A Mother of a Day

This Mother's Day morning, the two littles were absolute terrors in church. Julia ended up in the nursery and Henry, who is terrified of the nursery, ate Apple Jacks off the floor while sprawled out under the pew. They were both awful and charming; Henry flirted with the women behind us, Julia told our friend in the nursery she was there to help (not because she had to be), and Katie was the model eldest child.

Sean made my favorite breakfast and favorite dinner and I had three helpings of banana pudding for dessert. I hung out with my mom on the couch all day. My husband and girls rubbed my feet and shoulders. I had a beer at three in the afternoon. I had horrible gas after dinner and I just sat there on the couch and didn't bother to excuse myself to fart.

It is Mother's Day and I am going to sit in the couch and fart and if you don't like it, you can leave the room.

We watched this video a dozen times and the kids danced to the song another half dozen.

Henry wanted to walk around in a pair of cotton training pants all afternoon. He has three pair and he kept changing them. During one of the dance numbers, the girls had him dressed in a red leotard, tutu and flower crown. He looked adorable and ridiculous.

I ate too much. I moved too little.

The past couple of weeks have been completely insane. Soccer and piano and a drama performance and two choral performances and kindergarten screening and tour and middle school orientation and teacher appreciation breakfasts and sock hops and middle school dance and another three weeks of craziness before summer finally, blessedly, arrives.

Today was an oasis. I stretched out and relaxed and enjoyed the company of my much loved mother and my wonderfully rotten kids. My husband gave me a beautiful day that made me feel loved and appreciated.

It rained most of the day and as I sat reading the paper I thought, 'what a shame to not be able to get out'. Then I saw my mom blowing raspberries on Henry's belly. Katie came in and played a song for me that she'd recorded, the primary lyrics of which were, 'I'm your favorite child, because I'm the smartest, and the prettiest, and the most athletic'. I watched as Julia got madder and madder and finally burst out with 'NO you are NOT. I'm her favorite child!'.

I thought 'what a shame to not be able to get out' and then, 'why would I ever want to leave?'

It is 11 pm on Mother's Day and Julia just started crying because of a nightmare. I got up out of bed, tripped and fell over Shutup Roxy (who was lying in wait in the middle of the freaking floor) and hurried to Julia's room. I got her some water and curled up next to her and kissed her sweaty head. A perfect end to this best of days.