Surprise, Surprise!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!! Yes, I realize I'm a day late, but the thought still counts.

I had a really nice Mother's Day, but we'll get to that later. The Playfriends celebrate motherhood all around. Most all of us are mothers (poor Andrea just gets to hear about our child-rearing dramas... I mean, adventures), and we all have mothers. We appreciate the love, commitment, and sheer energy involved in raising children. So we want to say a big THANK YOU to all the Moms out there.

For those of you who are wondering, Playground Monitor's mother is doing better. (See full report below.) She's recovering slowly from her surgery, but PM has flown out there to be with her. She hopes to bring her home from the hospital early this week.

I had the pleasure of talking to my Mom on the phone yesterday and ironing out the details for her visit in June. Though I won't get to spend more than a day with her, I'm excited about that day being my birthday. This year I get to spend it with my twin sister AND my mother. What fun! The next day I'll fly with the Playfriends to Scotland and leave my children in my Mother's capable hands while my hubby is at work. I know she'll cherish this chance to spend uninterrupted time with them.

My husband went out of his way to treat me special this year. He knew the desire of my heart and bought me a NEW CAR!!!! Well, it's new to me, and he traded in my old one for it. He surprised me with a black Dodge Durango on Saturday night. And I mean really surprised, because even though we'd talked about trading my car in, I figured it would be at least a few more months. Wasn't that incredibly awesome of him? As a bonus, he threw in a lower car payment. Now that's a prince!!!

I love Mother's Day. Not just because my husband and children go out of their way to show me their appreciation, but because it reminds me of how blessed I am to be a mother. Despite terrible twos (Lord, help me!), tears (their's and mine), and the constant battle to get them to put away their crap (I mean, stuff), there isn't anything like the feeling of holding your child in your arms. Hearing your two year old say "I love you, Mommy" for the first time. Cheering them on as they grow and learn new responsibilities. Through years of infertility, I never thought I'd experience it. Now I have. Times two.

I hope all of you had wonderful Mother's Days, surrounded by your own Mother and children, if you have them. Or at least with wonderful memories of those you love. So tell me how you spent your Mother's Day, what presents you got or gave, and what you did to treat yourself. (You better have treated yourself, if only just for ten minutes!) I unpacked boxes (trust me, I wanted to) and didn't cook! How about you?

Angel