pay day for Mother's Day

Mothers Day has taken a different twist for me over the years.

I still love having my kids honour me and show extra love for me on Mothers Day and also to reflect on the lovely mothers in my life......

but,

I've started seeing Mothers Day as the day also to feel so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mother to such wonderful children!

At my house the kids clean everything for me (because they know that a clean house makes me so happy) and they let me take a nap.

They make dinner (with me overseeing and helping where they need me - truthfully, it would be much faster to do it myself but it's so sweet that they want to do it for me!)

And my kids make cards for me.
I keep every one because they are precious and someday when they're not living in my home any more I will love them even more!

Yesterday was no different, but I did receive something that was very touching from my daughter Corina.

If you know Corina, you know that she doesn't talk a lot.
She is shy and reserved and doesn't like trying to express herself.

In school she had an assignment to write a vignette (don't even ask me what that is)
and that's what she gave me yesterday.

You don't have to read it, but it means a lot to me and I wanted it in our family journal.

Busy Bumblebee

Angela the loving mother, Angela the diligent teacher, Angela the practiced cook, the willing chauffeur, the talented pianist, violinist, violist, the best friend, the advice-giver. Seen only at brief intervals throughout the day, for her many responsibilities keep her flitting about the house like a bumblebee in search of pollen. In the mornings she wakes up rubbing sleep from her eyes and flies to the kitchen to make breakfast and sculpt masterpieces in my sisters' hair. We are all whisked off to school, not to see her again until the evening after she scrupulously cleans the house. She cleans our mountain of used and dirty laundry even though she hates it, because it must be done, and I admire her for doing it anyway.

She drives around running errands and then picks up the little girls from school. We all return to a spotless but busy beehive, children all over the place, because my mom is teaching her students how to play their instruments well like she does. Later she drives all of the kids to where they need to be without complaint and prepares something scrumptious for all of us to eat. At the end of the day when she's probably exhausted, she still finds time to talk to each child about how their day went and show them she loves them. When the day is complete she, with my dad, gathers her children like a hen gathers her many chicks, and we say a family prayer and go to bed.

I admire my mother and her many good qualities that include: patience, wisdom, ability to sort out priorities, willingness to serve her children and spouse, and her love of music. Although I don't tell her often, I love her very much and strive to be like her always.

Of course I cried as I read it aloud for everyone to hear and when my kids hear me or their dad cry they also cry. It was a beautiful moment.

I had been feeling the past few weeks that motherhood is rather a thankless job and that kids rarely notice all the sacrificing we do for them. Not that I mind either. I chose to be a mother and I love every minute of it.

I'm thankful to have been proven wrong though!

What a beautiful gift!

good things:

spinach strawberry salad with homemade poppy seed dressing - my favorite!

being a mom

my kids who need me - even when it's 3:30 in the morning