Gems From Mother's Day

We're a church-going bunch, so we started the day by getting ready for the 10:30 service. Shawn was upstairs with the girls while I was downstairs preparing the diaper bag when the doorbell rang. I peeked through the front window curtains to see a pre-teen boy in a white button-up standing on our stoop. I called loudly upstairs to Shawn asking him to get the door because, "I DON'T HAVE A SHIRT ON!" I did have a tank top on, but I still didn't feel like it was enough clothing in which to greet a growing boy. Shawn said something about the volume of my announcement, not to mention the inaccuracy of it, which caused me to realize that perhaps the boy would have been better off seeing me as I actually was instead of being left to his own imagination. I'm hoping I've left other, stronger impressions on him so this isn't the primary thought he has upon seeing me every Sunday at church. Sorry, little gent. And, thank you for delivering these lovely tulips my husband ordered. And, thank you, Shawn for making me eggs for breakfast and doing the first round of diaper changes.

Fast-forward to church where our main meeting offered a mothers-focussed service. Shawn, said boy with flowers, and the other young men in our congregation got up to sing a tribute to me and the other sometimes-topless women in their lives. Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear it, because when Shawn left the pew, Kate broke down crying and bumped into Lou who had just begun to drift into sleep, who then woke and also began crying. Teenage girls and grown men alike sprung to my aid, trying to calm my girls with pop-up books and extra sets of hands. Lou calmed down easily in the arms of Marilyn, the woman sitting to my left, but Kate would have none except me or her dad, so we ended up in the foyer until she calmed down. This took exactly the same amount of time it took those nice men to perform their musical number. Oh, the irony.

From church we drove North to visit Shawn's family and enjoy a bright, fresh, grilled Mother's Day dinner followed by lemon cream and chocolate cream pies. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law had picked up all of the ingredients from the Amish market a couple of days previous, and my father-in-law manned the new grill he'd gotten for his birthday. YUM! Kate's aunt, uncle, and cousin had found a mini turtle while walking along the C&O Canal, which they decided to adopt for a few hours before releasing him back into the wild. Kate was thrilled to see this sprite little guy, and I think, in the end, he didn't mind his short-lived captivity either as he was fed handsomely with a top-notch strawberry during his stay. 

Other highlights included Lou getting both hips off the ground at the same time for the first time. I think she'll be crawling soon! And Kate's spontaneous affections are always a favorite. At one point she came up to me and offered a simple, "So glad," followed by a hug and a kiss. Sweet little thing. Talking with my own mom in the morning and then again before turning in was the perfect way to envelop the day.

It was a good one.

Any gems from YOUR Mother's Day??