Sunday, May 11, 2008

When Mother's Day Bites the Dust



Despite all the pretty cards and well wishes, sometimes Mother's Day just bites - big time!

Either no one ever talks about it (cause they hope the bad memory will just go away) or they are afraid they are the only one to have experienced less than happy mama moments on our big day.

I want to open this up for discussion... if you've had a less than stellar Mama's Day, will you share to free the rest of us from the delusion that it is always going to be flowers and happiness? What about when you'd love to take a family hike, but your oldest is JUST TOO AFRAID OF BUGS? Maybe it is just like wanting to have a secret admirer or someone send you a card or those coveted flowers on Valentine's Day when you are single but nothing comes. Maybe we should all expect less or should it be more?
For this Mama this year, so far my day started with sleeping in (that's good), followed by waking up to a whining, screaming, moaning boy who was just too hungry to handle his timeout (for what I don't even know). My husband had made my daily iced coffee (that's good). No other breakfast was to be had (that's bad). Best laid plans had gone off kilter as the kids refused to dress. They had made a few handmade Mama cards (sweet) but one kids gift was still hiding in our van forgotten and the other had been left at school -- handmade gifts from school are wonderful but somehow this year they just didn't make it into our home for the day of celebrating mamahood.
After the kids and Dad went out for awhile, emails ensued and they were off to get the groceries needed for a special Mama's dinner. While they managed as a team to get a gift of some kind (it is still hiding in the aforementioned van as the girl has been in meltdown mode). The grocery store run never happened 'cause the kids were too busy whining and throwing fits over what they were gonna get for themselves (makes a mother proud :-{). The girl miraculously managed to find a way out of her full-throttle tantrum mode, so we shall see what happens from here.
So there you have it. I bought myself a small gift ($5.00 shirt from the resale shop) and I'm considering taking the dog for a long walk, having some chocolate covered sunflower seeds and if things melt down further taking myself alone to a free movie (we've got some coupons we've been meaning to use). Happy Mama's Day Indeed!

Now if we think about it, no doubt our parental celebration days are just the same as the other biggies for the rest of the world... there are regular articles written on how to handle the letdown which often accompanies the winter holiday season - so why not Mother's or even Father's Day? And like every other holiday and its accompanying expectations, sometimes it's gonna feel just like a Hallmark Card commercial and sometimes more like a day in the bottom of Oscar the Grouch's trash can -- true to the nature of parenthood.

Here's hoping Mother's Day treated you well today ... and if not, remember that tomorrow is another day.

7 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear your Mother's Day was less than stellar. That and Father's Day have always been really low key in my family, and, well, being married to my hubby I don't expect that to change, so I don't have a lot of expectations going forward.

    My Mother's Day was a whole lot of fun - we got to break the news to a whole bunch of people that this is, in fact, MY Mother's Day too!

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  2. Anonymous5/11/2008

    Hi Sue, hopefully things turned around and you found some joy with a movie, walk or both. We had a certificate for a free round of golf, so Mike & I had a golf date and really enjoyed getting away just the two of us. We decided we needed to get out more often by ourselves. Then we went grocery shopping together and bought our "built in sitter" one of her favorite model horses as a thank you for watching the boys. For me I don't put too much stock in holidays. I didn't get cards or anything, but that's Ok for me. I'm thankful that my middle son likes to give me "I love you Mom" notes on a regular basis.

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  3. Anonymous5/11/2008

    P.S. This was from Elizabeth Alison. Didn't feel like picking a password, or trying to look up to see if I already have a password for this. I have over two pages full of passwords that aren't alphabetized, and I don't like looking up the passwords.

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  4. Tore out the grass and put in sod. Body tired in a great way. Still a little more sod to do but I can handle that tomorrow on my own.

    Ben and husband made me breakfast in bed, church then back to work. No rest since Thursday but it's what I wanted to do so I'm not complaining.

    My husband bought me a Dogwood tree for Mother's Day. Totally unexpected and I was definitely pleased. I never expect anything so anything that happens or comes my way is good. I hope your day ended well.

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  5. Anonymous5/12/2008

    I got a 14 foot section of chicken wire for Mother's Day! Crazy as that sounds, it's what I wanted. I discovered the day before that the rabbits had eaten a bunch of my strawberry plants!

    Actually this year's Mother's Day was quite nice. Seems like I've had a few bummers, but I can't remember exactly what was so bad.

    Last year I got the world's ugliest beach bag. I asked for a new beach bag, because I had been using the same one since college and it finally ripped completely. So my hubbie and kids went to Target and of all the pretty, beachy ones, picked the ugliest beach bag. Not intentionally, mind you. They thought it was spiffy. Now, whenever I pass the beach bag display, I sigh wistfully. I'd love to replace my bag, but with my luck it'll last forever.

    Hope your day was salvaged somehow, Sue!

    love,
    Cathy

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  6. Anonymous5/12/2008

    Mother's Day...hmmph...let me give you a run down:

    2001: got breakfast in bed of jello, broth and tea...yes I was in the hospital after having an appendectomy at 6 months pregant.

    2003: Just birthed my baby Cecilia who had died in untero and Mother's Day was her Memorial Service.

    2005: My Dad was hospitalized after falling...already was in bad health eventually he just gave up and died.

    2007: WHEW...finally an odd year that went by without a hitch!!

    2008: Currently wearing yet another hospital wristband as I had a Partial Complex Seizure on Saturday, quit breathing, Dave gave me mouth to mouth and I finally came to 5 hours later in the ER. Going to specialists this week to find out what's going on.

    I LOVE being a Mom...but damn Hallmark for Mother's Day...

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  7. Sorry for all of the horrible Mama Days in your past...makes feel small for hating the cold stale biscuits I've been served in past with dirty handprints and tongue marks in the jelly.

    My Mommy's Day was nice this year though...breakfast in bed then back to sleep (compliments of hubby hustling all smallish people outside for a while.) Then later off to look at laptops for me and then out to dinner w/kids and hubby.

    I got a lovely plant from the second smallish person and some hand picked wild flowers from (and I quote here) "The surly teenager I was promised back in 1993."

    Ended our evening with games with the kids when I announced that aside from the best present anyone could possibly give me was no whining for the entire evening...they could do a close second with no television at all for the duration of "My" holiday.

    My fav was the handmade card with the sign language hand saying "I love you". That was the bestest ever.

    Happy Summer!!!

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