Mothers Day and Reflection

I have now been a mother for just over 10 years. That also means that my mother has been missing from my life for just over 10 years. Mother's Day is always a bit sad to me. I still think of it as a day to pay tribute to my mom, and I feel the loss of her presence more keenly. I am so thankful for the woman she was and the example she served. I am not as smart, patient, or loving as she was, but I know what she would say and I can play out the reassuring conversation in my head. I truly believe that there is something unique about the unconditional love of a mother. Anyway, enough sadness. I just want to say that my mother was fantastic and I miss her.

This Mother's Day, I was hoping we would go to Kings Dominion. To get our money's worth, I wanted to go once a month. And, May is fast ticking away. But, with the dog, it was not meant to be. I really like Gus, he is an extremely well-tempered and easy puppy, but he still vastly interferes with how I like to spend my weekends. So, we are staying home. Kara and Thomas brought me breakfast in bed and let me sleep until 8!!! I can't remember the last time I slept until 8. It was pretty amazing. The kids gave me their homemade school gifts, which were very cute. We are going to go out to lunch and I don't have to do anything all day. Thomas and the kids cleaned yesterday, so the house is in good shape. It should be a nice day!

Yesterday we had a busy day. I took the older 3 to a party at Sky Zone. They had a great time. And, since I like the mother of the kid who was having the party, I got to enjoy talking with her. It was a nice group of kids and I was happy to see my kids in good company (and with fun parents for me to hang out with). I hope that they can always surround themselves with the good crowd.

Kara and Anna loved the obstacle course. Jack was playing dodgeball, which was harder to get a picture of.

After the party, I did some quick shopping at Aldi while everyone else cleaned. Very nice. Then, we went to a Blue Crabs game. We were supposed to meet up with several of my coworkers and their families, but all but 2 backed out. However, we had a good time and despite the threat of rain, made it to the fireworks, with literally just minutes to spare. As we walked to the car, the wind picked up and blew dirt in all our eyes. It was strange and I am not sure where it was coming from--maybe a construction site nearby. Then, we got in the van and it started to pour. It was a major storm and I am glad we made it home safely. We had watched the forecast and it wasn't supposed to start until much later, so we got very lucky.