Mom’s well aware that I’m in a rather tight financial situation. She’s also amused that I’m (finally) learning how to cook. So I whipped up some lemon bars (because she loves lemony stuff) and some chocolate chip cookies (because who doesn’t love them?). These were too large for a small box but too small for a medium box, so I used a trick I learned from her and raided my bookshelf for books I’ve read already that she may like, and used those to fill up the rest of the box. Definitely nothing fancy, but she seemed appreciative when she got the package on Friday, and I figure that she spent four years sending me goodies while I was at school, so it seems like a nice repayment.
For my mother, I got her some drinking glasses. She would never buy nice kitchenware for herself, but nowadays she hosts family gatherings and she really needs hostess stuff. She also needs serving spoons, plates, and flatware. I’ll probably get her a set of stuff every holiday.
For my wife I washed/waxed her car and took her to eat spaghetti.
My Mom’s birthday is May 5, so in her Birthday card, I also wished a Happy Mother’s Day.
I would send her flowers, but she doesn’t like flowers.
I would send her a gift card, but she doesn’t like these either.
So she gets what she gets…
Bought a gift of Le Creuset crockery that I knew she wanted.
Put both of my sisters’ names on the card with mine, even though they didn’t contribute, because it makes Mom happier if she thinks none of her daughters forgot–and my sisters always “forget” to buy gifts or send cards.
Cooked the dinner she asked for.
Didn’t say a word when my youngest sister was 4 hours late to dinner, because she was busy hanging out with a “friend” (who is a rotten lying freeloading jerk, but apparently more important in Sis’s world than her own mother).
Was sympathetic when Mom got upset over Sis being late, and didn’t launch into a tirade about Sis’s thoughtlessness or the evil Friend.
I was nice to my father, even though he is an ass, so we could have a cheerful dinner.
Didn’t mention that Mom hasn’t bought me any kind of present or even given me a birthday phone call in six years.
I think that about covers it.
I’m actually not bitter, though. The dinner was nice, everyone was in a good mood. No fighting. And Mom actually gave me a hug and sincerely thanked me afterwards. These are actually big accomplishments for our emotionally retarded family. A family get-together where Mom doesn’t end up crying is a big deal, particularly since one of my sisters died two years ago.
So today was a good day.
A new clock. Their clocks always seem to pack it in after 6-12 months for reasons unknown. The last one died about six months ago and they’ve still got it on the wall. I’m sick of it being 10:28 at their house.
She loved it and was impressed that I remembered she used to watch Perry Mason re-runs when I was a kid 
A day at the spa with me.
Of course, that day at the spa is a 2 for 1 gift certificate given to me as a bonus when I went to see Totem with the Red Carpet tickets that my mom and dad gave my husband and I for our birthdays (we are a week apart), so technically, she’s bringing me to the spa.
My husband and I have had a very difficult and expensive month, and my mom knows this. There is never any expectation of a gift in our family; I call my mom, we talk, I tell her I love her. We visit often enough and I do little things for her all year 'round; Mother’s Day isn’t generally something special for us.
My kids took the bus to the house Sunday morning and cooked brunch for me. They scheduled it with me a week ago so this I was expecting.
They also brought a gift certificate for a family portrait from a photographer. This was a very nice surprise
Flowers and dinner. My dad got her a new Chanel perfume he thought smelled like her discontinued favorite perfume, but she didn’t like it. She’s a tough woman to shop for!
My brother - who has really put her through the wringer over the years - got her a card saying something like “Thanks for being a great mom, I know I’ve put you through the ringer” and then you open it up and it’s a musical card and it sings “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet” and the text says “But I hope you realize I’ll keep being a thorn in your side!” She loved it.
I gave my mom a phone call. She didn’t even remember it was Mother’s Day, and I got up 2 hours early just to make sure to catch her before she left the house. She was surprised and delighted that I called. I had told her earlier in the week in an email that I felt weird mailing or shipping anything to their 2nd home out in the boonies instead of to the house I grew up in. She still forgot. We’ll do something when they get back into town.
Sent her a box of Norman Love chocolate.
Awesome stuff.
Logitech laptop portable desk, with a fan, because her laptop was overheating.
And a coffee table book about old Yankee Stadium, because she’s the real Yankees fan in the family.