Mother's Day Mixed Bag

I look forward to Mother's Day all year long.  Unlike other holidays, I am not in charge of making the magic happen.   Normally,  I embrace the idea of "nothing" for Mother's Day.  That is to say I want to do nothing, be responsible for nothing -- no getting kids dressed, no food prep, no talking to children unless I choose to do so, no responsibility.

In keeping with living my own personal truth, of keeping motherhood real.  I share my mixed bag mother's day experience.

First, the Mother's Day Pre-Func.  In order to be able to properly enjoy my "day off," I spent Saturday doing the following:

• washing bedding for all 5 people plus one additional load of laundry
• fold 3+ loads of laundry
• make 5 beds with all the newly clean bedding
• meal plan and grocery shop for the week
• visit with the teen I'm a companion to
• Visit my parents, bring them their mail and my mom a birthday/mother's day card.  My dad had a heart attack this week (he's okay, got another stent) and my mom is still recovering from knee surgery so my siblings and I are keeping an eye on them.  At my parents I vacuum and help them wash their bedding.
• make kids clean their rooms
• grade two sets of math tests
• rsvp for two kid birthday parties and other family calendaring stuff

Today, Mother's Day

6:15 am         A small child (Robin) climbs into bed, excited for the day.

6:30 am         Another child (Eileen) comes into the room, trying to explain and get me to open a mother's day present.  I proclaim to be asleep.  She and Robin begin playing and squealing in the room.  Dave gets up and takes them downstairs.

8:00 am         Breakfast in bed -- croissant, coffee, bacon, and fiber pills.  I open presents. Personalized magnets (pretty cool) and a newspaper about me from Eileen.  She declares that I am good at my job and she likes it when I take her to the Family Fun Center.  Robin gave me a potted plant.  I'm surprised it's still alive since it's been wrapped in tissue paper for 3 days. 

Linus wins this round.  He created a treasure hunt.  He even used good handwriting!

Apparently, I'm very bad at clues.  I tried Google photos, my Youtube, his Youtube.  I was completely wrong.  I needed the big ipad (we have a smaller ipad as well).  He made me a great video.  Take note of his eyes and where he is looking when he says to look for the yellow "scube."

Linus' Mother's Day Treasure Hunt

Inside a yellow box where we keep DVDs.  I found my present, a cute little book made out of paper bags.  I liked the feature that allowed it to hold slips of paper in addition to the glued-on pages.  Linus seems to have the 1980s confused with the 1880s....

I finished out my morning with another cup of coffee, reading the most recent issue of Mathematics in the Middle School, and watching last night's SNL with Amy Schumer.

Normally, at this point I would be headed out to a 90 minute massage.  I decided this year I would actually spend my special day with my kids.  With the weather predicted to be sunny and in the 80s I thought a trip to Northwest Trek would be perfect -- picnic, outdoors, entertaining.

What was I thinking!?!?!

Linus was not in the mood to cooperate in any form.  If you have ever spent time with a moody, stubborn child, then you know what this might look like.  After a "fun" 20 minutes, we were all in the car.  Eileen whined the entire car ride.  Robin did his part by using potty language.

 Arriving at Northwest Trek did not help things.  The Zipline Obstacle Course was not open for the season yet.  This was inexcusable.  Linus demanded we go home and refused to stay with the group, including having his picture taken.

Fed up, I took Eileen and Robin off to explore Northwest Trek, leaving Linus to pout.  We had a lovely time.  Linus eventually changed his mind.  He and Dave managed to make it on the tram behind us.  After the tram ride, no one wanted to do what I wanted.  Eileen and Robin just wanted to play in the the stream at the playground (it IS a really cool playground and stream), however I came for the outdoors and animals.  I may have been more than a little annoyed.

We drove home.  I napped in the car which definitely improved my mood.  We dined at Diamond Knot Brewery.  I recently discovered Moscow Mules.  Paired with an Thai Peanut Asian Salad, I was feeling very international and much less grumpy.  The kids were in better moods too.

Back home I let know Dave know he was in charge of getting the kids bathed and to bed.  I reminded him the garbage needed to be taken to the street.  Then I retired to my room for the evening.

I know my family loves me.  The hardest thing about being a mom sometimes is that you can feel so under-appreciated.  You give everything of yourself to make your family healthy and happy.  I think the key is to recognize the good things when they happen, even if they don't happen when you want them to.  I adore Robin's snuggles and egg hatching.  It's hard to remember how much I love the snuggles when they happen at 6 am (or earlier).  Linus obviously put a lot of thought into my Mother's Day present.  I'm lucky to have creative, capable children.  Kids can't be expected to be perfect.   It's my job to help them learn how to use a non-whiny voice and regulate their moods.  That's part of being a parent.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.  I see you.  I appreciate you.  I know how hard you "mom" all day long.  I will never pretend that this is an easy vocation.  Just don't judge me next year when I skip the family bonding and head straight to the spa.