Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

By Jeanne Adams


Happy Mother's Day, Banditas and Bandita Buddies!!! Thanks for coming over to hang out with me on Mother's Day.

Whether you're a mom, or just have a mom, or are mom to a four-legged creature, you have an amazing talent to get things done. I do include myself in this, as I'm sometimes astounded at how much I do get done. Not much of it has anything to do with my actual WORK, but I do astound myself at how many endless loads of laundry I do, including making sure uniforms are washed, pressed, belted, and ready for baseball, basketball, more baseball, and even, in the fall, football.

Which brings me to my focus for today. I'm a baseball mom. (I'm also a basketball mom, but that plays a distant trumpet to baseball). I have notes in my daily calendar which read "be sure baseball uniform is ready" and "practice jersey!" and "tournament uniforms!" These notes help keep me abreast of the demands of a heavy-duty baseball schedule for my eldest son who, if I do say so myself, is one damn fine baseball player. Just so you know, I am a master at getting grass stains out of baseball pants - although I do confess that I've had to throw one mud-saturated, grass-stained, sopping wet mess of a pair of baseball pants into the trash.

My youngest is just beginning this baseball journey. He's not the absolute maniac for the sport his older brother is, but he's getting into it. He has baseball practice too, on Saturdays, which is frequently right in the middle of when his older brother is playing, which means we have to split up, and it already means more uniform washing, that goes without saying.

I also now know the names of a tremendous number of players in various major league positions. I know virtually all the players on the Chicago Cubs. Being fond of the Atlanta Braves myself, I know a lot of them. The local team, the Bethesda Big Train, is fun to watch. And thanks to being a baseball mom, I now know about stances, swings, defensive plays and just exactly what a catcher is responsible for.

Between you and me, I'd so much rather be watching football.

Seriously. I adore it. My eldest likes it in a pale, "that's niiiiice" kind of way, and can play it and like it, but really, it's alllllllll about the baseball. My youngest however, to my glee, seems to be interested. Ahhhh.....maybe ONE of my boys will follow in my sports-footsteps! (Although since my DH played football, basketball, baseball and rugby, they have a lot of footsteps, if you know what I mean!)

Stephen Covey, the master of management, was counseling a man once who wanted to grow closer to his young son from whom he'd been estranged. Covey advised, "you must come to love whatever your son loves, and as you appreciate and love that thing, your son will come to see you clearly, understand that you're trying to connect, and reach out to love you too."

I mulled that over for a long time as my boys came along. It was important to me to understand my boys, to be there for them. I quoted the Covey line several times to myself as my eldest grew: I must love this thing that my son loves.

Baseball.

I used to think that watching baseball was like watching paint dry. My husband also loves the game, but you know, spouses frequently like different things, so I thought I was off the hook.

Hey, I love dog shows and showed several of my dogs to champion status and one to a Best in Show. (And no, that's not me, but it is my breed!) My DH could really care less, kinda the way I felt about baseball. But he tried to understand it, and even to supprt my dog-show-habit, and like it. I could do no less, so we'd go to games and finally, my husband explained the strategy of the game, which elevated it to a more interesting event, but still....

Then the boy came along and from 5 years old on, he would almost obsessively watch The Game. I never needed cartoons-as-babysitter, I could just turn on a baseball game. Nine innings of work would then await me, because the boy was engrossed and didn't require my attention.

Grins.

When he got a bit older and began to play, I really HAD to pay attention. According to Covey, I had to learn about the game if I wanted to connect with him and understand him.

So, I became a baseball mom.

One day, I will probably be one of those moms, seated in some big-league stadium, grinning like a Cheshire Cat as my boy is introduced as the starting pitcher. Or the all-star outfielder. Or the catcher. I'll grin as they play the National Anthem - which he used to believe ALWAYS ended with PLAY BALL!!! - and I'll grin as they take the field. I can pretty much guarantee you, that win or lose, I'll still be grinning at the thought that my long lanky baseball boy has become a Big League Player.

And yes, I'll be the one yelling at the Umpire, cheering on his teammates, just like I do now, and whistling loud enough to be heard in the next county.

Whether he does or doesn't make it to "the Show", he's my boy. He and his brother are what make me a mom. They also make me a more well-rounded person (hey, I know from baseball!), and a better human being because they love me with their whole hearts.

If you are a mom of daughters, you may know a lot of this sports stuff too, thanks to Title Nine, but in addition you may have had to learn - *shudder* - about cheerleading, or Justin Bieber, or - *double shudder* - dance class.

