It's the little things...

"Little things" conjures up lots of little cliche phrases for me such as "Little things come in small packages." People say that life is made up of the little moments that take our breath away. Or, that the big things are the little things.

As a mom, we will absolutely go without so that our children have everything and anything that they could possibly need. Point in case, imagine making a pie that your grandmother always made you as a child... the house smells delicious and you simply cannot wait to sink your teeth into a bite after dinner.

You graciously prepare dinner for your brood which is something equally divine and savory. You serve your husband first as a sign of respect. As the head of the household, it is your job to put him second (God, obviously first) in line. Next, any guests present are served ample portions. Next you carefully prepare the plates for your children giving them just enough. Last, you serve yourself and seat yourself among the others. If your children have any sense of manners, they are all waiting for you at the table and have yet begun to eat. After a heartfelt prayer of thanks, dinner is gobbled up voraciously. This fills you with a sense of accomplishment and pride. You graciously clear the table. Your well-behaved, eldest son smiles and helps. With dishes placed in (or near) the sink, you smile and bring in your masterpiece--the pie. You smile and take in the compliments of your guests and family on the presentation of this beautiful creation. You cut and again, serve your husband. You serve your guests. You serve your children. You smile and exit the room for a moment only to return to see that your children have cleaned their plates. The adults are conversing among themselves and the children... one of them asks for the last piece. You haven't had your piece yet but graciously, serve it onto his eagerly awaiting empty dessert plate. He asks, "Are you sure you don't want it?" Your reply, "I've never been fond of pie anyway."

These are the things a mother does to put her children first. Doesn't that just have a whole "Normal Rockwell" feel to it? Sure, you pictured June Clever in her blue dress, heels and pearls with a beautiful pie featuring a meringue topping a foot high if it's an inch, didn't you?

Well, in a normal world in my house, that's really how it is (minus the heels and pearls) but I really would let my children indulge over myself. I do serve my husband, guests and children first. I do feel proud when I have created something savory and palatable for everyone at my table.

However, when your children have TWO ENTIRE 5-drawer rolling carts FULL of art supplies such as pencils, pens, crayons, erasers, markers, Sharpies and the like and I have one SMALL milk glass container the size of a dessert bowl on my desk that is supposed to house 2 blue pens, 2 black pens, 2 red pens, 2 pencils, 2 Sharpies and one set of thin Crayola markers... darnit... I EXPECT THEM TO BE LEFT ALONE! I just went to grab a pen -- they're ALL MISSING I went to grab my black Crayola marker, someone's used it until it's dried out! The red is missing as is the green and yellow. My black Sharpie -- MIA.

So, as that is said, this LITTLE thing is a BIG THING to me and I'm going to have a LITTLE talk with my LITTLE men and tell them to leave my LITTLE pen holder alone or they're going to have a LITTLE pain on their LITTLE behind from my LITTLE wooden spoon because trying to find a marker, pen, pencil or Sharpie has given me a LITTLE headache.

I guess it IS all in the little things after all.