The Magic Bottle Doesn't Exist

Tonight was a bottle moment. Do y'all ever have those? Moments that are so sweet and so pure and so beautiful that you just wish you could capture every tiny particle: the way you felt, the way you loved, the way you breathed in nothing except peace and serenity, the way nothing else mattered and troubles just vanished like pen marks under a magic eraser, and wave your arm and grab it all and whoosh it into a bottle like a good witch casting a spell. Just so you'd have it. And every once in a while, you could nudge it off the shelf, dust it off, open it up, and take a giant whiff.

I never want to forget camping out with my little boys on their bedroom floor tonight while they fell asleep, giggling over puppet shows with their beloved stuffed animals, fighting over who loved who the most, and feeling their sweet, little arms wrap tightly around my neck. I never ever ever want to forget, but i will.

Tomorrow somebody will spill their cereal, somebody will have a breakdown because i gave them the "Paw Patrol" cup instead of the "Star Wars" cup, somebody will refuse to take a nap, and definitely, most definitely somebody will try to buck the system and require a lengthy time out (and then a second time out when they throw a fit about the first time out). And somebody, I'm not naming names, will need to hide in her messy closet amongst the boxes of scuffed-up Jessica Simpson wedges and folded Lululemon pants, sneak a small glass of red wine, and text an understanding friend to make it through. And without even realizing what's happening, I'll forget all about those sticky little fingers smooshing my face and kissing my nose in a flash.
I'll forget and they'll forget, because a magic bottle doesn't exist, and even if it did, there are so many legos and clutter and old junk mail in this house, I'd probably lose it anyways, somewhere with all those single socks and bobby pins.

But take heart, momma...because all of these little moments are the foundation on which you are building your family. All of these little moments are the reason your kids will be strong and confident and able. All of these little moments are the reason, they'll still occasionally text you as a teen, lean on you as an adult and trust you to babysit their own precious children one day. All of these little moments are why they will know that they can always come running back to your open arms when they've lost their way, when they've broken a heart, and when they've lost their will to run.

You may forget, but they will always leave an impression on your heart like footprints in the sand, and more importantly, on theirs. So breathe in the smell of their Honest shampoo, take a quick picture of their tiny hands holding yours, and stay in their beds cuddled up a little longer than you should.

These little moments may fly away like butterflies, but those little wings desperately need them if they are going to have the strength to fly one day.