The Best Mother's Day Yet

I used to get really mad on Mother's Day.

I imagined that it would be like this:

But it really was more like this:

Actually, all I ever wanted was to sleep in and have a little assistance with the kid(s).

*Nobody* seemed to understand that.  (ah-hem)

And going out to lunch after church with everyone else and their screaming children doesn't ever seem appealing or worth the money spent (that I would have rather used to buy myself some earrings or a coffee in peace and quiet), and going out for breakfast=me having to get the kids and myself ready even earlier than usual which is a difficult and stressful task considering we're late to church or school most mornings anyway.

So this year, I decided to rethink Mother's Day.  That meant dropping expectations (or maybe, more importantly, talking about them with Jeremy...because it really would be a lie to say I had no expectations).   So I told myself and him that I didn't want a present, that I would fix a special meal for us (because honestly, I LIKE cooking when I have a good attitude about it instead of being resentful or feeling like a victim), and that I wanted to do something that the kids like doing because really, that makes me happier than fighting circumstances to get what I think I want for myself.

So I did lots of normal things like cooking and cleaning and dressing children and being late for church.  In the afternoon, we went to Red Mountain for a hike as a family.  And when I realized I had forgotten the cookies I had promised to bring as mid-hike bribery sustenance, I said a little prayer that everyone could have a good attitude and that we could make it to the mountain that seemed much further away than 1.3 miles.

And guess what? Nobody cried or fussed (much) and we made it all the way there and back and had a wonderful time!

We could have stayed and played for hours, except that it was getting late and I was worried about mountain lions eating the good little children.

Jeremy was sweet and took a picture of me with the kids...and I decided to post it even though it shows the extra pounds I have been trying to thinking about losing. It's all about letting go of expectations, people.

Somehow during the taking of this picture, the tree attacked us with globs of sticky sap.

I will have to hose off 5 pairs of unrecognizable tennis shoes because of the red dust that is covering them, and the laundry situation will be challenging with the clay dirt and sap mixed together...

...but I couldn't have had a better day.

And there was a $20 Starbucks gift card (with free babysitting included) waiting for me at home.

I think we're all starting to catch on.