Reflections on motherhood

I slept terribly last night and woke too early, both facts facilitated by my toddler, who I believe is teething again.

When 'we' finally woke at 6am (having already seen every hour since midnight) I remembered that today, Mother's Day, we'd agreed my husband would go mountain biking at 7am (yesterday having been my yoga morning). Why I agreed to this time, I don't really know. I love how happy cycling makes him and I am aware that it as necessary to his wellbeing as yoga is to mine, however him leaving at 7am means no lie in for mama.

So, forget romantic notions of Mother's Day! I began my day, after a kiss goodbye, with a small child trying crawl backwards out of the front door in just his PJs - no shoes, no jumper, no hat. I clothed him and he happily toddled off for a few minutes in the garage with daddy, before mama took over. He wailed, because he wanted the garage, the bikes, the car...somewhere full of interesting shapes and sharp, spiky, dangerous bits, to explore.

I sat a while, cuddling him. Then, before breakfast, I made all the beds, tidied up the bedrooms, picked up dirty socks and pants off the floor (the man's), put strawberry-stained clothes in the linen bin (the boy's, left in his room by the man last night), emptied the dishwasher, put the dirty dishes in, put on a load of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, wiped the boy's nose, changed his nappy, dressed him and, then, finally, I made myself a cup of tea and made us both breakfast.

I ate my smoked salmon and strawberries alone, interspersed with my little one eating with me, throwing two lots of food on the floor, cleaning him up and most of the floor before he could crawl or sit in it, stopping him hitting hard things on the window, wailing because I'd removed the hard things from his grasp, more nose wiping, and, around 8am, eventually, carrying him upstairs for what he obviously needed after a bad night's sleep - his nap (about four hours earlier than usual).

As I lay in the semi darkness, listening the steady sound of his new clock ticking and feeling his hot breath on my cheek, wishing I could have some time out...wishing I could have had a relaxed and enjoyable breakfast as a family, all together...wishing I could have had a lie in...wishing the man had made me a cup of tea...the light of my heart snuggled up to me, his arms around my neck, and I realised...this is what Mother's Day is about. This bundle of love, soft and fluffy, warm, full of energy and curiosity. This unconditional and absolute love is what makes me a mother - nothing else really matters. This, beyond anything else, defines today.

Socks

My son's dubious choice of toy to take into the car today was a pair of his daddy's socks, which he cuddled for approximately half an hour.

He has now just retrieved a pair of my old holey socks from the rubbish bin and has taken to cuddling my feet.

What is it with the foot area in our home, I wonder?