The little blighters are bound to cause me untold headaches and heartaches through the years, but just now my children are still innocents. They are sweet-natured. They say adorable things. They haven't yet learnt to hate their parents.
Laura is prone to leave me notes on the bedside table when she's done something wrong. The words fill me with sorrow and remorse, as I read her plaintive,"Mummy I'm sorei wehn I was beeing bad". The experienced parents reading this will now be nodding sagely and intoning, "Ah! She's got you!". I fully admit the cute apology note sucks me in every time. I am reeled in - regretful, and forgiving, and vowing never to be such a crabby mother again. Until the next time those kids annoy me.
Benjamin doesn't bother much with apologies. His tactic is to charm the pants off me, as a sort of a preemptive strike. He schmoozes and compliments. He snuggles and kisses. Yesterday, he hugged my back energetically as I bent over to help him with his shoes, telling me, "Oh, I love you Mummy. Why would I ever love anyone more than you?". You've got to admire this kid. He's got the smarmy lines. He'll tell his girlfriends that they have hair like silk, and lips like rose petals and eyes like shining stars. It's all becoming clear.
I am trying to savour every embrace and enjoy every crayon-adorned message. I know teenagers don't touch or talk nearly as much as little ones do. If I get more than the odd grunt and occasional pat from my adolescent children, I'll count myself lucky.
So today, and every day, I am thankful for these small children - my kind, soft-cheeked Laura, and my loving, grinning Ben. They bring so much laughter and new light to my life. And I don't care if they have me in the palms of their sweaty little hands. Wrapped around their sticky little fingers. I'm a willing victim, I'm a captive audience, and, above all, I'm their besotted mother.
14 comments:
The first thing I saw on your page was those feet. I just wanted to tickle them. Is that bad?
Seriously, I'm glad you are treasuring these moments, and really enjoying the kids.
Yes, you will no doubt look back on these as 'the good old days'. You will endure that period of teenagers and adolescents and will earn the lines in your face and the gray in your hair. But then one day you will have something even more precious than those cute feet and sweet notes, a grandchild. It doesn't get much better than that.
Enjoy it while it lasts, and give 'em a tickle for me, too.
Love 'em while you can because they grow up soooo fast. It's all because they are wishing and hoping to be grown up and their wishes come true before you know it. So, enjoy them while you can, love them a lot, forgive them for their shaky steps towards adulthood, guide them with love, and tickle their little feet. Most important, however, is to hug and kiss as much as humanly possible without their saying, "Oh, mom, stop already."
I felt exactly the same way about my children. And, you know, I was really lucky, they werent bad teenagers. A few heated 'love dances' but mostly, still my friends. You might be lucky too!
Well my oldest son parted from me on the one to one when he was about 13, but the youngest son is 14 and still gives me hugs every day.
Of course, they're the joy of your life, Jelly, these lovely children. But take hope, not all teenagers are grunters and problem children...well, not all the time, anyway. Some are actually quite articulate.
But, that's in the future...meanwhile you have these little cherubs to love and enjoy. A lovely post, Jelly.
This is great.
But you have so much to look forward to.
Our grown children, youngest in her mid 20s, are the best friends I've ever had in the whole world. I enjoy their company now much more than when they were little. I'll bet that for you good stuff lies ahead too.
Jelly, I hope you're saving those notes too. They will make you smile well into the future.
Yes, the years hurtle by faster than you can imagine. Enjoy the now with them. I know now what my mother felt when she'd say "If only I could have the three of you little again, just for a day every once in a while".
Jelly,
Children are but a mirror reflection of their parents, and the art of forgivness is carried on from one generation to the next.
I'm guessing you beguiled your mum more than once and that she forgave you more than that! ;-)
rel
Oh amen to this post....
Mine are almost ten and eleven and I am more aware every moment how fleeting my sweet time with them is really becoming.
They really do grow up all to quickly. Makes me want to have more...
Well, makes me want to have ONE more, preferably one that can't talk, walk or roll his eyes at me.
Wink, wink.
I love those grubby little feet :) Children are a precious gift, indeed. I'm pretty sure you're loving and sweet more than you're crabby :)
There's never a dull moment, even through the teen years. Enjoy them!
And hopefully someday you'll be rewarded with grandchildren.
Having just spent the weekend with ours, enjoying lots of cuddles and kiddy-style conversation, I can honestly tell you it's worth every bump in the road!
Those cute little feet there make me just want to sneak up and tickle them with a feather. hehehe
Little children are so precious & sweet and there's nothing wrong with hugging & loving on them as much as possible while they are still acceptable to the hugs & kisses because as preteens they begin to pull away...some do more than others and some never do. But you gotta enjoy every moment you can with them and I see that you are doing just that.
I know that everyone has, at one time or another brought up those terrible teenage years, but they pass quickly and then there's the joy of your young adults, who want nothing more than to have a close relationship with you. The joys get better and better as they get older and then to top things off you get granchildren.
You're a wonderful mum Mz Jellyhead!
Ben already has such a way with words - just like his mother. Oh they are gorgeous, Jelly. I hope you're keeping all those little notes and writing down their delightful little sayings. They will be a treasure trove of family history in years to come.
I got a cute note from my ten year old requesting a raise from the tooth fairy. Since she was only asking for 25 cents more I sprung for it.
Mimi
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