Mothers Day in October

I heard the alarm go off and was grateful when Scott woke to take the first shower.   Shortly after I heard the enthusiastic chatter of my youngest daughter in the bathroom and I happily rolled over for a little more shut eye.

Next thing  I know I hear Scott turn off the tv and gather the big 3 to “have a chat”.  I then hear, “ Guys, what does Daddy do for her job?” “Goes to work to take care of us”  “Right.”  “And what does Mommy do?”  “She takes care of us at home.”  “Right,   Does Daddy go to work on Sunday?”  “No.”  “Right… but does Mommy get a day off?”  “No.  Right… so you know what we can do today?  We can help Mommy by you guys getting dressed all by yourself.  So why don’t you go back, real quietly and we’ll surprise Mommy.  She’ll come out and be so surprised to find you all dressed and ready for church.” 

I then hear the eager “quiet” scurries of 3 kids as they go to get dressed for church. 

As I laid in bed waiting to be surprised, I silently thanked God for this huge “I love you” from my husband and kids.  I then heard the baby happily cooing in his crib and the whir of the coffee machine grinding. 

A few minutes later, Scott appeared at my bed with my travel mug full of coffee. 

I felt so loved and appreciated and blessed beyond measure.  It was like Mother’s Day, only better b/c Hallmark didn’t tell them to do it.

I then walked out to find my 3 oldest kids dressed for church.

I knew I needed to tread carefully.  They had worked so hard to bless me and I didn’t want to crush their spirits.  At the same time, part of my job as a parent is to make sure I don’t send my kids out to be mocked or teased by their peers.  I have to protect them. 

I started with my youngest… complimenting her pretty skirt and sweater.  I then suggested perhaps she might want to switch to a red sweater to match her skirt.  She looked up at me with her big blue puppy dog eyes and said in her sing sony voice which never fails to make me smile, “But Mom… doesn’t purple look so good with black?” 

I couldn’t do it… She’s 3.  I highly doubt she’ll be mocked by her peers.   Scott said I could send her that way if I made a name tag that said, “I dressed myself this morning.”  I did and stuck it to her back. 

 

The other 2 I was able to nicely suggest a slight tweak to their outfits.  When my daughter went to changer he shorts she said, “But Mom, I can’t get them off.”  It was a great opportunity to pass on a little fashion wisdom.  If you can’t take your pants/shorts off on your own, then they are too tight to wear out of the house.  Wisdom, I hope she carries with her for years to come.

An hour of sleep, 3 mismatched outfits, happy coos, and a cup of coffee…may seem simple and possibly even insignificant, but to this Momma of 4, they screamed “I love you and I appreciate you”.