Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day...

...to my younger self those words used to mean remember to think about Mom and make sure you get a card and a little something special for her. As an adult, pre-kids, I gained the maturity to realize that it was an occasion to reflect on and appreciate all the love & sacrifice, smiles & tears, hugs & heartache that my mom gave and continues to give unconditionally to help me become who I am. Now that I am a mother of two amazing little people myself, my heart swells at the mere thought of those words. There are so many things in life that you can never have more than a shallow understanding of without experiencing them yourself, and motherhood is certainly one of those things. Before, I didn't know how much I didn't know about what it really takes. What it takes to face the real possibility of never getting to be a mother, what it takes to carry nearly 18 lbs of baby, what it takes to make nursing two infants actually happen, what it takes to find a balance between obsessing over insuring that all the baby food was organic and homemade and that every day was filled with the right amount of routine and stimulation yet also just relaxing and soaking in all the precious moments infants just give & give & give, what it takes to endure sleep training two children at the same time, what it takes to keep it together when your child gets hurt, what it takes to keep up with laundry & baby proofing & planning meals & managing outings, ...it's an endless list. And though motherhood asks so very much of you, and Mother's Day is a day to be appreciated for all you do, it is also a day that makes me overwhelmingly grateful for all the things that being a mother has brought to my life. I was made for this job and am so lucky that I get to do it. A crafty smile from Malynn engages me every time. A belly laugh from Jack washes away any stress or sadness. Sometimes when my face is right in front of Malynn she'll put her hands on both sides of my head and pull me in for a big ol' kiss, and I think I could let her do that for an hour if she would! Sometimes when I pick up Jack he just melts into me and lays his head on my shoulder, and as I feel his heart beat and know he can feel mine, I simply stop, and just being there with him is all there is. Jack & Malynn are fantastic children, who make me a better, stronger, happier person with every passing day.

This Mother's Day was just right.

Daddy and the kids brought me breakfast in bed! If you ask the kids what they gave me for Mother's Day, they are likely to say, "bacon."

Then we had a busy day outside. Grand, Ottar, & Amita came down for the day and helped put finishing touches on the new retaining wall that Mike built. And to say that Mike built the wall is an understatement! He truly did every bit of research, design, planning, materials, and labor all on his own. No one else even helped carry a hammer...well, for those of you who know Jack well you know that might not be entirely accurate, but you get the idea. It was a lot of work and the goal was to have it ready for the kids' birthday party -and it was. It instantly became a new favorite outdoor living/playing space and truly was Mike's special birthday gift to the kids.

Malynn got a little disheveled with all her shoveling work.

 

Jack was busy shoveling, too...

...and hauling...

...and lifting...

...and carrying!

   

 There was some investigating about mud to be done.

We love this new space!

As Malynn would say, "Nank chu, Daddy."

Side note: During a break inside the kids figured out how to sit on Daddy's foot and get a ride.

Remember doing that as a kid!?!

 Then we were off for a walk down the street to visit the house that's under construction. This a regular afternoon adventure for us. We've seen them clearing the lot, digging out the basement, setting the foundation, putting up the walls, lifting the roof joists with a crane truck, working on the roof (which prompted a lot of "Get down"s from both kids), and installing windows. And even when they're not working, there's always a bulldozer, or excavator, or dump truck to explore around!

Malynn's walk involved a little of this...

...and this... ...and this!

 

 

While Jack was happy to be in charge of the bucket and the wagon.

The kids weren't so sure about Mommy getting under the excavator shovel. It prompted several, "No Mommy, Out Mommy"s. It, of course, got all of us to stop and go "awww" when Malynn asked to hold Jack's hand.

We're so lucky to have such wonderment just down the road!

It made for a perfectly simple Mother's Day. I told Mike ahead of time that I didn't want anything fancy, I just wanted a great day with my family. I guess when you have the choice, and you can honestly say that your favorite thing is to be at home, doing regular stuff, with your family, that means life is pretty good.