An actual parade

So here is the summary of my mother's day, having given myself several pep talks before hand: I received my final gift for the National Holiday week between birthday and mother's day, a shirt with the superman shaped crest with tasm (the amazing super mom) in it, with my blogspot address on the back, which was pretty cool. On the front, my husband affirmed me as a mom, on the back, as a human.

It went somewhat predictably down hill from there. A bowl of my favorite cereal for breakfast, we got everybody ready in matching shirts, travelled to my sister in law's home, ate the frozen pizzas, birthday gifts for sk10, including a dress that didn't match all of us (oh well) which she subsequently dirtied in a way that would inspire a Tide commercial, or that oxi-clean guy, pizza, bbq potato chip dust, fruit roll up, chocolate pudding and grape soda. Then we left.

My husband, who has really outdone himself all week, picked up on my sullen mood, and was understandably discouraged, having really laid it on the line. He also understood that even though the week was good, mother's day itself was in fact a let down. We were both understanding, but it really bummed him out that I was bawling, and I felt like a failure because I couldn't appreciate all he had done for me (sounds just like the battle I anticipated, doesn't it?).

Eventually, because we arrived at the town we were going to eat lunch, I pulled it together and stopped crying (gave myself a royal headache, by the way). I received, because my husband loves me and truly wants to please me, the best fast food that particular small town has to offer, and it was delightful.

We were sitting outside the restaurant, all the kids in matching shirts still, me nursing a baby, a daughter feeding another baby a bottle, people driving by, and I just thought, what a powerful testimony on mother's day of life and the blessing of the Lord. And of course, sitting there drinking my hazelnut iced McCoffee, I was again thankful that I am surely one of the most blessed women alive.

The trip home was much better than the way there. We got everything inside without any major meltdowns. We played outside for a bit with neighbors. We came in and I plopped on the couch, nursing one baby, giving a bottle to another, and, no kidding, my children came before me with their homemade mother's day cards looking for all the world just like a parade.

The cards were great, and I do feel appreciated. My favorite was from my eldest, saying how glad she is that I am her mom and her friend.

I loved that parade.