Best Mother's Day EVER!

After four years of motherhood and five Mother’s Days, I can honestly, without hesitation, say that this year was the best I’ve had.

Watching my babies play the Wii. Quiet bliss

There were no extravagant gifts, no elaborate breakfasts in bed, no grand excursions. In fact, I was kind of lethargic and spacey for most of the day, but when I took stock at the end of it, I was smiling.

My first Mother’s Day was celebrated with jewellery (which I had bought myself), followed by O’s father receiving a call from his parents inviting him and O to lunch – not me. In fact, I was explicitly NOT invited, the removal of my daughter masked as ‘giving me a break’. I ended up at my own mother’s house in tears.

My second and third were 100% ignored by my then-partner. He told me I wasn’t his mother, nor the mother of HIS child, so it wasn’t up to him to celebrate with me. In fact, the second year we were together, he locked himself in his computer room for thirteen hours straight, then got confused when I expressed my hurt. Screw that dude.

Last year I worked a twelve-hour bar shift while my little girl spent the day with B. Because of this, I was awake early, home late, and far too cranky at missing the day with my princess to consider celebrating anything except finishing work!

This year, to me, was perfection. I woke up early and stoked the fire, then snuck back to bed before my husband and O were awake, and dozed back to sleep. I was woken by cuddles from my precious girl, who presented me with two handmade cards, Polaroid photos of her and her brother and a keychain with one of her drawings in it, created at kindergarten. B offered breakfast in bed, but I declined, because I wasn’t feeling great. I asked for some fruit to be cut up, and was given beautiful fresh apple and mandarin, which was exactly what I wanted – no weak tea, cold toast or overly-filling and over-topped pancakes. 

Yep, that's me! Best gift ever.

I had a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ call from my stepson, L while I watched O and B play on the Wii and quietly read my book. I made what I wanted for lunch (chicken risotto) rather than bending to the sulks from O and making eggs, with B reminding O that today was ‘about what Mummy wanted’ I visited my mum, had dinner at my Dad’s place, came home with a child so tired she easily went to sleep and ended the day with a footrub  from my hubby, a welcome relief from the swollen ankles and sore heels of pregnancy. 

Risotto for lunch. Because that's exactly what I wanted.

I slept better than I have in months, totally content that I’d had the best Mother’s Day of my life, because to me the day isn't about gifts. It's about being reminded that my kids and partner love and appreciate the things I do to make their lives good. It's about knowing that (for one day a year) I can do what it is I want, even clean or cook if I feel like I want to. It's about time with family, and love from my babies. 

How did your Mother’s Day shape up? Was it the best yet? What did your best-ever Mother’s Day look like?

It’s Tuesday, which means I Blog on Tuesdays with Essentially Jess. Live it, love it.