There are a couple of things that Jacob does that I’m always trying to ‘fix’.
I’ll start with crooked pants/shorts/underwear. One of the first signs indicating he has been to use the bathroom is crooked clothes. Sometimes it is so bad, he will come to get help. Or bring extra underwear or shorts to replace the ill-fitting ones. But very often, not bad but needs adjusting. And he does not, I repeat DOES NOT, want me to straighten his clothing.
Note, there aren’t many pictures of Mr. Crooked Pants – I’m too busy wanting to get him picture perfect! Shame on me! In the grand scheme of things, this is minor, right? But it looks uncomfortable, agree?
I am wondering if he takes after his daddy. Not sure if it was because he was the youngest child and nobody noticed him or if he didn’t care but in photos, he often looked disheveled. Seems looking ‘gooooooood’ wasn’t based on whether or not his clothing was straight!!
Some days I just can’t ignore and determine to fix his appearance. And then I’m met with him grabbing my forearms and holding me at arm’s length away. I need to walk away and let it go! Unfortunately, it often becomes me wanting to win that silly battle. He doesn’t care—why should I? You’ll be happy to know that on the day I composed this blog, I let him wear crooked pajama bottoms all day. Yes. I. Did.
The other thing is wearing socks in the winter months. Much of our house is ceramic tile. It feels COLD to bare feet. I am constantly putting socks back on my boy. Because his feet will be very chilly to the touch. He has never, brought me socks needing help or wanting them back on. And often when I’m trying to get socks on him, he makes it a test of my patience and endurance!!
I’m in the cold feet could lead to a cold, camp! I read that virus doesn’t enter through your feet so having cold feet doesn’t make you sick. I also read that if your feet are cold, your nose is and cannot fight germs as well. And, that cold feet increase the likelihood of catching the flu. As with everything, information is conflicting; and I must choose which I’m going with.
Some days, my sole mission is to keep socks on him. Isn’t that one of my jobs as his mother to do everything to ward off cold and flu? As you can see, he’ll toss socks anywhere and everywhere! I will put socks back on his frosty feet multiple times a day. Not always easy but it’s a battle I haven’t surrendered yet.
I thought about instituting a policy – NO sock, NO service. But that didn’t seem fair since it would change with the season. Here it seems he is trying to appease me with one sock on and one-off.
Now that spring is here, maybe there will be a break in the sock battle. I’m sure he is as tired of my demands as I am at keeping his feet warm!
Obviously, on the parental battle hill, neither of these things is of life-altering importance. Not rooted in anger, a misunderstanding, or even willful disobedience. One I think I can let slide and the other, I’m not so sure. It is comical that I could even call them battles, but they are to me.
Problem-Free Philosophy 
I agree, crooked clothes do look uncomfortable, I’m a fixer too…I’m still doing it…”come here, let me straighten your clothes…get that hair out of your eyes”!
Cute picture of Mike and his brothers…the white socks with colored band at the top “takes me back a few” my brother had 9,000 pair that I had to fold! Oh, and brother on the right looks just like Josh!
My daddy was a firm believer in “ cold feet could lead to a cold”…we always had to wear socks…I might add, they offered some protection from the floor furnace in our hall with skinny borders…always trying to jump over it!
Terri, thanks for sharing these cute-comical battles…I agree, they do matter❣️
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Thank you! Nice to know I’m not alone in that cold feet camp!
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I remember one Sunday when Tommy was a scout at FBC. The scouts had been on a camp out for the weekend and they came back to church. Tommy was up front on the stairs with a green scout sock on AND a white sock on. Later he told me that he could only find one scout sock. I’m sure that I had both socks in a large plastic baggie. Oh well! The ceremony went on!
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Hahahaha! He was starting a new trend! Love it! Oh well is about all us moms can say sometimes. 😉
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You gave me a big smile with this one. Guess it’s part of the Mother thing to want clothes on straight. I find sometimes I’m wanting to’fix’ your dad’s clothes. And I want to silverware straight on the table, most of the time when dad does it’s upside down on I have to straighten it as soon as possible! I know it bothers you that Jacob won’t keep socks on. Seems that doesn’t bother him but it would me! The other day I was talking to a friend and she was laughing at the places Jacob would hide things. He surely gives us things to smile about!
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I had to give up my perfectionist ways a long time ago but it is nice for things to be like I want them! If he could just put his on socks on I think I wouldn’t bother me so much!
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Terri, I love how you document your stories with such great photos to illustrate what you are struggling with. I agree that I would want to straighten pants (i’ve done this to my grandsons, and they don’t like it either). They also don’t like to wear socks when the floors are cold and I’m freezing. I guess I should pick my battles and not worry with such things, but I think as a Mom, it just comes naturally. I think Jacob has a great sense of humor, from the places he puts his socks when he takes them off! Thank you for sharing another wonderful story, you are so talented! Xoxo
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I appreciate that! It must be a mom thing for sure!
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