Tag: Mother’s Day

Categories
Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting

Everything I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned from my Mom

I grew up in a very strict religion.  One of the beliefs were, we didn’t celebrate holidays.  It always made me sad I couldn’t make a card for my mom on Mother’s Day. I made her cards on other days, but on Mother’s Day, it still felt like I should be giving my mom a card.

Fast forward to today- twenty five years later, and we are not in that religion anymore.  And as life would have it, I am not a card person.  I hate trying to find that ‘perfect’ card.  I either find nothing I like, or I find too many and then I can’t make up my mind.  I usually end up sending e-cards, because at least I can do that on the computer, when I don’t have two active little boys underfoot, trying to take all the cards out of the rack, while I search for that ‘one.’ 

That does not mean that I don’t appreciate what my mom has done for me, over the course of my 30+ years.  My mom will not have a ‘perfect’ card in a ‘perfect’ pink envelope this year, but I know she reads my blog.  So Mom- like it or not, whether you knew it or not, I did manage to learn a lot from you. I hope you enjoy this list Mom, it is for you.

  • If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all
  • Life isn’t fair
  • Home cooked meals can solve most any problems- at least while you are eating
  • If you keep trying something long enough, you will eventually learn to like it (for me it was the spaghetti you always made me eat)
  • Crying over someone else’s problems is a sure way to stop crying about yours
  • It is okay to order food the way you want it in a restaurant
  • Kids don’t need a lot of sugar
  • Take your vitamins every day
  • If you are bored, there is always something that can be cleaned
  • If you are bored, there is always a book you can read
  • Later on in life, what will help you remember your childhood, is the pictures (thanks for always keeping such great ones for us!)
  • When you believe in yourself, there are no limits to what you can accomplish
  • There are some people in your life who will always be there for you
  • Some things are worth spending money on
  • Life doesn’t always turn out as you hoped, but you never give up
  • Friends can help you get through anything
  • If you can’t go on another day, then don’t- just get through the next hour, and then the next hour after that
  • No matter how hard and bad life may be, there is always something or someone worth hanging on for
  • No one is perfect
  • If you aren’t true to yourself, you will never have real happiness
  • Disneyland really is the happiest place on earth
  • You can find every solution to life in a movie- or at least watch other people going through the same thing you are
  • Seeking help for your problems may be painful, but not seeking help is more painful to you, and everyone else who loves you
  • No matter how old I get, when I am sick, I just want my mommy
  • If you aren’t happy, do something today to change it. 
  • Your children will know if you are truly happy, or faking it
  • Sleep is good
  • Naps are even better
  • You will never love anyone like you love your children
  • You won’t understand this until you have children
  • You will know how much your own mother loves you, when you have your own children

It took me thirty one years to learn these last three.  Now they hold for me, the key to the present and the future.  

Thank you for all the life lessons, Mom, and Happy Mother’s Day.  I love you.

Categories
Activities Cole Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting Ryan

Mother’s Day

I had a wonderful Mother’s Day.  This was my fifth one already!  (How did that happen?)

We got up early so we could make it to my favorite breakfast cafe, before the crowd got there.  It is a Creole cafe which serves to die-for beignets (which is like a cross between a sopapilla and a donut), and homemade biscuits among other goodies.  I got eggs, Creole style- which were scrambled with peppers, onions, cheese,  potatoes, and topped with tomatoes and an avocado. This was served with the biggest buttermilk biscuit you have ever seen, topped with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam.  It was delicious, and of course the boys loved the beignets and biscuits.

After breakfast we went to Joe’s parents house, where we had a present for Joe’s mom.  I had compilled all the best pictures during the last year, and made a photo book for her on Shutterfly.  I have to say, as a former scrapbooker, Shutterfly made the whole process incredibly easy, and fun.  The hardest part for me was picking out the photos to use, and cropping them before I downloaded them to Shutterfly.  I loved the way the book turned out, and I was so happy I ordered a copy for us too.  It is a wonderful keepsake, and Joe’s mom was very happy with it. 

