Mother's Day

I live my life for the 4 little people who call me Mom.  Sure, they drive me out of my ever loving mind, give me gray hairs, seem to suffer from temporary recurrent deafness when I speak to them, can erase all vestiges of recently cleaned house in about 20 minutes, and three of them can't seem to control their stream either peeing on the floor or themselves.  Still, I love them dearly.  They are my children.  Because I know first hand everything that goes in to being a mother, I truly love Mother's Day, but it is a lot of pressure. 

First there is the question of whether or not to spend the day with or without the children.  Like I said, I love my children, but I spend every hour of every day with them.  I feel very guilty telling the people who made me a mother that the thing I would like most is some time away from them.  And yet, I know being with them will mean work.  A family trip will mean packing a diaper bag, making lunches, breaking up fights in the car, chasing children, basically the same thing I do everyday.  But to ask for a day alone seems too decedent and sends the wrong message, "I love you, now go away."

Second, when you are a mother, there is a very good chance that you also have a mother.  So how do you honor that woman without giving up a day that you feel you very much have earned by living in the trenches of dirty diapers, hours in the car driving to and from activities, debating whether or not to clean up the noodles now while they are slimy or just wait until they dry up and will sweep up easier, and doing the day to day with your own shorties.

For years, Mother's Day has sort of been this game of tug-of-war.  What do I want versus what do I want for other people?  Well, this year, I am letting go of expectations, mine and other peoples and just focusing on what would make my day seem special to me.

So here is my list of what I want this Mother's Day (in no particular order)

1. To get out of bed when I want and not when a child is crying.
2. To shower before noon
3. To have as many Krispy Kreme crullers for breakfast as I want, possibly in bed (and yes, the kind from the grocery store will do)
4. To be able to watch Sunday Morning (without commentary from the peanut gallery) and This Week
5. To not change any diapers or dress any little people
6. To have the kids call all the Grands and Godmothers
7. To have lunch brought to me from Chipolte (A- That will be a veggie burrito with rice,  sour cream, tomato salsa, guacamole, cheese with a side order of chips with guac. B- It should be picked up after the boys go down for a nap.)
8. To deal with children when I want to and to be left alone when I want that instead
9. To feed the children left overs and then have a date with my husband in the basement (if it weren't for him I wouldn't be a mother after all)
10. For it to be sunny so that the kids can play outside

I like this request.  I think that it would give me a break, while also getting to spend time with the people I love, namely my husband and children.  If this happened on Mother's Day, I would be one happy mother ready to take on the laundry pile, dirty diapers and endless dinners.

To all the Mother's out there.  I hope that you have a great day.  You deserve it.  Being a mom is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, but also one of the greatest.  To my own mom- Thanks!  You are the Best!

Anyone have any other special plans for Mother's Day?

Comments

[Fairion]

We are going away for Mother's Day. We are leaving Thursday and not returning until Monday. By leaving well before Mother's Day I do all the work (packing, cooking, etc.) in advance. On Mothers Day, Daddy will be on duty if the kidlet needs a grownup. We will eat out and do all the fun things as a family that have been planned and prepared for in advance.

[Jen]

I loooooove this post. And bless you for posting about the great noodle clean-up debate. I prefer to wait until they can be swept with ease, but sometimes I get in the zone and find myself on the floor on my hands and knees wiping up noodles with a wet rag, before I realize I am doing it.

This weekend we are doing the car trip, because my brother and his wife are coming into town and my mother requested that we all come over. Meh. My husband said we can pretend it is Mother's Day on Saturday at our house, which mostly will mean I get to sleep in, and he'll make me chocolate crepes.

Happy Mother's Day!

[Karen]

I almost forgot it is Mother's Day this weekend. My grandfather passed away and his funeral is this weekend, out of town, of course.

I think you mapped out the perfect Mother's Day. I hope your is just as you hope.