The TRUE meaning of Mother's Day...

Cost of a box of kleenex to wipe your two sick boys' noses? $2.99

Cost of Chinese take-out from Heng Wing (my fave. chinese place) since we were all staying in but Mom got to choose dinner? $43.80

Staying home from your parents' house and away from Grandma to avoid getting my OWN Mother sick on Mother's day? PRICELESS. :)

Boy, do I wish I'd have had makeup on for this picture, but this is how it is, baby. Everyone in their pj's, me in my sweats and hanging out on the couch, reading stories and watching a little tv before bedtime... just a typical day in the life, I suppose!

This was the first Mother's Day that we didn't do something "big"...and well, I must admit there was much disappointment when I realized there would be no family shin-dig (yeah, if you know me then you know we are ALL about the family gatherings!) yesterday. Admittedly, there is also nothing funnier than hearing a boy say to you "I'm not sick" as he takes his hand to wipe his nose all over his sick little face...

This was of course, after I was presented with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch in my bed at about 9am. YEP...NINE A.M.!!! There is definitely something to be said for gloomy, rainy days that make it dark in the kids' rooms later. We all got to sleep in, and we all needed it. Any sleep I get after 7 am makes me feel like a whole new person, ya know...

So yes, I LOVED my bowl brimming over the edge being presented to me by my twin 6 yr old boys with the biggest smile on their faces. I will admit wondering what my kitchen looked like during and after this process, but I let it go b/c it was so sweet of them. So, I ate and we all snuggled for a while and then they all "whispered" to my oldest about when it would be appropriate to give me my cards. They all scattered, then came back with them. I wish I could post them they were so cute and appropriate but I didn't think to take pics of them...

After I opened my assortment of cards and handmade gifts (LOVE those!!!), we hung out and I did a little stamping even for some orders I have coming up this week. I wish I could say I "worked" yesterday, but we all know that stamping is what I love, so this was ok with me...we just won't let that little secret out.

I called my Mom...broke the news about the petri dish of germ-infested goodies we had going on over here...and she gladly accepted my cancellation LOL. We were all so disappointed...I think for me, not getting to be with HER was the worst part since I had my kids with me eitherway. Also disappointing was not getting to meet my sister's new boyfriend at dinner...oh well...she dodged a bullet for the meantime!

Then I decided that Mommy (me-mommy) deserved to treat herself to Starbucks. Their new Pike Place coffee rocks my world, so we got in the car and drove there, the boys both reluctant. In fact, I even caught one saying to the other "I know, I don't want to go either but it's mudders day so we HAVE to go". I thought this was cute although I wondered if this was the end of the complaining. For some reason they just don't like to go there. I get to hear about how often I go and how many cups of coffee I "alweddy" drank at home LOL...keeps me in check, I guess!

On the way there (oh, it's a FIVE minute drive for those who don't know), there were two blanket fights, a seat-kicking incident (HATE that!), one insult uttered from the girl to a boy, a crying two year old due to the fact that someone took HER blanket to initiate it into the fight as well, and a phone call from a friend wishing me a happy mother's day. I laughed knowing she could hear all the chaos...and said "you know, this is what it's ALL about, isn't it?" Just sort of ironic, almost poetic although not in the prettiest of ways.

I was SO completely annoyed by the time I pulled up to order my freaking Grande with cream and two raw sugars. Oh, and then we got to play the drive-through game. You guys all know that one, right? Where the minute the mad kid pulls into the drive through the yelling gets louder, kind of like a dying seagull? Oh, and this time we got to hear mock McDonald's orders too just to confuse the drive-thru lady and piss me off. It was awesome...NOT. We finally drove through, as i was wished a Happy Mother's day and the girl laughed as we drove off and I thanked her.

The next few minutes home were spent explaining what they had done wrong and threatening that if there weren't immediate apologies and repentences that they'd spend the rest of the afternoon in their rooms, etc...you ALL know the drill. Wow...that was fun, I said. Then it got quiet. A few apologies were made from sister to brother, brother to sister, children to mom. We got out of the car and into the house and I thought "now what?" . I was so annoyed but at the same time, all the sudden a wave of laughter came over me. I didn't think anyone noticed, but minutes later, the boys started giggling even though they had no idea why I was. Well, once they start it's contagious-they have the BEST giggle...Pretty soon, the five of us were sitting at the kitchen table (where i had plopped myself down in exhaustion to sip my freaking cup of coffee) just cracking up. I had tears in my eyes i was laughing so hard, all the while just thinking to myself "yep, this is it. THIS is what it's all about."

Not ONE word was exchanged about why Mommy lost her marbles and started cracking up at the table. The rest of the day we just hung out...I myself had a scratchy throat so we just watched some movies, did some crafts while the kids colored, ate some yummy Chinese and then later I was presented another gift...my mini "photo studio in a box" that I've been wanting for my business to showcase my cards/journals on an all white background (that is what the "deflector" is in the picture above).

It kinda dawned on me that Mother's Day is everyday. I mean, ok that's cliche and i've always really KNOWN that, but still...They should just call that one Sunday in May "Mom gets to drive to Starbucks alone day" or some crap, right? LOL... I have everything I could ever want in those four rascals. Don't get me wrong, having the new Canon Digital Rebel (yep! I got it last week YEAH BABY!!!) to capture them and moments like the one above makes life all the sweeter...but no matter what, I couldn't be more blessed with those kids and with my own Mother. My only regret about yesterday is not getting to hang with my own Mom...but I will definitely make up for that as soon as we are not all infested with germs! Yeah, I know...good luck w/ that :D

Blessed-Martina McBride

"I get kissed by the sun each morning, put my feet on a hardwood floor

I get to hear my children laughing down the hall through the bedroom door

Sometimes I sit on my front porch just soaking up the day

I think to myself, I think to myself this world is a beautiful place....

I have been blessed and I feel like I've found my way

I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day

I have been blessed with so much more than I deserve...to be here with the ones that love me,

To love them so much it hurts...I have been Blessed."