Happy Mother's Day!

I've decided that it was a good thing that I didn't have my expectations high for today, being Mother's Day. It was a great day! I could be feeling really sorry for myself, but I'm not. In fact, I found it all quite entertaining to see what happened--having no high hopes for the day. So, here's how my day went.

Jim is in Pueblo. The boys woke me up at 7AM. That is 2 hours before I wanted to be awake (well, the earliest I would normally consent to wake up). Oh well. Eric was very excited about giving me something he had made at school, which he had been hiding in his backpack all weekend. Not being able to open my eyes, let alone make them focus enough to read, I told him to read it to me. It was a cute little book about "I love my mom" and why, and what we do together. It was so sweet, and it was truly a surprise I didn't know was coming to me.

Then, I told the boys to go get a donut, which Grandpa had brought home from the store and promised as breakfast. I told them they could wake me up at 8:30. At 8:10 Eric came in with Michael and breakfast for me! It was so thoughtful of them! Eric got out the "breakfast in bed tray" that we use, put a chocolate glazed donut on it, and 2 tupperware plastic kids cups with ice water in them (in case I got thirsty). How cute is that! I was impressed they had even put ice in my cup--water isn't worth drinking unless its really cold. Later they brought in a container of raspberries that Grandma/pa had given me last night, which had 1/2 of them left. I had to fight the kids to be able to eat any myself, but oh well. I still had a donut to eat, right?

So, the boys climbed into bed with me and Michael brought a donut for himself and ate it in my bed (over the tray please, so I don't have donut in my clean bed!). We talked for a little then decided we'd get up and get ready for church, and hopefully be a little early (but not TOO early, which I don't like) so we could get a soft seat instead of a hard folding chair.

We successfully made it to church in time for a soft chair. Michael turned in our tithing for us, which was really cute to see him shake the bishop's hand and come back all happy that he had given it to the right guy up there. The talks at church were very good-on the priesthood. The songs were no Mothers' day songs, and they didn't even have the primary sing! Just as I was wondering if they remembered if it was Mother's day they asked us 18+ years-old women to stand to get a chocolate bar. The thing was that the whole congregation stood up to go to class, so it got a little confusing because everyone was standing up. Oh well.

The boys hadn't behaved as reverently as I would like, and during the closing prayer they were both very wiggly and even talking. So, as I was telling them that they weren't reverent, and that I wanted them to practice being reverent at church and show me how (like a time-out, but a re-run of how it should be done)...so, as they sat on the bench practicing how to be reverent for a prayer, a single sister who had been sitting behind us during the meeting leaned over and told me how well behaved my boys were, and how they knew how to whisper instead of talk during the meeting. It made me feel good that someone thought they were reverent, despite the fact I told Michael multiple times to use his whisper voice, and the fact that they were (as she told me this) practicing how to be reverent.

I had a sister tell me today that I've lost a lot of weight! I have lost 20 lbs due to the baby, but was I that fat to begin with? Apparently she noticed. My response...thank you. I also had a sister tell me today that I was starting to show (the baby, that is)! My response...thank you. Well, isn't that interesting...2 conflicting messages in one day! I guess I'm not that observant about people and their weight...am I clueless, or is that something that I just don't notice? Oh well. It was kindof funny. I guess it evens out if I'm skinny but getting big?

We came home and I took a nap...and apparently the boys didn't stay downstairs but instead ran around upstairs like wild indians! After I woke up we watered Grandma's garden-which the boys helped her plant on Friday but has since died due to lack of water. I'm hoping some of it will still survive, but chances are looking pretty slim. I did get a nice surprise at the front door when Annette Seaver's 4 youngest kids brought me a box of yummy chocolates! That was such a nice surprise from an unexpected source! Annette has been another mom for me here in Longmont, I am going to truly miss having her so close when we move. Thanks Mom Annette!

We had a wonderful dinner that Grandma made (yes, she cooked on Mother's day). We had Grandpa's roast, Grandma's chicken, Brian's mashed taters, I made a salad for Grandma, a fruit salad, and pulled out some pasta salad leftovers too. We even had a fresh pineapple to eat...YUM! It was a good meal...just not one made by the kids or dads for the women. Oh well. Such is life. Eric helped me mix up a yellow cake mix to have for dessert with strawberries and cream (I had raspberries with mine). I was impressed with his desire and ability to crack eggs!

While we're talking about Eric...he was talking my mom, Mom-O, about the day. She asked him what he had done today to make it a nice day for me, and his reply? "I didn't get in time out!"

Eric was drawing on the white board upstairs and was very proud of this cute little picture he drew. Here he is with the picture:

Take is a closer look at the picture. He drew me, with short girl hair and a smile, and even labeled me as "mom." He drew himself with spikey hair and "Mickl" with boy hair, but a little shorter and smaller than himself. Pretty good! He then wrote next to both of them, as if they were each telling me, "i luv yoo mom." So cute! Its been fun to have Eric being "a reader" and sounding out words. What you don't see in the picture is the part he added later. He drew on the left side of my face, on the cheek, some lip marks to show that he'd given me a kiss! What a cute thing!

So, even though this Mother's Day was kindof a bust as far as the "normal routine" of Mother's Day: having Jim here to help the kids "take care of me" and pamper me, it was a good day. I've had a lot of time lately to reflect on all that my own mom went through with me, and my 5 siblings. What an amazing woman she was to go through pregnancy for each of us! I'm glad my mom didn't stop at 1, cause I wouldn't be here...and then she had 4 more after me! As I've been feeling like maybe this could be the last for me--because of the toll it is taking on my body and on the family as a whole--I've really learned to appreciate all that my mom did for me. Each of us are here because our parents chose life, and were blessed with a child/children. Both of those factors have been on my mind quite a bit lately, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to make the choice to be a mom-and the blessing of being able to be a mom (even though I really didn't want to be one yesterday after what the kids put me through). Thanks mom for growing me, birthing me, and not killing me afterwards!

To all of you who are moms, to those of you who want to be moms and are doing all you can to be one, and to those of you who are not technically a mom but have a mother's heart--Happy Mother's Day!