Now I Get It Mom

For as long as I can remember, my mom always told us not to buy her anything for Mother's Day. She would say that all she wanted was a clean house and a happy family.

We always thought that was stupid so we bought her presents and kept fighting with each other as usual.

Well, Mother's Day was a bit of a bust yesterday. Caleb woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and was hostile and angry all day. I actually took him home from church early because I was afraid he would pick a fight with somebody - it was that bad!

I was upset that he would act like that, and I was upset that I had to miss church. It was a good Mother's Day in that somehow, I was able to be a good mother despite my child trying to pick a fight with me. I was uncharacteristically calm and matter of fact with him and finally, after a few hours, he sincerely apologized to me.

After he felt better, he kept asking me if he could give me my Mother's Day gift. All I could think was that I wasn't ready to receive gifts yet because although I had kept my cool, I was still upset inside.

Doug had told me not to worry about dinner because he was going to barbeque. No cooking...Score!

So I came outside for dinner when the girls told me it was ready and found he had made hotdogs, cheetos and water for dinner. I mean, he has known me for almost twenty years and has seen me eat maybe three hot dogs in all of those years.

So I felt sorry for myself for a few minutes as I whipped together a fruit salad. No gifts, no pampering, no flower to kill from church, and I cleaned the house while the kids bickered with each other.

So I am trying to think of a way to end this post in a funny or positive way, but it's not coming to me. At least now, I understand my mom a little better!