will be nodding by now.
Sometimes it can be something funny or adorable that they come out with. It makes me want to hug them all the more tightly. I love watching their delight at their bubbles machine in action, the wonder in their eyes as they look up at an air balloon, their gleeful anticipation on opening a big new tub of craft materials. All of these things fill me with joy and make me melt. They remind me that I’m lucky to be their mum, make me ponder what it was I did that has made me this fortunate. I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly sentimental person, though having children has certainly made me more so. Made me more appreciative of the little things, I guess. Made me notice, which I’m thankful for, as days can go by pretty quickly with two crazy ones to run around after!
But the moments that really get me, that make me stop and tear up happily? They tend to be the most innocuous of things. Often unremarkable. Certain proclivities and idiosyncrasies of my children.
Socks. Socks get me. It’s the way that Boo will always take her socks off after around 10 minutes of having them on. Why? Her feet are hot, or ‘scratchy’, whatever that means. Sometimes they’re discarded and strewn, sometimes placed neatly together, alongside the ones that Little Man will also discard, because he’s seen his big sister take hers off. There’s something about finding them like this that makes me smile, even though I have to pick them up daily. Or it’s the way that Little Man’s still so small that when his sock starts sliding down his foot, and make his ankle look like it’s severely disjointed and broken, he still totters along in them, oblivious, until I come along to pull them up and give him a cuddle while I do so. These are the moments that make me want to hold the children tighter, slow down the seconds, keep them small in my arms. These little things hold a certain innocence and they have somehow come to be representative of my children being young and very dependent on me, and whilst I know that this needs to change, and will change, I want to keep that for now. Hold on to it for a teeny while longer. I need these sock moments.*
What moments get you like this?
*the moments that I need a little less, are when I pick up said socks and pop them into the back pocket of my jeans, as I do practically every morning, ready to take upstairs for the washing basket. And then forget that I’ve done this and only remember when I arrive back home from the preschool run, and discover flappy socks hanging over my bum….Oh well, better than knickers is what I immediately reassured myself with…
Aww lovely post and I, like I’m sure many other mummies, know exactly what you mean about these type of moments. Not so much with socks in our house, though Monkey can be quite particular about keeping his socks on weirdly, and we are very much in the mode of persuading him that barefoot is good in summer, particularly on the beach. He wants his sandals on (preferably with socks too) even on the beach! Funny Monkey! But like you say it’s the lovely little personality quirks that can make you so proud! Lovely post! #ordinarymoments #whatsthestory xx
Ha ha – the total opposite then! It is the quirks that make you smile 🙂 x
Cute! My boys new thing which is like my sock moment is bloomin shoes. As in he wants them on AT ALL TIMES! I will take them off. He goes and gets them and repeat. 40 times a day. He always wants these horrible cheap Mickey shoes on too! Grrrrr. Lovely post bab (hope you’re having fun. We are watching the Tweenies. DOOOOOM) xxx
Little Man is keen on shoes, but not in the house, he just knows they mean he can go out! Hope your day picks up x
Socks gets me too. But its my hubby. He never put them together when he is taking it off and I would find them everywhere in the house. Then he would ask me every morning is hes got a pair!!!!! UGH! #magicmoments
Oh no! My husband can deal with his own socks!
Aww! Lovely post….So sweet!
My girls hate wearing socks….When they get in from school it’s always shoes and socks off and flung around the house….lol
Makes me laugh how much they can hate wearing them! x
So cute. My daughter lives in her socks all day and all night a new pair are put on which makes me laugh. She often has pongy feet though the minus! A doesn’t like socks unless he has to have them on to go out. I love it when babies loose them and have most of the sick just hanging on the toes!x
I think it’s really sweet! Funny how different your two are about it then x
Urgh I relate, little one won’t wear hats or sandals! They are fussy aren’t they!
My little one loves wearing a hat, but normally indoors only!
Ah yes, I can relate to the sock issue, though I tend to find it rather annoying. But like you, I do like to cherish these moments while they are little, they grow up so fast.
#WhatstheStory
Ah, you see I used to get frustrated by it, but I’ve decided to embrace it and find it endearing – a shift in mental state has made all the difference! x
That made me smile 🙂 Socks annoy me as my younger son takes them off and leaves them all over the place. Both boys will go out into the garden in just their socks and come back covered in grass stains. Now my kids are bigger, these moments of cuteness are fewer and further between, but my daughter’s innocent chatter still gets me.
Ah, which is why I’m holding on to the cuteness while I can!
