I think I had the best mother's day I've had in a long, long time. The fun started on Saturday morning when Mark pulled the seats out of the van and filled it with garbage. He dropped Ian off at Boy Scouts, went to the dump, went to the hardware store to buy lumber, picked Ian up, and got to work...
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| MY NEW PORCH!!!! |
But he didn't actually build anything until this morning. Yesterday afternoon was filled with teaching taekwondo, getting a flat tire in the parking lot of the hardware store while picking up things he forgot on the first trip, picking up the boys from a party in Tacoma, making dinner, and putting two tired little ones to bed.
This morning he made coffee, waffles (leggo my eggo!), and bacon. I was served first, as the mother, and he served the girls second because they are the future mothers. Isn't he a sweetheart?
I let Heidi suck on my bacon for a second. It was so good, she immediately fell asleep...
...just kidding. She actually bounced herself to sleep. As soon as breakfast was over, Mark headed out to build the porch. Mark was quite grand when he said that I shouldn't have to change any poopy diapers today. So when Heidi blew out her disposable after her nap, I held her up to the window and beckoned to Mark that he needed to come in. He was like, "ARE YOU KIDDING? I'm in the middle of hauling wheelbarrow loads of dirt around so I can build you a PORCH!" I laughed because I was just kidding and went and changed the diaper myself.
Then Ian asked if I knew where the milk was. "In the fridge?" I asked. "I looked there." Can you believe we were completely out of milk? As soon as Lula went down for a nap, I took Fiona and Heidi to the grocery store to get milk and something cold for Mark to drink while he was building. I also got bubble gum so I could teach Fiona how to blow bubbles.
Mark didn't hog the building all to himself. Ian was interested in helping and pretty much did all the screws himself!
While the men folk built, the kids played...
...and sat in the sun...and bounced in their favorite bouncy chair...
And then the porch that has been on Mark's To Do list was done! Just in time for some afternoon relaxation!!!
And the very first thing everyone had to do was stand on it. And jump. And spill peanut butter and jelly crumbs on it.
And drive Mark absolutely crazy. Because he is the kind of guy that leaves the plastic protective coating on the couches or electronics until it falls off on its own. Just wait until we start doing homeschool art projects out there...
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| "All I want to do is relax!!!" |
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| "Quit playing with the door!" |
Then Fiona threw a ball for Mina and it landed in the unplanted, freshly tilled, completely fenced garden. But where there's a fence, Jack has a will. That dog can burrow under the chicken yard fence under a three inch gap just to get food scraps.
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| It took him awhile to figure out how to get back out again. |
Dinner was Thai curry with prawns that I made myself. It was so yummy. Eat while it's so hot it will burn your mouth yummy.
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| Sweetness |
Now, I saved the best for last. Shane made me the best Mother's Day card. I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face and my stomach hurt. Any time I even thought the phrase, "Stay safe (many others don't)" I would start giggling and crying again.
The card shows a man close to a rattlesnake, a person surfing with a shark fin behind him, a person being chased by a bear, deep sea monsters, a person riding in a train car approaching a broken track, a storm chaser, and
a mother holding a crying baby. Obviously, motherhood happens to those who are not "staying safe" and is just as dangerous as all those other careless activities. I seriously LOVE this kid. There is no better gift than laughter. And starting my day with that card was the way I was able to change the diapers and go to the store and make everyone cold drinks and cook my own dinner when Mark was too exhausted from building to cook for me.
