Happy Mother’s Day & Reflections

Skylar made this for me at preschool.

My favorite piece of artwork she’s ever made for me!

I have it hanging up in the kitchen now.

I love the picture her teachers took of her.  The preschool is indoors/outdoors and the kids spend lots of time outside, and I can tell they must have taken the picture earlier in the week when it was in the low 90s.

She looks happy, and warm, holding those flowers.  I also love her in yellow.  Blonds and yellow, yellow and white flowers, so pretty.  I’m biased, of course.

It was just so touching that when I picked her up from school Friday afternoon she exclaimed, “Mommy, I made this for you!  Happy Mother’s Day.  You’re the best mommy ever!”

You couldn’t have scripted lines out of a movie to sound like that and it just melted me.  She turned four in February so this is the first year she really “gets” Mother’s Day.

And now, it’s time for me to get cracking on chores and work.

But not without eating a No Bake Nutter Butter Special K Bars with Chocolate Frosting for energy, first.

Thanks for filling me in on what the last thing you unpacked from a box was.  Lots of fun answers!

Questions:

1. How are you celebrating Mother’s Day Weekend?

I am working so don’t have tons of time to celebrate, and I live far away from my mother and sister (who has a 10 month old) so I won’t be celebrating with them.

I have so much to do before our trip, in addition to working and all the usual things I have to tackle anyway, so not much downtime for celebrations and just putting my feet up. But that’s ok!

I may “celebrate” by pre-packing suitcases a bit.  Thrilling, indeed.

2. Tell me something nice about your mom, or a nice story, or a motherhood reflection if you’re a mom.

I never realized in entirety the sacrifices mothers make, all that they do, just how profound of a role motherhood is until I became one.  I have so much more appreciation for everything my mom did for me from cooking my favorite foods for me to driving me to all my events to giving up things she probably wanted to do so she could be there for me and give me her undivided attention when she had 17 other things that need attention, too.

Pregnancy, childbirth, sleepless nights, cleaning up vomit, wiping butts, drying tears, cleaning owies and skinned knees, detangling snarly hair, making sacrifices, putting yourself second are just part of the motherhood deal and honestly, I don’t even “notice” or mind.  It’s just part of. It just is. It’s what moms do.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

As moms we are doing the hardest work, but also the most rewarding.  If you’re a mom and reading this, you know that there are days you wonder if anything will go right.

You wonder if your work matters, if anyone notices, or if in the end, there will be some value to it all.

And the answer to all of those questions is, yes!  Keep on, keeping on, moms! When they run up and hug you and tell you how much they love you, yes, it’s all worth it.  It all matters.  All your hard work, investment, and dedication to your children will and does pay off.  If you’re a mom and you’re reading this, you are an amazing mom.

I love this little girl more than life itself.  She is my purpose.  She is the reason I work hard and do what I do; so that I can provide for her and give her a nice life.

I parent with love and compassion, and am trying to instill values like honesty and hard work in her, while showing her that a sense of humor and being gentle with others and ourselves helps, too.  I am trying to give her a great foundation in her childhood so that she may spread her wings one days and have wonderful life when I am not around to kiss her owies or tuck her in anymore.

Picture from her birthday a couple months ago

I love you Skylar!

Happy Mother’s Day to Moms Everywhere!