Boogers on the Wall

I make a lot of mistakes as a mother. I set off the fire alarm burning my children’s breakfast at least twice a week. I forget to switch the laundry all the time and end up with moldy, stinky clothes, and for some reason I can’t keep my boy’s toenails clean.

But despite all the motherly mishaps, I must be doing something right. Because my cute, little rainbow-baby two-year-old son “needs me.”

Normally I write about how crazy, unequipped and awkward I am as a parent. Today I’m going to write about how somehow in all the chaos, something good is sprouting.

My youngest little monkey actually needs me. He says so about a half dozen times a day. And every time he says it, it melts my heart.

“Mom I need you,” he’ll say. Sometimes it’s muffled by the bulk of his binky, sometimes it’s screamed while he’s running for his life from one of his brothers. But no matter how or why he says it, it is the best thing I have heard lately.

A lot of times he’ll reach his chubby arms up to me stretching for me to pick him up, “I need you,” he’ll say.

When I’m in my bedroom folding laundry or getting ready for the day I’ll hear him holler through the house, “Mom, I need you. Where are you?”

Then there’s the times he’s tired or sad. That’s when he’ll cuddle close and whisper, “I need you,” in a sweet, quiet voice while he plays with my hair.

Knowing that someone loves and wants you is the best feeling in the world -especially when you feel like you are screwing things up all the time.

It helps me on the days when I burn our food or ruin our clothing. I just want to wrap my arms around his cute little neck, place my forehead on his and whisper,

“No little buddy, I need YOU. “