Mother's Day

I really felt like this year was my first real Mother's Day. Why? Well, I'll tell you- I didn't feel like a genuine Mother at this time last year. Emma was only 14 months old and had hardly even shown defiance. I was working full time and planning Avis's graduation party, while hugely pregnant. I just felt like a disaster waiting to happen. But seriously, I felt like I was taking care of a baby, not being a mother. In my mind a mother disciplines, directs, teaches... Well, mostly disciplines. Since I had not done much of that, I really felt like an imposter.

This year I not only felt like a true, genuine mother, I expected to receive all of the benefits included with Mother's Day. Now, I am easy to please- I did not want breakfast in bed, or a "Mother's Day Brunch", and I certainly wasn't going to get flowers (although I am not quite sure where I stand on that, yet). I remembered my mom always asking for "peace and quite", but I knew that was out of reach. All I asked for was a couple of cards, a small present, and the ability to sit down for prolonged periods of time without having to jump up repeatedly. Jim was nice enough to provide the extras- an incredible dinner he cooked and a cake to go with it, and a solo trip to the scrapbook store while he watched the girls. I was so relaxed and pleased with the results of a quite day at home with my family. I played games with the girls, blew bubbles with Emma, doled out occasional tickle-bugs that were hanging around, and drank quite a few cups of nicely sweetened hot tea. Nothing could have been better.

Well, maybe if there had been flowers...