the stand

sigh.  I am not a hugh mother's day person.  that said, I'll take any excuse for some time off {as in my last post!}.  but I am a fan of my mother.  although not perfect, she's pretty damn cool.  a decent human being and a wonderful role model.  any sort of parenting that I do with any skill is because of the great job my mom did.  and she's not all super mushy and huggy, but she demanded independence, cultivated creativity, and we NEVER lipped her off.  maybe the biggest thing I remember growing up was that our house was always open - to their friends, people in need and neglected children; but also always open to our friends.  there were always kids at our house - playing, sleeping over, building forts, hanging out...you name it.  and in the midst of all the chaos, I learned how to cook for a crowd, how to be happy for a dishwasher {trust me.  doing dishes for 8 is NOT happy}, how to do my own laundry and how to care for others --- all because of my mom.  although growing up I often felt like I had to fight for time and attention, she is the person I call almost daily to chat with about my day.  she asks me how I did at weight watchers.  she gives me running shoes and tells me that I am walking another half with her and my sister.  and knows that I need that push.  so I may not love the celebration of being a mom {I often feel so inadequate}, I am certainly okay with celebrating MY mom.

so you may be asking, what did my lovely children give me for mother's day?  well, the kids did this clay thing at school and they each made me something special:

 {a toucan from nate - a lovely shade of gold, if you didn't see that!}

{an underwater themed picture frame and a little bag from ty}

and I know that a lot of people treasure these elementary crafts and keep them on display for years to come, and perhaps store them in a special box for memories and such.  not me.  they get ONE month in my house.  then they will find a nice spot elsewhere.  forever.  apparently I am more like my mom than I realize.