It was quite a weekend. As has been our tradition over the past few years, I had planned to travel to Lewistown to attend the Mother Daughter banquet at my parents' church. But suddenly things got complicated when we received an invitation to attend a surprise 50th Wedding Anniversary party for Jason's aunt and uncle in Lebanon. I was really torn, but ultimately decided that given the fact that we haven't had too many opportunities to get together with Jason's side of the family, and that there would be a buffet that Joshua would need to navigate, and that it is pretty rare to hear of a 50th wedding anniversary anymore. I hated having to back out of attending the dinner with my Mom and sister and Freda, but I think it was the best choice we could have made under the circumstances.
The kids had a blast meeting all of their cousins on their Daddy's side of the family. There was a lot of giggling and playing from all of them. The oldest boy pictured below was the same 3 year old who served as the ring bearer in our wedding, and the baby (Julian) is the son of our flower girl. That was a little surreal since we haven't seen any of them since our wedding. The surprise party was a huge success and I think Jason's Aunt Kathy was very happy that the whole family was together to celebrate them.
Sunday was Mother's Day and the kids and I went to church in the morning. The kids all sang with the kids choir and had me in tears. There's something so sweet about them singing up there together. And I'm telling you-- Mara and Kinley standing there together being sweeter than two little girls ought to be together just about did me in.
We had to snap a picture of our own version of the Gymboree catalog (if there was such a thing). This is apparently a sign that Emily and I shop at the same store, have the same taste, but miraculously avoided buying the exact same dress--- just three from the same grouping.
Sunday afternoon, the wheels fell off the train for sure. The kids apparently cannot handle the pressure of a holiday meant to honor their mother. There was a whole lot of disobedience. A bunch of fighting and zero patience with each other. More than a few episodes of crying over absolutely nothing. We ended up spending the afternoon outside playing because it seemed the only chance we had of merely surviving the afternoon. At one point I mentioned in a text message to my Mom that I would definitely be calling her to talk to her on Mother's Day, but that it might be until after supper time when I ran away from home that I would have any kind of peace and quiet during which to talk to her. We ended up having takeout from Ciro's for dinner at 7:30 pm because we hadn't made up our minds about what to do for dinner until then. Although I had been given some sweet cards for Mother's Day, I found it ironic that the non-glamourous work of a mother was certainly not done just because of it being a holiday.
My one wish for Mother's Day, as it has been every year I have been a privileged member of the Mother's Club, was to have a nice picture of me and the kids together. This is what we got. With half of my face missing. After all of the rest of the madness, when this was literally all that was important to me, I am embarrassed to admit that I may have had a moment with tears in the kitchen when I looked at the picture that was quickly snapped and non chalantly crossed off of the list of the things that were done for me in celebration of Mother's Day. I know, to some, it might not be a big deal. But to me, it was just the icing on the cake.
We tried again...no longer in our nice church clothes...after tubs and dinner and when we were all snuggled on the couch together in the evening in our pajamas. I'll count it a win because no one was having a fit, all of our faces are visible, and it even looks like we all love each other. I guess, at the end of a looooong day, that's all that matters.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there who worked their fingers to the bone on Mother's Day just like every other day. But who feel blessed to have little mouths and hands that need them so much. Who press on despite their weary bodies just wanting to take a nap because their work is a labor of love for their families. Who referee fights and love toddlers through meltdowns and unpack the church bags and put away the laundry and on and on and on.
This Mother's Day was a day to learn that despite the expectations we may have for the day, the reality of motherhood is quite enough. To have been blessed with the gift of hearing a child call you Mommy is more than any of us deserve. And with each passing year, I feel like I grasp the magnitude of the gift a little more. Of all the things I have ever been called, there is no title that I cherish more than being a Mom to these three precious children.