After visiting for a while, we went home, where we all took a nap, except for Ryan.  Bless Joe’s heart- he “napped” in the living room on the couch, so he could watch Ryan.  After I got Cole to sleep, I took a luxurious hour and a half nap in my bed.  It was great.  I woke up to Ryan telling me I had a Mother’s Day card.  This was the envelope:

When I asked Ryan if that was him on the envelope, he said, “No, that is just a hairy guy.”  Okay- I guess my son thinks I like hairy guys.  🙂

Cole was still sleeping, and Joe decided to assemble Cole’s birthday present.  Even though it is in about two weeks, we bought last week, and figured the boys should get as much use out of it as possible.  The directions said it assembled in less than an hour.  Uh, right.  We spent triple the time assembling it.  Cole had woken up in the meantime, and I fixed the boys lunch, which they ate outside, while they ‘helped’ Dad.  (I’m going to write more about the present with pictures closer to Cole’s birthday). 

I got a little yard work in, and cleaned the front porch.  When the toy was done, the boys played for awhile, and I told Joe I wanted some pizza from my favorite pizza restaurant-so off we went to a neighboring town, and we had a nice 20 minute drive or so.  I was a little worried the restaurant would be crowded, and we would have to wait, but we got right in, and it wasn’t super busy, until we left. 

When we got home, I went on a long walk by myself.  The weather was wonderful- warm but not too warm, and not cold enough to need a jacket. 

After I was finished with my walk, the boys were ready for their bath, and bed.  Ryan was so tired, but he told me Happy Mother’s Day again, and asked me if I had fun, “celebrating me.”

As I laid Cole down in his crib, he pulled my face in for another kiss, and then just held my cheek to his, smiling.  He gave me a kiss, and rolled over on his side saying, “night night.”  It was the best moment of the day.

I loved today, and even though I know I will have some things to catch up on, I wouldn’t have changed any of it.  I loved having a fun, relaxed, and easy day with my family.  🙂  Here are two pictures, after we arrived home from breakfast:

         

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day, how ever you chose to spend the day!

Categories
Cole Family & Friends Holidays Mothering Parenting Ryan

Happy Mother’s Day

I read a great blog post today From Daily Mish Mash on the commercialism on Mother’s Day, and how it can make us feel when our expectations aren’t fulfilled. 

I admit that I too, had unrealistic expectations of Mother’s Day, when I first became a mother.  I assumed it would be like a commercial, with my husband thinking and planning that “perfect” day for me. 

Fast foward four years, and I have learned.  Mother’s Day is not about just one day of having a perfect day.  For me, Mother’s Day happens year-round, when my four-year old gives me an unexpected hug, or tells me something super sweet, like, “Mommy, you are my best girl.”  Or when the boys play together and actually have fun, and don’t bicker.  Or when they both do something I ask, just because I asked them, or when Cole looks into my eyes to give me a hug, and I see pure love in his big, blue eyes. 

Oh, surprises are nice too- who wouldn’t love a diamond necklace, like Daily Mish Mash mentions?  But I agree with her that expecting these amazing, thought out, well planned gifts, is just setting ourselves up for disappointment.  I have also become way more proactive, and instead of hoping and then getting mad that I don’t get the Mother’s Day I am hoping for, I have started to let Joe know what I would like to do. He makes it happen, and he is happy, because he is doing what I really want to do, and I am happy-obviously.  This seems to work out well for us. 

My husband is not the world’s best surprise planner.  I have learned that about him.  But he will drop whatever he is doing at a moment’s notice to help me with the children.  He will go to the grocery store for me at 11pm at night, if I have a dessert craving, and he will do anything for his family.  I may not get a diamond necklace on Mother’s Day, but I will take the little- and never ending gifts I receive every day, from my family over a diamond necklace any day.

Besides, where would I wear a diamond necklace to anyway?  I suppose the cashiers at the grocery stores would be very impressed, if they manged to notice it over my mom-stained shirt.  🙂

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.  I leave you with some quotes I like for Mother’s Day.

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.  ~Rajneesh

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.  ~Mildred B. Vermont

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.  ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

It kills you to see them grow up.  But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.  ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. ~Unknown  

And my favorite, since I am part Irish, and have two boys: 

A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.  ~Irish Proverb