What I want for Mother's Day

My first official Mother's Day when Eden was born was quite interesting. Elliott was sure to not forget, though I think he went shopping the day before but hey that's pretty good for him. I was excited, I had just started back to work and was feeling depressed. So I was so excited to see what thoughtful presents Elliott had gotten me and to bask in my new motherhood. I couldn't wait to get one of the flowers they always hand out to the mom's on Mother's Day at church. It started with three different cards. One from him, one from Eden and one funny card. Okay a little strange, but thoughtful. Then I open the first present.... a counter top chopper with a note that says "Now you can make me my own food, Love Eden". Okay not terrible but not particularly inspired. Maybe it will be better with the last one which is bigger. I tear open the package to find a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchen Aide mixer. Um..... a meat grinder? What am I going to do with that? Let's just say I have never had an overwhelming desire to grind my own meat and that I was not happy. I tried to act like I liked it, but I just couldn't. I ended up returning it and using the money towards buying a Nintendo Wii. So Mother's Day is a week away and Elliott keeps asking me what do you want?

I have been thinking hard about this and for the first time cannot think of much. Shocking I know. I already have the biggest gift I could have ever gotten. I have to opportunity to stay at home with my children. Sometimes in the midst of the tantrums and chores I forget how truly blessed I am to have this opportunity. Sometimes I get caught up in the daily grind and forget to just stop and say 'Wow, I would have missed this if I still worked." With all of the recent buzz about stay at home versus working moms I actually stopped to think about how lucky I am. Comparing my life now to when I was working has given me a new perspective. No not everyday at home is good. It is not all sunshine and rainbows, some are down right not fun, but my worst days at home are still better than my best days at work. I get the opportunity to see all of the milestones that Elijah achieves. I get to see how amazing Eden's imagination and vocabulary has gotten. I have the privilege of being there when they "get it" for the first time. Whether it's Eden learning a new letter to Elijah using a sippy cup for the first time, I get to be there.  Perhaps most importantly is just getting the time to spend with them, even if we aren't doing anything more exciting than going to the grocery store. What an amazing gift being a mother is all by itself. I know how hard it is to have to get up and got to work every morning and drop your baby off at daycare. Even after three years I would sometimes cry in my car on the way to work. I know how hard it is to be sick and still have to drag yourself up in the morning because your kids won't feed themselves.I know how hard it is to have to undo some of the bad behaviors they have learned form other kids at daycare. I also know how hard it is to maintain the good habits and structure that day care gave them. Neither is all good or all bad. Being a working mother is hard, being a stay at home mother is hard. They have different challenges, but the goal is the same: to be a good mother.

One of my favorite quotes comes from my all time favorite movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." How true this is. So the thing I want for Mother's Day this year I already have. I have the chance to stop and look around and enjoy my children. Now it's up to me to take advantage of that opportunity and not squander it. To remember that these days will be gone sooner than I think. To make sure that that I take all the joy that motherhood has to offer. To all the mom's out there, Happy Mother's Day. Take the opportunity this Mother's Day to stop and look around. Enjoy the things that will eventually go too fast. And someone please tell my husband that he can't go wrong with some Godiva chocolates.