Mother's Day

If I'm being honest, this year I was not acting as grateful as I should have been on Mother's Day.  I was kind of crabby for most of the day.  We didn't go out - I got up early with the kids like I always do, made breakfast, got everyone settled and such.  We didn't go to church because I wasn't feeling much like rushing around that morning.  Jack had picked out a few sweet gifts with Grammy, and he had me open those in the morning.  I found out what he'd meant by a colorful frog earlier in the week - a beautiful, ceramic frog now sits on our front porch.  Brad had gotten me roses and a couple of gift cards, in addition to the new vacuum I'd gotten earlier in the week.  I ended up just hanging around the house, napping with Jack, and then cleaning our bathroom before we had my family over for Steak Dinner Sunday.

Dinner was fun, but prior to that, I'd just been feeling unmotivated and lazy, and Jack was sad that we weren't going anywhere, and that made me feel bad.  I felt better after the bathroom was cleaned because I felt like I'd accomplished something, but still, it wasn't what I'd wanted to be doing for Mother's Day.  Prior to that day, I'd sort of wished for some me time.  Maybe getting to sleep in, doing something for myself like a massage or pedicure, doing some shopping...  Then, I wished we'd planned something fun for us to do as a family.

Either way, I wasn't my happiest self.  I went in with expectations, and it didn't go well...

What I realized tonight, while my babies were at Grammy's house after being picked up by her after school, is how really lucky I am to have these two beautiful, healthy babies who call me Mom.  I was relaxing on the couch, napping and watching my shows, uninterrupted.  And I missed them.  I missed their smiles when I show up at school to get them at the end of the day.  I missed the way they smell.  The funny things Jack says.  The way Hannah laughs when she plays with her brother.  I missed everything about them.

That's what Mother's Day should really be about.  Cherishing the little lovelies who've made me a mama.  Memorizing the tiny details of their current ages...the little things they do now that will one day be gone...squeezing them tight just because they're here, and I can.  Mother's Day is a day for me to be thankful that I'm a mom, and next year, I'm going in with a much better outlook.  Promise.

To all the mommies out there, mine and Brad's included - being a mommy is hard work.  You don't really know this until you are one, but it's the hardest job we'll ever have.  Such a huge responsibility, yet such an incredibly rewarding adventure.  Here's to the hard work you're doing every day, and for all of the times I didn't appreciate you enough, I'm sorry!  I now know just what it is to be a mom.  I'm in awe of the jobs that you've done:)  I love you!