Big Shoes To Fill

After a sweaty walk around our sweaty neighborhood today, I came back to our especially sweaty apartment and kicked my shoes off the second we all walked into the boys' room.

At which point, they were promptly commandeered:

And despite appearances, it wasn't by this one.

I took that picture well after the unexpected "Shoe Wars" broke out and had already been resolved. And by resolved I mean I hobbled away to procure another pair of shoes as fast as my weary feet could go. 

"Mommy's shoes... I steal them!"*

Which meant there was peace in the valley at last.** 

Also, this is what Nate does lately if I ask him to smile at the camera: 

I have no idea what that's about and I don't particularly care because it makes me giggle.

• • • • • • •

The post title is not intended to be a self-congratulatory pat on the back – rather an acknowledgment of the work that any of us as mothers (or fathers) do day in and day out.

Today was a tough day.

Still, the shoes thing was awesome and hilarious and I made a point of grabbing my camera when I stepped out to fetch the second pair because I had a feeling I was about to hit comedy gold. While we might have had a tough day, these are the moments I want to remember because they make all the tough parts worth it.

Times about a million.

And even though my shoes might be big ones to fill in a more literal sense, I think my boys sported them rather well, no?

- L. 

*Said before the infamous "Shoe Wars" broke out.

**In the very early days when the boys were barely hatched and I was busy juggling crying babies on sometimes as little as 45 minutes of sleep the refrain from Peace in the Valley was a reminder to me of the impermanence of whatever I was dealing with at the time. There were even times I sang it out loud. Of course, that was entirely before the strict "No singing!" policy was made clear.

Still, I found there were a few times today when I once again had this on a silent loop in my head:

There will be peace in the valley for me some day 

Peace in the valley for me, dear Lord, I pray 

There'll be no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble I see*** 

There'll be peace in the valley for me.

***Emphasis mine.