Such a lovely post 🙂 I’ve been going through a bit of a sentimental phase recently watching Arthur try so hard to learn new things. He’s into building and balancing at the moment (definite progress from just wanting to knock things down!). He focuses so hard, and is so pleased with himself when he gets things exactly where he wants them but soooo frustrated when it doesn’t work! It just wants me want to bundle him up and do things for him but I know he has to learn himself – I’m sure that’s not going to get any easier over the months and years to come! x
Nope, it really won’t! it’s lovely watching them, though, and I did so enjoy the move to build from destroy that Little Man went through a couple of months back, too!
These are definitely sweet moments! The part about the socks in the back pocket made me smile, and I’m sure the other mums understand. My little guy never likes to cover up with a blanket, and that has me checking him all night! #MagicMoments
I’m sure I’ll do it again and again over the years, too! Ah, that would have you checking all the time!
Awwww, what a lovely post! I do wish there was a way we could slow down time during the gorgeous touching moments even when they are as simple as socks! When mine are teenagers (or beyond!) I know I’m going to look back and wish I could see my older two dancing round the kitchen again together with the baby boogieing along in his highchair! #magicmoments
Oh, yes, absolutely! I love it when my two dance about in the kitchen, too 🙂
I’m liking the idea of socks ganging out of your jeans pocket-I too have done that. It’s the phrases or comments that usually get me the most-both will come out with something that blows me away and I feel the sense of their growing and maturing in those moments. A lovely post 🙂
Ah yes, Boo says things that stop me in my tracks sometimes. Though it’s their boundless energy and joy in all things that I want to capture and bottle, for I do hope that lasts for a lot longer x
I love your view on socks, my view is less “aw” and more “grrr” as they run around the farm in them without shoes on #MagicMoments
Oh yes, that’d make me mad!
Ah, yes, my lot all remove their socks as soon as they can! In fact, the 7yo currently has no clean ‘pairs’ of socks because he seems to take them off in different places and I can only ever find one of them! Lovely post Jocelyn x #WhatstheStory
Oh no – entirely his own fault, though! Thanks x
Love the socks in the back pocket! My two have given up on socks – they wear them for all of five minutes and then they are discarded at random places around the house. I have a whole pile of odd socks and no idea where their partners are!
Why are socks so hard to keep on?!
I can relate, Baby hates socks too, and she always takes off her shoes and socks about 5 seconds after getting in the car. She also tries to take her tights off too! My moment is probably when she smiles at me or comes in for a hug or a kiss x
Tights can be tricky! Oh yes, you can’t beat a hug and kiss from your little one 🙂
Socks drive me crazy, both hubby and Joe leave them everywhere, and I always have a basket full of odd ones. But little feet in little socks do sometimes bring a little lump to my throat too.
#MagicMoments
It’s just so cute when they’re small!
I know just what you mean! With two of mine being teenagers now I often sit and watch my preschooler and wish I had taken as much time to sit and watch the others, I feel like I missed out on so much just being so busy. I know better now!
It’s hard, because you are busy! So I try to pause every once in a while and let the to-do list go!
This is a lovely post. For me it is the current practice my youngest has of sleeping in his slippers and orange hat. He piles various odd items of clothing next to his bed at night time as well so that he can get ready ‘super- fast’ at the break of dawn. Of course it really just means that at 6.30am he can be heard loudly moaning ‘ mu-u-u-u-m, I can’t get my Captain America suit on’. Ah, but I love that moment because I know how fleeting they are.
What a fabulous habit! A moment to cherish 🙂
I love this post. I have moments like that too, moments where I see something and it catches me for a moment. I can’t even think of an example but I was nodding along when I was reading! x
Ah, that’s a lovely comment, it’s nice to know you’re with me 🙂 x
What a beautiful post. And yes, we all cry over socks. Milin detests wearing them – no matter what the weather/event/situation. Jasmin just likes pulling them off and chewing them . Sigh! x
Thank you and I do love how all kids mess about with them! x
I think the love and affection you have as a mother is really apparent in this post. My lad will be leaving home soon and I can just imagine thinking about memories such as these, finding a pair of socks stuffed somewhere too.
Oh, thank you very much. Yes, memories to look back on x
I don’t have any particular emotions about socks, but I love pegging out little pairs of pants on the line. They’re so cute, especially when they first start wearing them and they are tiny.
Oh yes – I do like that, too!
I have given up making mine wear socks unless it is school. And as for pairing them – that makes me cry
Ha ha – I understand!
What a beautifully written post Jocelyn, these are such great moments to cherish. We have sock dramas here too, POD often likes to take hers off too. And her clothes! Love this post, just wonderful #whatsthestory
Oh yes, clothes need shedding, too! Thanks, Charly x
What a beautiful post! What a wonderful mum <3
Ah, thank you so much x
Aww I totally get this, I’m hopelessly sentimental and anything/everything can start me off! Small children are a delight and it’s moments like the socks that we know one day we will miss so much 🙁 xx #whatsthestory
Yes, it’s exactly that. A little something that they do, which one day could get forgotten x