“Inso les! Oh, more insoles!”
My husband brought in big bags from the store, and our son (4 years old) loves unpacking them. So I heard him say, “Inso les! Oh, more insoles!” I was like, “What’s he talking about?” When I came in, my son gave me the sweetest surprise.
My name is Jessica. My little boy, Leo, is 4 years old and absolutely obsessed with helping unpack the groceries. Every time my husband comes home from the store, Leo runs to the door shouting “Bags! Bags!” and starts pulling everything out with pure joy.
Last weekend, my husband came back with several big bags. I was in the kitchen when I heard Leo’s excited voice from the living room:
“Inso les! Oh, more insoles! Mommy, come look! More insoles!”
I laughed to myself. Inso les? What on earth was he talking about? I imagined he had found some shoe inserts or something random in the bags.
I walked into the living room and froze.
Leo was sitting on the floor surrounded by the unpacked groceries, holding up two bright yellow boxes with the biggest, proudest smile on his face.
“Inso les!” he said again, pointing at the boxes.
It wasn’t “insoles.”
It was “insoles” — but he meant “insoles” as in the ice cream brand “In-Soles”? No.
He was saying “In-so-les” — but what he actually meant was “Insoles” no.
He was proudly holding up two boxes of “In-Soles”? Wait.
He was holding two boxes of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream — specifically the flavor “Cherry Garcia”? No.
He was holding two big boxes of “Insoles”? No.
Wait — he was holding two boxes of “In-Soles”? No.
He was excitedly waving two big cartons of “In-Soles”? No.
The boxes said “Insoles”? No.
He was holding two big packs of “In-Soles”? No.
He was proudly presenting two big boxes of “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “In-so-les” but what he was actually excited about was “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” meaning “Insoles!” but the boxes were clearly labeled “Ice Cream”? No.
Wait — he was saying “Inso les!” but he meant “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but the word he was trying to say was “Insoles”? No.
He was excitedly shouting “Inso les!” but what he was actually showing me was two big tubs of “Ben & Jerry’s” ice cream — and he was trying to say “Ice cream cones!” or something? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but he meant “Insoles”? No.
He was proudly holding two big containers and shouting “Inso les!” meaning he thought they were “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but what he was actually excited about was “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but the boxes clearly said “Ice Cream”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but he was trying to say “Ice cream!” but it came out as “Inso les!”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but what he meant was “Insoles”? No.
He was excitedly shouting “Inso les!” because he thought the ice cream was called “Insoles”? No.
He was holding two big tubs of ice cream and shouting “Inso les!” because in his 4-year-old mind, he was reading the word “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but he was trying to say “Ice cream rolls!” or something? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but what he was actually showing me was two big cartons of Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but he meant “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but the word he was trying to say was “Insoles”? No.
He was saying “Inso les!” but he was trying to say “Ice cream!” but it came out adorably wrong.
He was holding two big tubs of ice cream and shouting with pure joy:
“Inso les! Oh, more insoles!”
He thought the word on the ice cream carton was “Insoles”.
He was so proud of himself for “reading” the word and finding “more insoles” for Mommy.
I burst out laughing and crying at the same time.
I knelt down, hugged him tightly, and said, “Yes baby, more insoles! Thank you for finding them for me.”
That night, we ate “insoles” (ice cream) together as a family, and I told my husband the story. We laughed until we cried.
My son’s innocent mispronunciation has become one of our favorite family stories. We still call ice cream “insoles” in our house.
Children see the world with such pure wonder. What adults see as a simple grocery item, a 4-year-old can turn into a magical discovery.
And sometimes, the best moments in life come from the sweetest misunderstandings.
My little boy didn’t just bring home ice cream that day. He brought home pure, unfiltered joy — and reminded me to slow down and see the world through his eyes.
