Day of the Mother and all that jazz.

So! Mothers Day.

It was a sunny, food laden, exercise filled sort of day. We got to spend time as a family, but also were lucky enough to be with Bec and Rich, Mom and Dad, Jan and Rich, Jeannie and Tim, Jimmy, Tommy, Pete, Alexis and Sam.

I'm beat. I was up early because I seem to wake early, new habit involves me being up and 6 and getting bored on the internet before the kids awake around 7. Not sure how I feel about this new habit. Going to bed earlier (tonight it may be 8:15 as Nate is away) offsets it. It works, I guess. This video is of the kids this morning. Jake is like 2 already, it seems. Just one of the crowd.

Anyway, it was a generally good Mothers Day, Jeannie and I had so much fun running in a race this afternoon and the weather was great....I am tired and off to bed.

Hope you had a great Mothers Day and that your husbands made you feel appreciated and loved!

Mother's Day

I am borrowing this from my friend Karly. I found it beautiful. This is going out to my Mom, and my Mother in Law. Happy belated Mother's Day!

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, ‘It’s okay, honey, Mommy’s here;’ who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can’t be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse; for all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes … and all the mothers who DON’T. This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see … and the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors; and for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, ‘Did you see me, Mom?’ they could say, ‘Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner; and for all the mothers who count to 10 instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn’t find the words. This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat; for all the mothers who read ‘Goodnight, Moon’ twice a night for a year … and then read it again. ‘Just one more time.’

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school, and for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls ‘Mom?’ in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home – or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they’d be just fine once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up … right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them. For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green. For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting; for the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely. This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache she feels when she watches her son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? Or in the jolt that takes her from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 a.m., to put her hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 a.m., when she just wants to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in her home? Or the need to flee from wherever she is and hug her child when she hears news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so are our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation … and mature mothers learning to let go; for working mothers and stay-at-home mothers … single mothers and married mothers … mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all; for all of us. Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can … Tell them every day that we love them.

It makes me cry.

Mother's Day

Anyone notice Luke's new skill? Lovely pic of my sweet boy a-la-finger up the nose with his Mom on Mother's Day.

He also got to play on the new antique airplane and firetruck that Grandpop and Mom Mom bought, big hit.

Nate is tall. I am short. However, I cant for the life of me figure out why this pic makes us look like we are actually different species or something. In real life, at 5'2 and 6'2 we dont look as freakish as this pic depicts. This is, however, my only pic of my whole family together yesterday, so I'm running with it.

My husband and kids treated me to a wonderful Mother's Day. I hope that all of you Mama's out there enjoyed every moment of your day.

More on May

Lest you thought that I was exaggerating when I mentioned that Luke had a love affair with mulch, I opted to provide photo evidence. This was little Luke Dawg at the May Day festival that we went to last weekend. The pic of the kids and I is also from there. I cant even imagine a more beautiful and fitting entrance to a May Day festival than a cherry tree laden petal strewn path. Lovely.

The other pic is of sweet Jules smiling at Tracy. My girl looooooves Tracy (as do I).

Luke is doing so many new things its hard to even keep track.

*My boy walks up and down the steps now. No more crawling for him. Big fella.
*He knows where his head, ears, eyes, mouth, shirt, belly and feet are.
*He dances better than his Mama. He has this new twist.....it involves holding his right arm up as though he was do-se-so'ing a partner (or...how I would imagine one do-se-soe's a partner anyhow...my last square dance was some time ago now). Have no idea where he got this new move, but man, it makes us laugh. Him too.
* He says - Ma Ma, Da Da, Shoes, Snack, Juice, Jules, Teeth, Uh Oh, Dog, Hot and a plethora of other things only he can understand.
* He is obsessed with airplanes. Every time he hears one he points up at the sky shouting "Ah ah!". I never before had any idea how many freakin airplanes flew over our home in one day.
* He gives the best kisses in the world, complete with sound effects now.

Ms. Jules is a flirty little fool. I adore it. She seems so BIG to me already for only being 7 weeks old. I have a joint 15 month and 2 month visit for the kids in the coming weeks and I cant wait to get her weighed. (I'm definitely bringing along emotional support as both critters have to get shots....argh).

It's Mothers Day eve. I have lots of thoughts about Mothers Day buy I think that I will have to wait till tomorrow to share them. Right now I have blathered on enough already.