Mother's Days past

When my daughters were small, I started a file of stories of the sweet and funny things they said and did because I didn't want to be one of those moms who can't remember her tots once they're all grown up. And my girls are grown up now -- the youngest is twelve... so my little "Growing Up With My Girls" story file is one of my dearest treasures. I try to remember to add to it regularly, but see that it's been about six months since I've written a word there. Not that it needs a lot more words... it's already reached almost 165,000.

For this Mother's Day, I decided to revisit my kids when they were younger... and to share some sweet Mother's Days from my past. The formatting gets a little wonky, but I'm sure family and friends will remember these little girls fondly... as I do. And of course we still love them now that they're grown up!

May 6, 1999

Christina and Suzanna both won a coloring contest at the Bay on the weekend.  I suspect they were the only two entrants.  So, today we are going to go pick up the prizes -sidewalk chalk for Suzanna and a bubble maker for Christina.  We also have $19.40 in Canadian Tire money, and the girls want to spend it on stuff they can use to "help" me in the garden.  It looks as if it will be a fine day, and I should get out there and dig the grass clumps out of the garden patches.  Our sidewalks will be covered with chalk by the end of the day, any bets?

Lee took the girls shopping for my mother's day gift last night.  When I asked Suzanna about her prize for the coloring contest this morning, she said, Oh, Mommy's necklace in the bottom of our dresser.  Never trust a two-year-old with a secret.  I'm pretending I don't know anything!

May 14, 1999

Overheard as my children played Doctor:

Patient Suzanna:  Help me, Doctor!

Doctor Christina:  What happened?

Patient Suzanna:  I bonked myself on the sidewalk.

Doctor Christina:  Ooooo whoooo, I'm sure glad I'm not you!

Here's a bandaid.

Patient Suzanna:  Thank you, Doctor.

Doctor Christina:  Do you feel better now?

Patient Suzanna:  Not really.

This has been my week to see doctors -- driver's medical, etc., and even my children get in on the act.  I'm glad my doctors don't have Christina's bedside manner...

May 14, 2000

Two-month-old Julia gave me a mother's day gift last night.  I was just holding her in one arm, doing something, and she fell asleep, and in her sleep, she laughed!  Twice!  I've never heard her laugh while awake yet -- what in her dreams could be so funny?  It's a mystery...

The Poisonwood Bible has so much in it, but here’s a small taste of something that really struck me.  The speaker is talking about how a mother loves her lastborn child:  "But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after -- oh, that's love by a different name.  She is the babe you hold in your arms for an hour after she's gone to sleep.  If you put her down in the crib, she might wake up changed and fly away.  So instead you rock by the window, drinking light from her skin, breathing her exhaled dreams.  Your heart bays to the double crescent moons of closed lashes on her cheeks.  She's the one you can't put down."

The only thing is that I felt that way about each one of my girls, but with Julia, I guess it's a little more poignant or something.  I took a nap with her sleeping on my chest this afternoon, thinking how it won't be long and I'll be missing moments like that.

  

May 7, 2002

Suzanna is getting excited about Mother's Day, and has no idea how to keep secrets. The kindergarten class will be having a Mother's Day tea on Friday, and she's often singing her mother's day song, then clapping her hand over her mouth and announcing, Oops, I'm not supposed to sing that! Julia recently discovered the fun of pouring water out of the bathtub. I hope I've cured her of that! 

May 10, 2002

The girls are getting excited for their dad to come home from Poland.  Julia often asks, “Daddy sleeping now?” or “Daddy eating supper now,” as if she understands time zones, mostly because she hears me give the other two those sorts of updates whenever they ask.

Today was the kindergarten Mother’s Day tea.  Suzanna was so sweet, and so excited to do something special for me.  I love being a mom to my girls.  My eyes kept filling this afternoon when she was singing her little songs or giving me her present and a cute card.  We can fight with each other and drive each other up walls, but we do love each other most of the time!

Julia was singing O Canada yesterday in the car, all by herself, “O Canada, gaa-aa-aarde fow dee!” over and over again.  Then she launched into “we will, we will wock you, tschhh!”  I almost laughed out loud!

Christina is loving having her own bedroom.  We were worried that she would hate to be alone in a room, but she’s adjusted so well, and falls asleep so quickly.  She also loves being in a bed where we can sit on the edge and talk with her for a few minutes at the end of the day.  I love that, too.  Precious time.

May 12, 2006

Today I went to a lovely Kindergarten Mother's Day Strawberry tea -- Julia singing songs for me and getting me a piece of strawberry short cake and giving me her present (a picture she made). Lovely to have some special Mom and daughter time. Not so teary at this tea as I was with the other two. Maybe I'm ready for all my kids to grow up where when Christina and Suzanna were that age, I wasn't. More likely it's that I'm still struggling with vertigo.

May 11, 2009

This was the busiest Mother's Day weekend yet, but it was all good. The girls all had places to go on Saturday that had me driving all over the place. Confirmation retreat for Suzanna, swimming lessons for Christina, birthday party Julia was to attend, and movie and dinner for Suzanna with a friend. Had Mother’s Day supper at L & J’s, but had to cut it a bit short because Lee and I had tickets to see Joanna Macy. When we got home at nine thirty, I found a lovely letter from Christina on my pillow, the best Mother’s Day gift of all. Suzanna has promised me some new art for my wall, and Julia gave me two plants, a spider plant and a nasturtium she planted at the birthday party. Sweet children!

Mother's Day weekend 2012

Christina drove us four girls to a green house, and we bought some plants for the garden together. It was lovely to have an afternoon with my young ladies even as I remember the little girls they once were. And last evening, we saw a play in which our eldest played a cranky grandmother quite well. This morning, I had coffee and toast under the pear tree, and this afternoon we'll see the play again. What can I say? Motherhood is the best occupation/vocation ever!!

To all you Moms (and especially my Moms) out there, Happy Mother's Day!