What are you doing for Mother’s Day?
I wasn’t able to do anything for Mother’s Day last year. We were scheduled to go out to our favorite mother’s day brunch at a local golf course, but were unable to.
I received a phone call from my sister that day - my father had suffered a massive stroke (his second) at the grocery store and was in the hospital. Unfortunately, he didn’t survive.
This year, I’m finally in a place where I want to make up for missing it and not dwell on the past.
So, unbeknownst to my wife, we’re going out for a very special Mother’s Day this year. In about two hours, a Hummer limo will be pulling into our driveway, absconding my wife, son and I on a trip to North Conway, New Hampshire for lunch (and back, of course). It’s one of my wife’s favorite places to go, and always was my parents (whom are now both deceased) favorite destination for Sunday drives.
We’ve been in limos before, but never a Hummer Limo. My son will be joining us, so no, there will be no hummers in the Hummer. I told my son (who’s 9) about it on Friday night when I impulsively booked the limo, and he’s done a great job in keeping the secret from his mom. She still thinks we’re going to brunch down the street.
I was unconscious when I did it (shades of my previous sleep-eating and -dishwashing) but I still picked a nice arrangement. I did call and tell her she’s not allowed to read the card because I have no idea what I wrote.
My mother is dead but I will plant flowers at my dad’s house (prolly next weekend).
My son took me to Cafe Matou in Chicago, and we shot pool for a while. Couldn’t have asked for a better Mother’s Day.
For my MIL, I picked up one of those coffee cup planters and a stand at Walmart, and filled it with a gorgeous mix of pansies, dianthus, cosmos, spike grass, wallflowers and a creeping thing called a fan flower. She’ll be wild for it.
Both my mom and MIL have both passed, and my wife’s grandmother passed a few years back (she was like mother to her - her mom passed away when she was 18).
Brother and fam came yesterday to join Mom and me for dinner at an Asian buffet. Mom also received cards, money, bath stuff, etc. We don’t do Mother’s Day on Mother’s Day due to the horrific crowds, and it works out pretty well doing the day before.
I got my mom a Lobstergram http://www.livelob.com/
4 Maine lobster tails. She got them yesterday and was beside herself with joy. I usually do flowers but she loves lobster and I knew she would love getting this.
Currently I have six 9-11 year old girls running screaming through the house after a sleep over for my daughter’s birthday last night. (Which is today). Once the monsters (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), are picked up in an hour, I am heading over to the folks for a Mother’s Day BBQ/birthday party. Mom asked for “shirts…the cheapest you can find” Mom’s a bit frugal so I bought her a dozen of them as a joke.
My son was promoted from bus boy to waiter at a restaurant and he is in training. It was so busy last night that they sent him home since he isn’t trained enough to take his own table and they had plenty of bus boys. I guess a lot of people are smart enough to do it the day before but still crowded.
I bought a 1G shuffle and filled it with 300 songs that I knew my mother would love. Mostly stuff I grew up listening to her listen to, but a few new songs that I just thought she would like. Along with a little speaker dock for her to listen to in her bedroom or whatever. And a bottle of really yummy olive oil and a very nice balsamic vinegar. She’s got a big garden with tomatoes and basil and stuff so I thought those would make a nice gift.
She got it a few days ago and called to tell me she absolutely loves everything. She plugged in the Ipod and listened to the music and poured herself a glass of wine. She said she felt like she was 20 years old again. Can’t ask for more than that. I’ll call her later to wish her a happy day and that’ll be that.
In a couple of hours my husband and I are going to Sonoma for brunch here , then after that to some artisan cheese and craft beer tasting and discussion at the Sonoma Community Center.
Got her a great fold out card [unfolds into a sort of 3d rose] and sent her a nice arrangement in a cookie jar of hyacinths and some other flower I dont recognize [i sort of have a black thumb … not really good with plants=( ]
For my MIL, we got her a silver little boy’s head with her grandson’s name on one side and his birthday on the other. We haven’t been able to find a bracelet or a pin to put it on, though, so we’re giving it to her with the understanding that she will get that soon, too.
For my mom, my brother/SIL/husband/I decided to go in together. I went out this week and got her three gold birthstone charms - one for each of her three grandsons - and a gold chain to wear them on. They’re not something I would wear, but I think she will love it - they aren’t gaudy or anything like that.
My husband and son (okay, really my husband, as 21 month old son doesn’t realize today is anything special) got me two very nice cards and a copy of Paper Moon on DVD, which is one of my all-time favorite movies, but I only ever watch it when it’s on TV. I told him not to go crazy because we may have an impending move coming up, and I was impressed with how thoughtful his choice was - he even chose it all on his own (usually, I tell him exactly what I want).
Now he’s taken the kiddo over to his parents’ for the afternoon for lunch and nap, and I’m eating macaroni and cheese and watching Doctor Who. I may go take my own nap . (We’re going over there for dinner.)
My daughter interrupted her honeymoon to call me this morning (OK, so they were checking out of their suite, so technically, the honeymoon is over.) My husband and I went out to breakfast, but we always do, so that was nothing special.
I’ll be calling my mom later. I had thought about going to see her, but I’m still getting over The Sick - I’m sitting here coughing and sneezing right now. I definitely don’t need a 4+ hour round trip the way I’m feeling. I also reminded my husband to call his mom.
My sister M and I took her out to brunch last Sunday, when M was in town. M and I sent her flowers, which arrived yesterday, and put our sister K’s name on them too, so Mom wouldn’t feel bad when she didn’t get any kind of recognition from her. (K is kind of thoughtless.) I’m going down to my parents’ place for dinner tonight. Even though Mom is cooking, it is a kind of a present for me just to show up, because I normally avoid having anything to do with my father.
This is the first Mother’s Day since my sister E died. I wanted to buy her a nice locket and put a picture of E in it for a gift, but Mom’s got picky taste and I haven’t found a suitable one yet.
Well, I’ll be feeling mildly guilty that I won’t see my mom until August at the earliest. I called her this morning but she didn’t answer, so if she calls me back we’ll chat some, but I imagine she might be out someplace with my father.
I got her this, so all she’s getting from me is basically an e-mail, but it seemed an appropriate way to thank her for her best efforts to raise me right.
Grandma’s not getting a phone call, because we both hate talking on the phone, and I know she’ll be getting calls from all five of her kids and at least some of her eleven grandkids, so I’ll cut her a break.
but I will plant flowers at my dad’s house (prolly next weekend).
. (We’re going over there for dinner.)