Mother's Day Love

Yesterday I woke up to the whispers of my husband and O discussing the plan for the day.  

A few minutes later, O came in and informed me that I needed to sleep "a lot" longer so that her and daddy can run to the store and get flowers and pick up breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts (the surprise came out in the ruse).  As she left the room, she realized she had let it slip … "But you're not supposed to know that, so go back to sleep and don't tell daddy I told you."  

Just as I was drifting off, she came in again to inform me that next to my pillow she was laying out the Mother’s Day cards that she made at school. Again, she stated that I was not to look at them until she returned home.  I assured her that I wouldn't.  However, it's always tempting.  At this point I'm wide awake and falling back to sleep was not going to happen.  Plus, I knew I was going to have to eat Dunkin Donuts and pretend to like it.  Why couldn't we live around the corner from a Krispy Kream? 

Forty-five minutes later I heard them downstairs and texted my husband to see if I was to come downstairs or if they were coming up.  Couple seconds later I heard my favorite sound...tiny footsteps coming upstairs and down the hall, "Mommy, you can wake up now.  Happy Mother's Day.  Today is your day.  You can come downstairs now".  

After breakfast we went on a family bike ride.  After lunch O and her daddy surprised me with box seat tickets to an incredible ballet called "Noche Latina" at the Kennedy Center put on by the Washington Ballet.  Halfway through the production O leaned over to me and whispered, "Mommy, I love you."  Smile.

The day ended with an evening of good wine and good girlfriends enjoying a lovely dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant.  It was truly spectacular.

I woke up this morning and thanked my family again for making it all so meaningful.   Then I realized Father's Day is 34 days away.  How will I ever top this?  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Project Runway

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Project Runway: A half hour before soccer practice today O came downstairs expressing her "immediate need" for soccer shorts.  I sent her back upstairs to p...

Project Runway

A half hour before soccer practice today O came downstairs expressing her "immediate need" for soccer shorts.  I sent her back upstairs to put on her practice gear and explained that we didn't have time to go buy soccer shorts, but that maybe we could go this weekend.  

Five minutes later she came downstairs again with her tennis skort (a skirt with shorts underneath) and said, "Mommy, I have a great idea.  We can cut this skirt off and then we will have soccer shorts."  

At first I resisted, but then I imagined time flashing forward twenty years to an image of O on a show like Project Runway.  Who am I to squash her dreams?  

Tonight at soccer her friend, Mona, complimented her shorts.  O confidently replied, "Thank you.  My mom let me cut off the my tennis skirt and these were underneath. I'm going to do this to all my skorts!"  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Country Girl Elbows

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Country Girl Elbows: Last Friday was the Kindergarten Song Fest at O's school.    They sang songs about science.  The boys wore bumblebee hats a...

Country Girl Elbows

Last Friday was the Kindergarten Song Fest at O's school.   

They sang songs about science.  The boys wore bumblebee hats and the girls wore butterfly hats made of construction paper.  O was so excited that morning.  She wore her butterfly dress and requested pigtails in her hair.  

Occasions like this instill a very special pride that over takes me as a mommy.  It comes from deep within my heart and radiates as I make eye contact with O, and celebrate her performance of songs that she has rehearsed so many times.  I can assume, from all the mom's that I spoke with this morning, that they share the same sense of parental pride whenever their child is having a moment in the spotlight.  

It is also that parental pride that dominates our actions to capture that moment on film.  It can quickly overtake us as we race to get a good seat or we walk right up the center aisle in the middle of the performance and take a picture or video.  And if they are like me, the pictures and video get downloaded on my computer and that's as far as they go.  Yet, years from now when O asks to see the video of her kindergarten program, I can pull it up.  And I will not have to feel guilty that I didn't do it.

At the same time, there is a parental guilt when one loses sight of the moment.  The moment of listening, watching and meeting the child eye to eye.  

So I ask the question...Is it more important to be in the moment or to capture the moment on film?  I'm still not sure.  However, I am certain that the parent audience at O's program did not appreciate my arriving two hours early for a front row seat or the impact of my country girl elbows in positioning my camera on O during the concert.  Kindergarten SUCKS!

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Earth Day Druthers

Kindergarten SUCKS!: Earth Day Druthers: O woke up this morning and said, "Mommy, I think we should bicycle to school from now on so we can take care of our earth."   Obviously,...

Earth Day Druthers

O woke up this morning and said, "Mommy, I think we should bicycle to school from now on so we can take care of our earth."  

Obviously, Earth Day did not go unnoticed in her kindergarten class.  Isn't the bus a good choice in taking care of our earth?  

I told her I would consider it.  I even googled it.  

1.27 miles with a steep incline on the way home twice a day.   Kindergarten SUCKS!