Happy Mother's Day

I intended to put this up yesterday, so...pretend I did.

My mother died in February 2003. Even though I can no longer thank her in person for her influence, it never ends. So thank you, Mom, for helping to make me the woman I am today.

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My family always ensures I get treated like a queen on my days (birthday and Mother's Day). I don't have to do any chores and pretty much get to choose our activities, around certain parameters (like my MIL's dinner preference or Number Two's soccer game). Apparently, this is rare, according to what I hear from my friends.

I hereby offer my husband and kids as trainers for your own spouses and children. Here's what they did for me:

Let me sleep late.
I ended up not sleeping as late as I expected, given the non-sleep I got with the sick kid Thursday night. I got up and went for a bike ride and came home to breakfast cooking.

Cleaned the whole house.
I asked for this, not expecting to get any presents as I said I didn't want or need any. I'm going on retreat next weekend, after all. J warned me not to get critical if it wasn't up to my standards, which made me laugh and laugh. It was, like, triple my standards. They not only cleaned very well, they put away all the winter stuff and mopped the kitchen floor. The area where the animal toys are kept hasn't been so clean and uncluttered in five years. J did the laundry, and the kids cleaned the litter box.

Took me to dinner.
We went to dinner with my in-laws after Number Two's soccer game, which her team won, and she even scored a goal for me.

Made/bought me cards.
Including ones from the cats and dog.

Most of all, J had saved all year for a present, and asked the kids what they thought I really wanted. Number One said Nickelback tickets, which wasn't wrong. But Number Two has heard me complain constantly about my computer, which is pretty old and getting worn out. It is very slow and hangs constantly and causes odd growling noises to emit from my office.

So I have a new computer being built! I'm so excited I can't contain myself.

But it's not just the materialistic happiness. It's not just the relief of not having to clean my house for a week. It's the thoughtfulness that precipitates them. True, I asked for the housecleaning, but they went above and beyond, without complaint. My seven-year-old knows me well enough to know the one gift that would make me happier than anything. And my husband planned five-plus months ahead to make sure I had a great Mother's Day. I don't think I've ever felt more appreciated.

Now the challenge is to give him as good a Father's Day. :(