Spoiled Rotten

As usual, my boys treated me to a lovely Mother's Day this year.  I must admit that I am a sucker for this holiday.  Sure, love and appreciation every day is what we're all after, but I love the fact that we have a universal day set aside to honor and celebrate all mothers.  I certainly enjoy being honored and celebrated, and I like being reminded to honor and celebrate all the mothers who have made a difference in my life.  I am blessed to be a member of this club called motherhood, and feel a special kinship with all those who have walked or are walking this path with me.  I don't think I fully appreciated the extent of pure, selfless, unconditional love that motherhood brings until I became a mom, and being a mom has given me a newfound reverence for all mothers (particularly my own mom!).

What did this mama want for Mother's Day?  To sleep in, eat a yummy brunch cooked by someone else, spend some time on the beach, fill my yard with flowers, get to a yoga class, and have a quiet (read: kid-free) hubby-prepared dinner.  I got all that I hoped for, and some sweet gifts, cards, and flowers to boot.  

Mother Nature must have known we were celebrating her too,
because she gave us a most splendid day for a trip to Kettle Cove. 

Oh, and I also asked for a picture with my boys.  Greedy me!  I beg this tiny favor only once a year, and yet my boys act as if I've asked them to befriend their worst enemy.  This is how they reacted to my request for a photo:

We did get a couple of decent ones, despite sun in eyes and an inability to look at the camera in unison.

My oldest little man finally cooperated. 

But my littlest man preferred to be snuggled and smooched.

After our photo session, we all planted, planted, and planted some more.  At the Farmer's Market on Saturday, the boys bought me the violas on the right for Mother's Day.  Then we went to the nursery on Sunday, and Ethan picked out the petunias on the left.  They each planted these pots (Ethan the left and Adam the right) all by themselves with no help from Mom or Dad.  I guess they figure they should get in on this gardening thing that consumes so much of their parents' time.

My marigolds

After lots of hard work outside, I enjoyed every blissful minute of yoga, and was thrilled to come home to two snoozing boys and our first arugula salad of the season!