Hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day!
In a move that has earned him enough brownie points to fill the universe, my middle child came home from school on Friday and announced that it was going to be Mother’s Weekend. Okay, so I was obviously game. Therefore, after a family meeting, we decided to spend Friday night eating pizza and watching a kids’ movie. Why, you ask, was this a Mother’s Weekend event? There were two very good reasons. One, the kids’ movie was a new one for us, rather than one I had seen enough times to make me consider surgically removing my eyes and ears. Two, I was graciously allowed to sit in His Highness’s super-comfy recliner, with a small person on either side of me.
Saturday morning I was awakened by a kiss from one of the small people that felt more like a headbutt, but as they say, it’s the thought that counts. Plus, I had ibuprofen readily available. The headbutt was pleasantly followed by breakfast in bed.
During the morning and most of the afternoon, I paid bills, entered receipts, cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen, and did laundry. These were also considered Mother’s Weekend activities because, if I didn’t do them, they would have haunted me the rest of the weekend. The small people helped out by doing their chores with a 50% reduction in their normal rate of complaining.
Once the slate was cleaned, I was ordered out to the beach to take a nap and told by my middle child, the Master of Ceremonies for Mother’s Weekend, not to come back in the house until I was granted permission. He was pretty intense about it too, for a kindergartener.
So, I followed orders and took a nap. This was the highest of luxuries since normally the small people are with me on the beach, and therefore require my constant wakefulness. My husband took pictures to document the rare occurrence.
Afterward, I took a walk on the beach and collected these.
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When I was allowed back in my house, the kids had roses for me, and my husband pulled some crab dip out of the oven. Oh, my. Crab dip is something I developed a taste for after moving here, and now, good crab dip is on my top ten list of favorite foods. So my husband, who I now consider a culinary genius and perhaps then worthy of permanently usurping the best chair in the house, decided to whip up his own version of crab dip for Mother’s Weekend. This, ladies and gentlemen, was his first attempt at making crab dip, and let’s just say he doesn’t need any more practice. I ate until I felt sick. It was so worth the moderate abdominal discomfort. And the four extra pounds I now have.
On Sunday, after church, I acquired four additional extra pounds by consuming the crab dip leftovers. Then, I opened the presents the kids made for me, as well as some 85% cocoa chocolate, which I feel is an important way to mark all holidays. Or days, for that matter.
We spent the afternoon on the beach, boogie boarding and talking with friends. Then, after we fed the kids dinner and got them in bed, my husband grilled some shrimp (another favorite) the size of Cleveland, opened a bottle of wine and we sat down to enjoy the evening.
This morning, my son asked me how I liked my Mother’s Weekend. “It’s the best I’ve ever had,†I answered truthfully. Scout’s honor.