Mother's Day

     Every year on Mother's Day, I look forward to what my kids have made for me at school.  I always hope that they had some kind of survey to fill out because those are the best.  This year, my kids came through and gave me what I was hoping for. 

     Maddie handed me her card first:

"My mother is 25 years old." 

 That was at the top of the list.  Man, she's good.  I thought that she was just trying to be nice, but she said that she honestly thought that I was 25 and then was a little embarrassed that she didn't know how old her own mother is.  I told her that 25 is a great age, and she can keep thinking that I'm that old as long as she wants to.  I'll even be 25 next year, and the year after that!  

"My mother's favorite food is cauliflower."  I think I might cook this stuff a little too much.  It's not really my favorite food, but it's pretty good.  

Here's another one that I really liked:  "My mother's favorite place to go is Target."  I don't know many people who don't like Target.  It's not my favorite place to go, and I can certainly think of several other places that I'd rather be at, but I don't dislike going there.    

     Reese handed me his card.  "Dear Mom, I hope you have a good Mother's Day and I'll try to be good."  Hey, at least he was honest.  He didn't promise that he was going to be good, he just said that he would try.  

     Saying that I was pleasantly surprised as he handed me a packet would be an understatement.  I held that thing in my hands as I looked at the drawing of myself on the cover right above the title, "My Mom" and thought, "Oh s#!t, what did he say in here?"  Some of you know Reese on a personal level, and don't tell me that you wouldn't be thinking the same thing.  

     





     One of his favorite things to do is have a camp out in the loft together and watch movies.  That's what this picture is.  It's him and I with the girls (minus Ian because I guess he's too big to have a camp out with his mom).  

     
     




     I wasn't exactly sure what he was doing in this picture: "Look at Me Doing that Thing You Love!"  He said that he was picking up the house.  You bet your sweet ass that's the thing that I love!  This kid knows me well.    

     According to Reese, enchiladas are my favorite food.  They're really not, but I still like them anyway  as long as they're good.  My favorite thing to do is "play on her iphone."  Hmph.  

     Remember my post from the other day when I was talking about picking them up from school and Reese usually has something funny to say when he gets in the car?  That's what the next picture is about.  I'm sitting in the car and it says, "If I want to make my mom laugh, I tell her stuff."  That usually does it.  Even when he's not trying to be funny, he's funny.  

     The very last picture, though, tells the absolute truth:  "Her favorite place to go is home."  There's nowhere I'd rather be.  

     Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmothers, step-moms, and mother figures...and to all of the dads who are both mom and dad to their little ones.    

Don't Ask Questions

     I'm sure that many of you like to know what kind of day your kids had at school.  I know that I do.  However, every day as they pile into the car, I'm shut down each time as I ask each of them, "How was your day?"

     Okay.  I'll be honest.  I don't just ask that one question.  It's  more like, "How was your day?  Was it good?  What did you do?  What did you learn?  Who did you hang out with?"  They usually respond with something similar to, "Fine.  My day was fine", and answer the rest of the questions with a sigh and an eye roll and that's the end of that conversation.  I didn't think that this would have started until they were in high school, or at least jr. high, but apparently I was wrong.

     It doesn't stop me from asking anyway.  Usually, Reese is the first one to the car.  Yesterday, he gets in and, well, those of you who know Reese shouldn't be too surprised at how the conversation unfolded:

Me:  Hey!  (noticing that he wasn't wearing his sweater).  Where's your sweater?

Reese:  It's in my backpack.  I don't need it.

Me:  It's windy and cold.

Reese:  Well, that's YOUR opinion.  

Dude.  It's 60° outside.  It's also windy.  It's cold to ME.  As much as I don't want to admit it, he's right.  

Me:  How was school, or do you not want me asking you that?

Reese:  I don't like it when people ask me a lot of questions.

Me:  Why?

Reese:  Because it's annoying and the conversation gets out of hand.

     Once again, he's right, because it does get out of hand.  It starts out with me just asking simple questions, then escalates into a discussion about why none of them want to answer anything else I have to ask.  I think I might be asking too many.  I certainly didn't expect this from my 10, 9, & 5 year old children, yet here I am.  I guess I'm that mom. 

     Does this get better, or is it a situation that's going to get worse before it starts to improve?  It appears that the only one who tolerates me is the little one.  She will chatter away to me all day long and is happy doing it.  

     So, I have two choices:  1: Keep asking questions anyway.  2:  Don't ask, thus possibly making myself appear like I don't care.  I could always wait until they say something to me first.  Most of the time though, that "first" thing I hear is a smart ass comment from Reese (and from what I understand, is a favorite among Reese fans).  

     I guess my lesson is:  Don't ask so many questions, mom.