Or if you're a pet-mom, you've had to learn about clean-up, hairballs, just how much fuzz is IN that chew toy, clipping nails, and the general maintenance that goes along with being a loving, responsible pet-mom.

Go you!

The question of the day is this:

What have you learned to do, or learned to love, because of your child/children/or pets?

What have you put up with, especially if you're a pet mom, that you thought you would NEVER tolerate?

What about being a mom of any variety, has made you better?


If your mom, as mine is, has passed on, what would you say to her about all she did for you? (I'd say thanks for the laundry, as I now know JUST how much work that really is! Hahahah!)

62 comments:

Unknown said...

have I got him ???

Anonymous said...

Happy Mothers Day to all the mommies out there! :) My family celebrated [by going out for lunch] yesterday - cuz my mom wanted to avoid the crowds ;)

Congrats on the GR, Barb!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey! Barb got the Chookie for Mother's Day! WOOT!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Lime! Glad you got to hang out with your Mom! If we hadn't had baseball today - late afternoon game - we probably would have done the same thing on the dinner out. :> To avoid the crowds tomorrow, I think we are having steak.

YUM!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Ladies and gents...off to bed. Talk to you (later) in the morning!

Unknown said...

A while since he had been here LOL had visitors for a few days ... had better check whether they have left him any tim tams LOL

Hi Jeanne, it is a long time since my son has played sport but I learnt to get grass stains from the knees and red marks from the groin area where he used to rub the cricket ball when he was bowling..... they have to do that LOL

My Mum passed away a long time ago and I never realised how good she was until I had my children after she died.... I would thank her for everything as she bought 3 of us up on her own from babies as my father was killed in the 2nd world war

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, be they Banditas or BB's

Congrats Barb, ask the GR if he will clean house for you for Mother's Day

Landra said...

Happy Mother's Day!!!! Congrats on the Rooster Barb!

Sheree said...

Happy Mother's Day to All the Moms! Of children human, furred or feathered!

I was just discussing with an acquaintance today that the best way to insure not having any grandchildren for a long time is to give a baby to your preteen children to take care of - that's what I learned from taking care of my baby cousin every day after school until she was 5. Plus, we older kids decided that the dog understood us way more than our little cousin. Yep, we were rather judgmental teens.

Christine Wells said...

Oh, Jeanne, what a lovely post! You are a wonderful mom and you have amazingly lovely and talented sons!

The quote was so true and in a way I think it's especially true when your children don't enter into your own interests. Both my sons become obsessed about subjects, so I end up knowing quite a bit about them whether I like it or not! But they teach me a lot and they teach me patience, too.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Helen said...

Well done Barbara I have just been to visit and have a cuppa

Jeanne

Great post
and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO EVERYONE
I would thank my Mum for everything as well with 4 daughters and a Hubby who played lots of sport I learn't at an early age how to get grass stains out and also the red marks from rubbing the cricket ball on the groin LOL.

My son played soccer in winter and cricket in summer and my 3 daughters played netball in winter and softball in summer and I learn't to understand the games and loved watching them play (I had always loved cricket as my father played) but the other sports I learn't to enjoy as well.

I have had a lovely couple of days with my children and grandchildren and have a beautiful new locket engraved with MUM and photos are coming to put in it so I am over the moon.

Have Fun
Helen

Gillian Layne said...

What a sweet post!

As for my four-legged babies...the house is furry. I cannot vacuum enough to keep up. And I don't care. They are such a joy in my life.

My girls are a treasure. I think they are making iced hazelnut coffee happen sometime today for me...hurray! :)

Carol L. said...

Happy Mother's Day to everyone.
I enjoyed your post about sons and baseball today :) When my sons were playing I had to get those stains out as well and will never forget the Saturday morning (hours before the game) I accidentally caused his White with a burgundy number uniform to turn a lovely shade of Pink. I think that's about when my Panic Disorder started. lol I also found color remover at the last hour and the day was saved. Or I should say my Life. :) After raising 7 kids and finding out that there isn't really much that would shock me after that I settled into reading. :)
Carol L
Lucky4750@aol.com

Janga said...

