Mother's Day

I totally have like ten posts started but unfinished so while this is a month overdue, it really IS about Mother's Day. I'm finishing it in June while I'm reflecting on the Mother's Day itself. My bad!

I love the excitement my children have on Mother's Day because they know that they are the very reason that I even AM a mother. For me there are many things I wish I could do better. In many ways I continually feel as if I've failed those that I'm hoping to love and protect but they'd never know. I just thank God for them, for their forgiveness and for making *me* feel like the most special mom on the planet.

While any mom will adore a gift or two, my ultimate favorite are the handmade variety. I hadn't been awake more than five minutes when Josh (who was already awake and in the living room) came into the bedroom as I was attempting to prepare to nurse Benjamin with gift in hand. He is THE most excited person to give gifts to someone. Seriously, he will give you exactly 2.7 seconds to wake up and then you. must. open. gifts. period! I kindly asked him to let me wake up for a moment and, defeated, he walked from the bedroom. I felt badly because he just wanted to give me something and I was shunning him. (Or so he thought -- seriously, however, I just wanted to wake up and not try to open a gift with a boob hanging out soaking my nightgown in the process.

HE hears me burping Ben and comes back in and asks if it's okay now. I smiled and said yes. He gave me a #1 mom trophy he'd made out of cardboard. I love those little gifts and it's proudly displayed on a shelf in my bedroom. Andy came in and Drew handed me another gift. A while back on another blog, I'd seen on Lisa Leonard Designs. HERE is a link to the necklace if you'd like to see it. It's sterling silver and it has an initial piece for each boy's first name and a little pearl dangling from it. I truly adore it.

But, like I said, while the bling is good (and I love it to pieces) the gifts I most look forward to are the ones made by my boys. Something I told Josh a while back that I wanted for Mother's Day was for them to paint me a picture each year on a small canvas that I can then display forever. So I (when they go on sale) will buy some little 4x4 canvas and let Josh and Drew paint a picture. I only gave them two rules.

1. It has to be completely covered in paint. If you want me to paint it a base color for you, I will.
2. It has to have flowers.

My husband and my children know that I'm not particularly fond of getting flowers because that just means they're going to die. I'd rather have them paint me a flower because that will last a lifetime. I think it'd make a beautiful hallway gallery for the next few years... and wouldn't it be special if it was something they kept up with and I could have a huge floral display forever? I would so love that!

I'm the great procrastinator and didn't want to buy anything that wasn't on sale. Well, canvas hasn't gone on sale (that I've seen) since then and I think my hand is going to be forced to go buy it with my 40% off coupon. (Self, add that to your ever-growing list of things to do.)

The other thing I look forward to is the gifts they make at school and bring home. Why? Well, because they're so darn cute! Here is what Drew gave me -- with a decorated hot pad. I absolutely love this. LURVE IT!

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It reads:

My Mom's name is April. She is 36 years old. She weighs 38 pounds
and is 6 feet tall. Her hair color is kinda brown and her eyes are
blue. Her favorite color is red and her favorite T.V. show is Pet
Stars. Her favorite hobby is playing with me and she likes to cook rice
with meatballs. Her favorite thing to eat is salad and her favorite drink
is water. She bes nice!

I love how he tried his best to think of what my favorites are and darn if I can't be six feet tall and 38 pounds. I think that I'd be the perfect waifish runway model. Don't you?

The funny thing about these is honestly, there are so many things that I simply do not even remotely have a favorite for. And, for the record... I have no idea what Pet Stars is. He must have overheard that from one of his little friends at class.

So, after the fun, we headed to my mother-in-law's for an early dinner -- burgers on the grill. I made some potatoes o'brien to go with it. They were yummy! My mom drove out from Irving to have dinner with us. We got some photos, too (but only one of Ben.. can you believe I'm generally so busy with the camera I forgot to ask someone to take a freakin photo of me with Ben on my first mother's day with him?) I swear the list things I kick myself for right now are a mile long. But alas... it was indeed, a great Mother's Day.

Thank you to my little monsters for making it so.