Posts
Josh asked me if an appropriate Mother's Day gift would be a contribution to our swing set fund.
Am I meanest, most selfish mom EVER if I say no?
I don't know, something about swing set fund contributions does not feel Mother's Day-ish to me. I don't even care about any presents. I'd be thrilled with breakfast in bed and homemade scribbles from the kids, and maybe a little fabric shopping outing for me. I love to fabric shop, did I ever mention that? But the whole kid gift contribution thing felt very non-gifty to me.
I'm sure he meant well, since he knows I am desperate for a swing set which will (hopefully) provide countless hours of amusement for my two monsters. His heart was definitely in the right place, I am just hard to please perhaps.
What are your Mother's Day traditions? Give me ideas!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Ungrateful? Selfish? Um. No. I would have laughed in Rob's face is he suggested the same thing. In fact, I am quite hoping that for mothers day he suggests some alone time AWAY from the kids for me on Sunday. Talk about ungrateful! Oh, and can I tell you that not far from my house is the most AMAZING fabric shop. Teleport yourself over on Sunday morn and we can have a coffee and shop. Okay?!
MY Mother's Day traditions include being blown off by my husband and then being accused of ruining HIS Mother's Day (TRUE STORY) (SERIOUSLY, he is a GOOD MAN, what is wrong with him and the Celebratory Days?!).
So, basically, I got nothing.
But then Beth mentioned fabric and I'm thinking OMG get thee to a fabric store.
Monsters...really? Mother's Day - pretty sure it's to celebrate being a mother, not to wish and hope for oodles of time away from the 'monsters.' It's so sad that so many women sit around and wait for time away from their children.
Breakfast at Dream Cafe and the Arboretum. And if we're late and the Arboretum is so packed they only offer shuttle service? Well, hell hath no fury. (Yes, this happened before due to someone who shall remain unnamed :::cough:::mil:::cough being invited but not wanting to get up early) I'm not one for grand gestures, but, as you know, I am one for traditions. The swing thing would not go over well with me. Unless it was my idea. I have celebrated MY birthdays before by buying the kids gifts but again, that was my idea. One year I got a Wii which the kids ended up using way more than me but that's because I had a spent a weekend in Florida and played Wii with my sister's family and loved it. So, again. Thoughtful: I expressed my like for it, Guy & the girls bought it for me. Family gifts should only be for Christmas, in my opinion.
Oh and to 'anonymous': My very first Mother's Day was spent lying by the community pool with a good book BY MYSELF (after the brunch thing) and it was divvy. Mother's Day is indeed about being a Mother and real mothers need breaks. I always say, if you don't require a break from your children every now and then, you are obviously not spending enough time with them. What better day to indulge? I don't think it's sad at all. I think it's very healthy.
I agree about time away being healthy!
And also, (to Anonymous) Mother's Day is a time for honoring and celebrating mothers, and part of what makes great mothers great is when they are wise enough to take care of themselves as well. Which means time to remember who they are as people of their own, separate from their kids. That way they have more energy and fullness for themselves, and consequently more to share with their kids and others.
Just my two cents...
--Neighbor Lady
p.s. If mother's day was all about being grateful and happy for our kids (which I think most of us are, every day), it would be called "children's day." And there are already plenty of those days. Mother's Day is for letting our mothers or the mothers around us know how much they are appreciated.
Probably anonymous doesn't have kids!
I should have clarified, though, "monsters" is a term of endearment in our family. Gabe refers to his sister as the "baby monster" and I call both of them my monsters and then chase them and cover them with kisses. So don't worry anonymous, they aren't really monsters, they just play them in our household.
Also, kids need time to be separate from Mommy! Sheesh.
No way in hell is a contribution to the swing fund a real Mother's Day present unless he asks what you want for Mother's Day and that's what you want.
Real Mother's Day presents are ones you don't have to share unless YOU want to.
I was 8 months pregnant with our first son on my 31st birthday. I knew my life had changed forever when I opened my gift - a glider rocker....
While it was a useful gift, I did not appreciate getting it for my birthday.
And when my boys were little (now 16 and 19), my husband often took them out for a few hours leaving me alone with chocolate and my thoughts. I do not consider myself a horrible mother.
Post a Comment