My mother's birthday was May 21, and that with Mother's Day made May her month in our family. So I think of her especially this time of year and miss her wisdom and her laughter and her hugs. I can't think of a particular thing I'd like to ask her, but I'd love a chance to tell her thank you for all the things she--my first and best teacher--taught me by precept and example.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers among the Banditas and BBs and to all the sisters, aunts, and friends who gave time and love to mothering someone else's child.

Margay Leah Justice said...

I think the first thing I learned about being a mom is that I'm a lot stronger than I thought and along with that strength came endurance. I had to be strong because my younger daughter had medical issues from the beginning, so it's been a tough life for her so far. And when you're the only parent caring for the child, you have double the pressure on you to do what's right for your children.

Another thing I learned is how to love. I don't think I really ever felt true, unadulterated love until I became a mother. Maternal love is love in its purest form.

I've also learned to rediscover a sense of wonder through my kids and to really appreciate everything about life and the time we have here together.

Margay Leah Justice said...

I think the first thing I learned about being a mom is that I'm a lot stronger than I thought and along with that strength came endurance. I had to be strong because my younger daughter had medical issues from the beginning, so it's been a tough life for her so far. And when you're the only parent caring for the child, you have double the pressure on you to do what's right for your children.

Another thing I learned is how to love. I don't think I really ever felt true, unadulterated love until I became a mother. Maternal love is love in its purest form.

I've also learned to rediscover a sense of wonder through my kids and to really appreciate everything about life and the time we have here together.

Christie Kelley said...

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there. Jeanne, this is the first spring in 12 years that I'm not a baseball mom. It's really strange not to be running around all week getting to practices and games.

What have I learned to love from my kids? Boy stuff. Action movies, Legos, and air soft guns. (Okay, I don't really love that last one, that might go in the tolerate category.)

Being a mom has taught me so much about patience. I have far more of it than I ever had before.

Joan said...

And no, that's not me, but it is my breed

A breed of Jeannes? How cool!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone and yes...I fall into the last category of being a Pet Mama.

Just over a year ago my first baby cat came to live with me. Cricket was a learning curve big time. She crossed so many boundaries in my day to day life...nap time, housekeeping time, attention time and finally crossed the biggest boundry...my heart.

She and I had gotten into a real rhythm and real connection but when I was out of town for a week and saw how upset she'd been to be without me I decided on a brother.

And BOY....does Grayson the Monkey Cat cross boundries. Heck, he MAKES new boundries!!! And he is my special little guy.

I tolerate them getting on the kitchen counter but not near food. I NEVER thought I'd deal with that so well. I just keep the Clorax wipes handy and continue my elite cat training attempts. Today I got Grayson to stop jumping up when I'm "fixing food"....he got it too....after 14 times lifting him off he stayed off :0

Now excuse me....I have to pry my "baby" off the blinds

jo robertson said...

What a sweet Mothers Day post, Jeanne. Mothers of boys are special creatures, I think. They're so different from girls to raise.

I had to learn patience and it took me many, many years LOL.

I didn't realize until my mother passed away, but I inherited her cheerful-in-the-morning disposition. At least that's what my husband says as he groans into his hot chocolate.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Good morning, Jeanne!

Just stopped in for a brief HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to everyone.

You KNOW I adore baseball, even though my son likes to watch it more than he ever did play it. He's a great fan, probably because his parents are!

Have to run, he's taking me to see THOR for Mother's Day! hehehe

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Thought I would come back to visit when I was totally awake.



What have you learned to do, or learned to love, because of your child/children/or pets?

With my daughter, now 32, I learned the computer, more to the point I learned to work with computer graphics, making signature tags, etc.

With my son now 21, I have learned more about video games than a mother needs to know...LOL


What have you put up with, especially if you're a pet mom, that you thought you would NEVER tolerate?
Uhhhhh litter boxes and fur dust bunnies. Also having a cat in my lap everytime I sit down.

What about being a mom of any variety, has made you better?
I have learned to accept habits and idocyncrasies of other people. My children's friends were not always of my choosing.

If your mom, as mine is, has passed on, what would you say to her about all she did for you?
Thank you mom, I needed to know.

If you would like to see a very pretty lady..here is a remembrance page for my mother.....
http://hrdwrkdmom.com/iremember/mother.html

Gannon Carr said...

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Having children taught me patience, flexibility, and unconditional love. This quote I saw sums it up perfectly:

"They know me in a way no one ever has. They open me to things I never knew existed. They drive me to insanity and push me to my depths. They are the beat of my heart, the pulse of my veins, and the energy in my soul ~ they are my kids."

