Why just one day?

Ah, Mother's Day.  Sometimes the day is mediocre.  Sometimes it is memorable.

Thirteen years ago, I learned that I was expecting on Mother's Day.  That day was memorable to say the least.  I was hosting Coach's family for brunch and he and I buzzed around the kitchen with the secret and not-quite-sunk-in knowledge that I was pregnant with baby #5.

Often I am driving home from St. Louis on Mother's Day.  Typically we have a kid or two competing in the Midwest championships of Irish music Mother's Day weekend.  Usually the competition is held in St. Louis, but we have gone to Cincinnati a few times.  Why the Chicago Irish musicians aren't organized or aggressive enough to offer to host the weekend in Chicago is beyond me.

This year only Mini was considering competing, but she was nervous that she wouldn't be prepared.  Part of the issue is that my brother, Pat, and his wife, Aunt Fiddle,  stopped teaching lessons this year.  Aunt Fiddle insisted that she continue to teach Mini only- for social reasons.  Mini and her daughter were getting lessons together.  That plan fizzled as Aunt Fiddle only gave Mini lessons 2 or 3 times the entire school year.  This was what I would consider a building year musically.  The kids have new teachers, but finding teachers and working out a schedule was a process.  Inconsistent lessons made for ill prepared musicians.

Mini would have had to skip her 8th grade dance Friday night in order to make the trip to St. Louis. Tank was disappointed that she wouldn't be part of a duet with him, but I did not object to skipping the weekend in St. Louis.

Mini and her friends took pictures at her friend's house right next to the clubhouse where the dance was held.  Then they walked over.  Too bad they had freezing weather.  Afterwards Mini said she was really glad she skipped music in St. Louis to attend her dance.  Last year Tank skipped the dance and played a duet with Mini in St. Louis.  He still stands by his decision.  He claims all of his buddies said the dance was boring.  Coach and I think if Tank had been there it wouldn't have been boring.  

Before I share what worked for me this Mother's Day (in my next post), I want to ask you WHY?

Why can we not celebrate mothers more?  Why are offspring so willing to jump up and wipe down a counter top or put shoes away ONE DAY A YEAR?  It isn't really THAT taxing, right?  Why not do those little things more often?  Why can they not be more helpful, more tuned in, more appreciative the other 364 days?  I vote that we retrain the kiddos (and young adults) in our lives to pitch in on the regular.  To be grateful - daily.  How about considerate, and neat, and thoughtful? 

I know.  I know.  I need to be overjoyed with the joy this one day brought me.  I suppose Mother's Day wouldn't seem so special, if the kids acted perfect the rest of the year.

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By the way, I literally had to vacate my spot at my desktop at least three times while drafting this post.  The three older boys locked Mini out of the house when she ran out in the yard to greet her friends who walked down our street unannounced - or maybe the 3 phone calls from the one girl's new cell phones to our landline was warning enough?  Why do we still have a landline if calls to the landline make us all crazy?  (Or at least the teenage girl variety).  As an aside, Mini still doesn't have a cell phone.  8th grade graduation is in a few weeks - her phone ownership is happening soon enough, people.

Piece of frame broke off at the top. 
Never fails.

Tank threw open the sliding glass door to let her in eventually and broke the frame I just put together  yesterday.  It is just a crack in the top of the poster frame.  Lad was screaming at Tank for it.  The frame will be mounted in the basement with the others, so I know they are going to get knocked around.  Still - it hasn't even been hung up yet.

Then Eddie was upset because he thought Tank opened a brand new bag of trail mix when there was one open already.  Lad suggested a place for Ed to hide the mix from Tank, so Ed ran outside and Tank was losing it.  'Stay out of my business!'

Between the times I jumped up to see what the Hell was going in, I was screaming from my computer for everyone to knock it off.  I thought Lad was the one who locked Mini out, so I yelled at him.  One of Lad's favorite things to say is:  'Stop assuming!'

I may have done damage to my vocal chords when I shouted:  'I don't assume anything.  I know everything!  I am a  mother, damn it.  If I think you were involved, then tough shit!  If you don't want me to think you were involved, then stay the Hell away from the nonsense.  Say 'assuming' to me again and I will make your life miserable!!!'

Glad Sunday was so delightful.  Sweet, sweet memories.  And the countdown to another relaxing day begins.  363.