small things {tiny tootsies}

small things #1 ... Tiny Tootsies

I recently discovered that my baby boy has man-feet.

A few weeks back, we had our first (and only) true snow of the season.  On this particular school day, the kids had the added challenge of finding mittens, winter coats and appropriate footwear.  Seeing as we hadn't yet had a need for boots, they were still stored away.

With a few minutes to spare until the mass exodus to school, I stood up on my tiptoes and snagged the dusty, Huggies box off the top shelf in the laundry room.  Opening the flaps revealed several snow boots in a variety of sizes.  Last year's sizes.

Each kid grabbed their appropriate boots and tried them on.  It was like a scene from Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Only this time they all declared, "This one's too small!"

I did a quick shuffle ... Aaron's to Norah, Norah's to Ashley and Ashley's to Lydia.  Aaron looked at his feet and shrugged.

"No problem.  I can just wear my tennies."

The same tennies with the potentially leaky toe.

"Hang on a minute.  Let me check upstairs."

Diving head-first into my closet, I located my old hiking boots.  Brown leather, water-proof, mildly dusty.  And too big.

"Can I try them on?"

"Buddy, I don't think they'll fit.  I can't have you tripping over your shoes all day."

"Lemme see 'em."

He slipped the boots on and laced them up.

"They fit."

"Well, of course your foot fits in them.  But do they actually fit?"

I then proceeded to perform the tested and true shoe-size-evaluation:  my thumb pressed against the toe of the boot.

They fit.  Perfectly.

My boots fit his feet.  His used-to-be-tiny feet.

"I'm just glad they're not pink."

"Me, too, Dude."

.............................

The snapshot for this Small Things series is of my little Lydia's tootsies.  Her tiny, cutie-patootie toes.  Her "I just want to nibble and smooch all over them" feetsies ... which will one day be big.  

Before I know it, this little missy will come walking into my room and say, "Mom?  Can I borrow your brown sandals?  They would go perfectly with this outfit."

In my mind's eye I will see my little girl with her pudgy, little feet scrunched down into the toes of my shoes, clomping around my room - being a big girl.

In reality, she will slide her feet into my size 7's, turn once in front of the mirror and walk off down the hall.  An actual big girl.

Tiny tootsies ... small things with a big place in my heart.