Mother's Day

Every few years Sarah's birthday falls on Mother's Day.  This year was one of them.  She figured out months ago that her birthday was the same as Mother's Day and she was really excited about it.  Until a few days ago, when she realized that sharing the day with me meant that it wasn't all about her.  Except that she was wrong.  Well, mostly wrong.

The kids did give me some lovely cards and crafts that they made in school, except for Andy who gave me some lame excuse about accidentally throwing a poem away and then not rewriting it (totally the dog ate my homework excuse) which really was fine for an 11 year old boy.  Charlie made me an awesome breakfast and that was about it.  Which is fine, really.  We don't really celebrate ourselves that much.  We go all out for the kids, but we are pretty low key when it comes to Mother's/Father's Day, our birthdays, our anniversary, and anything else.  In fact last week we were wondering if we should actually make a bigger deal about things so the kids realize that it is important to celebrate us.

Anyway, when I became a mom and had Andy I pretty much realized that I wasn't going to come first anymore and it was rarely going to be about me.  But that's okay, that's what motherhood is.  That's why we do this.  If it was about me I probably would have given up and left a long time ago.  Because this is the hardest job I will ever do, want it or not.  There are mornings like today when the kids are sweet and wonderful and tell me how much they love me and give me big hugs and there are evenings like today when Amanda was screaming through her bath and telling me she didn't want me to give it to her she wanted Daddy.  And there are days when your kid tells you they want it all to be about them no matter how much it should be about you as well.

I'm not whining or complaining or really making myself clear at all, I'm just saying today was exactly what it should have been.  A day I spent with my sweet little girl who is growing up so fast and was a little bit angry that it snowed on her birthday but still had a wonderful day with friends and family and a big pink cake.  Because if it hadn't been spent that way, then I wouldn't be much of a mother, would I?  Isn't that what this day is all about?

Happy Mother's Day to my mother, mother-in-law, sister, sisters-in-law, friends and anyone else who had shaped me into the mother I am today.  I love you all more than you know!