Mother's Day

I woke up this morning and stretched, glancing at the clock on my bedside table. Wow, everyone had let me sleep until 9:00 a.m.! I can't remember the last time I slept in that late, and it had been a restful night too, as miraculously, I didn't remember Finn waking up at all during the night. Next to the clock on my bedside table was a vase of fresh flowers and my grande mocha from Starbucks, waiting for me. How did he manage to sneak that stuff in without waking me?

I got up from bed and wandered out to the kitchen where I found a happy, freshly diapered Finn in his high chair being fed breakfast while Michael simultaneously was making breakfast for the rest of us. The other kids were busy tidying their rooms, making their beds, etc.

Breakfast was delicious - Michael made breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, sausage and cheese and fried potatoes on the side. He did all the cleanup too. Afterwards, they all sat me down in the living room and plied me with cards and gifts. The twins had made me these beautiful silk scarves that they hand painted at preschool. Joey had a fused glass pin he made for me at school. Michael gave me a little music box that plays John Lennon's Imagine (he said to me, "Imagine our future."). I felt like a queen!

Nobody would let me lift a finger all day. Everyone told me, "Just rest and relax today - it's your day!" Wow. I did some reading, and even managed to get some "me" time when I went out to get an hour-long massage this aftenoon. All I had to do was nurse the baby a few times, Michael took care of the rest. I didn't change a single diaper or wipe a single bottom today. And the kids just seemed to know that what would make me happiest was their being on their best behavior all day - no bickering, no whining, no tantrums. It was unreal. Michael barbecued some chicken breasts for dinner and the kids even ate their vegetables with no complaints!

Michael and the kids cleaned up the dinner dishes while I took a nice hot bubble bath. After we tucked all the kids into bed, I sat down at my laptop to record the events of this special, special day.

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Then I woke up. Daisy and Annabelle were jumping up and down on our bed singing "You have to stay in bed Mama!"

Shit, it was all a freaking dream. I look at the clock - 6:30 a.m. Sigh.

Michael got up and went to go get coffee and I tried to remember how many times I had gotten up with Finn last night. Two? Three? I think three, and on the third time, I brought him into our bed because I just couldn't get up one more time. There he was snuggled up beside me now, very sweet . . . only the back of his jammies felt suspiciously damp. Sure enough, he had pooped through his diaper and up his back and all over our sheets, necessitating the immediate stripping down of him and our bed.

Breakfast was delicious - Michael made breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, sausage and cheese, and fried potatoes on the side. Daisy went into tantrum mode because she didn't like what was served to her for breakfast, so she got sent to her room in hysterics. Michael did all the cleanup. After breakfast, they all sat me down in the living room and plied me with cards and gifts. The twins had made these beautiful silk scarves that they hand painted at preschool - only they didn't actually want to give them to me. Joey made a fused glass pin for me at school. Michael gave me a little music box that plays John Lennon's Imagine (he said to me, "Imagine our future.").

Afterwards Michael took Kevin to get a haircut. I did laundry and made beds while the kids played outside. Lilah came hobbling in at one point, with that telltale "I pooped in my pants" gait. Ugh. I got her cleaned up and when Michael and Kevin got home, I made my escape - I went grocery shopping. While at the store in the baby food aisle, I accidentally dropped a jar of baby food and it exploded like a little orange gooey bomb, splattering my feet and shins with baby food and broken glass, leaving a nice bleeding cut on my toe (I was wearing my usual flip flops). I figured this must be penance for not making my own baby food like I swore I was going to do with this baby.

When I got home, almost the second I walked in the door, loaded down with groceries, Kevin started complaining to me that he was bored. Bored?! With all the toys and books and games and brothers and sisters he has, and he's freaking bored? How is this possible?

After I put the groceries away, I ran out once more to get my truck washed because it was driving me crazy how filthy it was. When I got home, we all hung out together for a little while . . . and as I was tickling Annabelle, I noticed that the back of her dress was wet. Wha . . . ??? She had peed in her panties, which were soaked, and she was just sitting in them that way! For crying out loud. So I got her undressed and threw her in the shower (okay, I didn't literally throw her). Then I bathed the other two girls and then ran a bath for Joey.

Michael barbecued chicken breasts for dinner. I didn't even bother putting vegetables on any of the kids' plates because they never eat them and I'd rather save my energy for other battles. Daisy refused to eat any dinner, and Annabelle said to her, "Daze, maybe you need to go to your room like you did at breakfast." Lilah also refused to eat anything placed before her and kept asking for a sandwich instead but I got out of the short-order cook business a while back, so no sandwich, no dinner.

I cleaned up the dinner dishes and put Finn to bed while Michael got the girls ready for bed. Then we got the boys to bed, I took a quick shower, and here I am. Michael is downstairs working.

I'm not complaining - I'm really not. It was a perfectly lovely Mother's Day. It's not like I expected to be queen for a day or anything. I'm just saying, the reality never quite lives up to those Hallmark commercials, does it?

Anyway, I'm very blessed, I love my family and they love me, blahdy blahdy blah. Happy Mother's Day :)