Mother's Day 2017

I LOVE how Brian and I do holidays and special events.

It is LOW KEY AND AWESOME.

I was not always this way, but I've changed, and I love it.

I tell Brian exactly what I want, and that's exactly what I can expect. He does the same for me. Our expectations are (I feel) generally low. No one expects lavish pampering or extravagant surprises.

(Honestly, when you have a husband who treats you like a queen all year, there's not much more you could even want.)

So all I wanted for Mother's Day was a dinner out, just with Brian, NOT on Mother's Day itself. (Yuck, busy restaurants.) The Friday before Mother's Day, I got my wish. My parents watched the kids and Brian and I went out to The Ox. He ordered fried fish and I got a cajun chicken sandwich. The food was delicious and the company, excellent! Afterward, we walked together through the neighborhood of downtown Oxford. The weather was perfect. I always enjoy our conversations SO much on nights like these. The topics we can discuss and explore are so different than the things we usually talk about when we're being interrupted every two seconds by the kiddos. I always feel so much closer to Brian at the end of a date night. They aren't very frequent, but that makes them so special.

When we returned home, the kids had prepared a VERY special surprise for us. (With the help of my parents.) I was treated to flowers and cards! They were so excited to give them to me! William had been very concerned about Mother's Day, especially when we were picking out jewelry for Grandma and Nana. "Mom, you need jewels for Mother's Day." Another time, he commented, "Mom, you need flowers for Mother's Day." It's incredible how these cultural messages filter through to children's impressionable brains. I certainly didn't mention needing flowers for Mother's Day, nor did I talk about getting flowers for anyone else. I reassured him that I had everything I wanted for Mother's Day. Still, I could sense his relief on Friday night when he was able to give me flowers and a special card.

I love that kid. Underneath the all-boy rowdiness, the potty humor, and the frequent antagonizing of his siblings, is a gentle, perceptive, intelligent heart.

On Mother's Day itself, Brian offered to buy me Chinese food (food! he knows my heart's desire), but I took a rain check. What I really wanted was an omelette with feta cheese, tomatoes, and spinach. I made it myself and it was DELICIOUS. Brian made his own meal, the kids ate chicken nuggets, and everyone was happy. Later, we went to my parents' house to see the siblings and to eat snacks. It was the perfect Sunday and the perfect Mother's Day.