Mother's Day

My Mother's Day was an interesting one....it's not like I am expecting a parade in my honor or anything, but it could have been better. When I got up, Todd had bought me a lily plant and I got a nice card from him and one from the kids. I had to get myself and Grace ready for a family picnic, and cut up some fruit and make fruit dip. We went to my husband's uncle's house for a little get-together, and it was like they always are. Boring. Annoying. Tiresome. The only food that Grace could eat was the fruit that I brought. So I brought her some food to eat. Drew ate a dry bun. Very little went on. We ate, then left. At home I wanted to relax, so I watched some Twilight Zone and took a little nap. The boys were outside, Todd was doing yard work. He told me later he was trying to keep the kids occupied so I could take a nap. Usually, I use Grace's nap time as my cleaning time, but since this whole TMJ disorder thing, I have been sleeping. Anyway, when I got up we went outside and sat for a while, then decided to go shopping for some garden items. We drove to Decorah and I wanted to eat at Pizza Hut. Actually, I wanted to eat at the Mexican restaurant, but the kids would never go for that. So, Pizza Hut. Then the boys started complaining loudly that they wanted to go to McDonalds, simply because they have toys from the third Shrek movie. McDonalds is the devil for this reason. Get them to eat your shitty junk food by offering cool toys. So at Pizza Hut, Grace ate her food, then our pizza came. Todd was nice and ordered me a veggie pizza, but it was half veggie lovers and half meat lovers. Two of my pieces had meat on them. Yuck. Then Grace started in with the screaming. And throwing everything within her reach. And standing up in her high chair with the broken strap. The more attention you pay to her shrill screaming, the more she does it. But it's hard to ignore when you are in a restaurant, or when the decibel level leaves you temporarily without hearing on one side. So off to the van I took her, with my two pieces of pizza. I sat in there and ate them while she explored the van. When the boys came in, Todd said with a grin, "Did you enjoy your Mother's Day dinner?" We had a good laugh. What else can you do? Then off to Wal-Mart, another creation of the devil. The boys were whining for treats and toys. How could I have created such materialistic children? Garrett is the worst, it's like he will die if he doesn't get a new toy every day. I have talked with him and tried to explain that he has so many things that many kids don't have, and he should appreciate what he has. But it's never enough for him. So we promised them ice cream if they behaved. Which they didn't. We had to buy a new crabapple tree since rabbits ate ours and killed it over the winter. So here we are, wheeling through Wal-Mart with this huge tree sticking straight up in the cart, trying to keep the boys near us, yelling at them, trying to keep my cool. No ice cream for them. Garrett started to cry and apologize, as usual too late. Grace screamed and cried and took her shoes and socks off in the van the entire ride home. We didn't get home until nearly 10 p.m, WAY past bedtime for the boys. Todd and I watched a movie, staying up way too late.

So here I am today, thinking that I need to start my novel instead of folding the laundry or cleaning the boys' room like I should. Whatever. I can clean any time. Inspiration doesn't always happen. Mother's Day could have been better, but that's OK. I am very fortunate to be able to celebrate it at all, to have three wonderful children, and to be the recipient of homemade Mother's Day cards made with love at school, and two beautiful boys to give them to me, smiling.