Mom's the Word

If we moms were each asked to describe the perfect Mother's Day, I'm quite sure there would be much disagreement.  While I would hazard a guess that most moms enjoy a few extra winks on the morning of their special day, I don't doubt that there's a mom out there who prefers instead to greet the Mother's Day sun as it rises.  And while most of us long to put our feet up and be pampered, without guilt, for at least a few minutes, I know at least one mom (my own) who would like nothing more than to garden, garden, and garden some more every Mother's Day.  Thanks to my wonderful family, I am lucky enough to have had seven perfect second Sundays in May since I became a mom.  To me, a perfect Mother's Day involves: a few extra minutes in bed, some "me" time, some family time, a little time enjoying nature, and no time whatsoever in the kitchen.  I got all that and more this year, and ate up every ounce of love, hugs, and gratitude that was bestowed upon me.  In addition to sleeping in (a few extra minutes in bed - check), getting a pedicure ("me" time - check), a picnic and a walk at a nearby state park followed by ice cream on the way home (family time and nature time - check), and being waited on throughout the day by my little and big men (no time in the kitchen - check), I also spent some time looking at posts from Mother's Days past.  The boys loved seeing pictures of themselves as babies, and I was taken back to the special emotions I felt on my first few Mothers' Days...the excitement about finally being a member of a club I'd always known I'd wanted to join...the true understanding of the depths of motherly love...new appreciation of and gratitude towards my own mother.  Those first few Mother's Days were precious, and it was fun to rekindle those memories and reflect on how much life has changed in six years.  When you have babies, the success of Mother's Day hinges solely on a devoted husband's willingness/ability to say all the things that babies wish they even knew they felt.  But now, I get to hear it, at least some of it, directly from my munchkins' mouths.  The "I love you Mommy"s, the handmade cards, the bouquet of dandelions presented with a giant smile and a "Happy Mother's Day!"...these gifts are all the more special when they come unprompted, full of love and adoration, straight from my boys' big hearts.  Don't get me wrong - the Daddy in this house still shouldered most of the Mommy's Day duties this year, but some of my favorite parts of yesterday were laying in bed listening to little whispers of "Don't wake her up - it's Mother's Day!", or coming downstairs to giggly excitement about gifts and cards to be presented.

That's Adam and me at his school's "Muffins for Moms", which is about my favorite event of the year.  Something about sitting at teeny tables and eating homemade muffins with my favorite preschooler who is gleaming with pride...warms my heart.

The "First Aid Kit for Moms" (entirely the teacher's creation, except for the handprint) and the Adam-potted and -painted pansy warmed my heart too.  

Apparently Ethan thinks it's my 37th Mother's Day and that it will be a year of big money.  

But I must say he knows me pretty well.  He certainly knows that I am 37.

And while my wish for a whine-free Mother's Day was largely ignored, my boys did seem to understand that yesterday was all about me, and that I deserved every bit of it.  So on this day-after-Mother's Day 2013, I am feeling loved, feeling appreciated, and feeling thankful.

Thankful that this little turkey made me a mom six years ago.


Thankful to call these lights of my life my boys.


Thankful for my own mom, and all that she is to me - a confident, a friend, a mentor, an amazing woman.

And thankful that my husband understands the importance of us getting away together every year for a mommy-daughter weekend.  He deserves many more thanks than just that, the least of which is for planning a killer Mother's Day this year.


Thankful that we are able to live where we'd always dreamed of living.

It turns out a Subway picnic with my three favorite men in a gorgeous setting beats a fancy crowded Mother's Day brunch any day.

Especially when you're lucky enough to spot a tiger in the Maine woods.

And finally, thankful for all the other moms in my life.  Mother's Day always brings with it, at least for me, a feeling of fellowship and community.  Feelings of respect and honor for all the moms out there, trying their very best every single day, only to feel as if they're always coming up just a little bit (or a lot, on some days) short.  I have so many special moms in my life - a great big circle of women I am proud to know and count on and learn from as we all walk this extraordinary, mind-blowing, life-changing path called motherhood.  I salute you all, and wish you the happiest of Mother's Days.