Louisa Cornell said...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY BANDITAS and BUDDIES !!

Barb! You got the GR for Mother's Day. Gift or booby prize? You'll have to tell us!

Duchesse! What a lovely post!

I grew up with two brothers who played every sort of sport available - both in England and in the States. Of all of the sports they played their favorite was American football and thus I know a great deal about the game. As I spent most of my teen years in the South I had no choice but to become a football fanatic.

All of my kids have fur and four legs. They enrich my life and teach me something profound every day. In fact I posted on this subject just the other day.

http://romancemagicians.blogspot.com/2011/05/life-lessons-from-dogs.html

The things I put up with as a pet parent ?

Spending more money on their food and supplies than I do my own.

Going to the vet more often than I do the doctor.

Litter boxes that must be scooped three times a day as my cats are most fastidious creatures.

Waking up freezing at night because they have hogged the covers, commandeered the pillows and pushed me to the edge of the bed to cling like a barnacle and try to sleep.

Having a 65 pound basset hound who insists on sitting in my lap during every storm and tornado because he survived Katrina and is terrified of bad weather.

Fighting a losing battle with dog and cat hair, but the vacuum cleaner and I continue to battle valiantly against it.

Having the most notorious chihuahua in three counties and being known by several veterinarians as "That Hell Hound's Mama."

AND

Coming home from work at the end of a day of work I despise to be greeted as if I have been gone forever, as if I am the most important person on the planet and being adored unconditionally in spite of my flaws (especially when I bring home the dog food!!)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Good Afternoon, Bandits!! Happy Mother's Day, Bandits and Bandita Buddies!!

My boys took me out for brunch which I never expected! Grins.

Sorry to be late getting back to things.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Barb said: red marks from the groin area where he used to rub the cricket ball when he was bowling..... they have to do that LOL

Glad to know they HAVE to do it! hahah!

How wonderful that your Mom was so brave, and such a good mom. You're a testament to her skill as a mum, though, 'cause you're great! Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hi Dianna! Hi Landra! Happy Mother's Day, to you or to your Mom's. Thank them for us for raising such lovely women. Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Sheree said: not having any grandchildren for a long time is to give a baby to your preteen children to take care of - that's what I learned from taking care of my baby cousin every day after school until she was 5.

OMGosh, this is true! I know some school systems do this with the babydolls that wet and cry and have colic and all that. Keeps 'em on the straight and narrow. Grins. Babysitting for small ones will indeed do that as well.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Christine said: Both my sons become obsessed about subjects, so I end up knowing quite a bit about them whether I like it or not! But they teach me a lot and they teach me patience, too.

Heehee! So true Christine! My boys both went through a WWE Wrestling phase. Thankfully it passed fairly quickly - though it seemed endless at the time. Grins.

Now we're fully engaged in the Star Wars eon with the younger one and Halo video games with the elder.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Helen said: I have had a lovely couple of days with my children and grandchildren and have a beautiful new locket engraved with MUM and photos are coming to put in it so I am over the moon.

Oh, Helen, how lovely!! What a fabulous memento.

Had to LOL again about the groin stain thing...that just sounds so wrong, doesn't it? SNORK!!!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Gillian! Ooooh, iced hazelnut coffee...yum!!

You said: As for my four-legged babies...the house is furry. I cannot vacuum enough to keep up. And I don't care. They are such a joy in my life.

Me either Gillian, on the vaccuuming, as my Lab/rottie cross sheds a LOT. :> The other dog, not so much, thankfully.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Carol L said will never forget the Saturday morning (hours before the game) I accidentally caused his White with a burgundy number uniform to turn a lovely shade of Pink. I think that's about when my Panic Disorder started. lol I also found color remover at the last hour and the day was saved. Or I should say my Life

OMGoodness, Carol! I would have felt like it was my life as well. Snork! I confess too to having forgotten to wash the pants only once. When my son was on the pitching mound in the first inning, it looked like he'd already played nine innings. I've not done that again.

I've also had to drive back home at top speed to get the "right" uniform shirt.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Carol L. After raising 7 kids and finding out that there isn't really much that would shock me after that I settled into reading. :)

Wow, SEVEN???? Wow. You and Jo are my heroes. Seriously. Managing two makes me nuts sometimes, I can't imagine seven.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Janga said: Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers among the Banditas and BBs and to all the sisters, aunts, and friends who gave time and love to mothering someone else's child.

Amen, Janga! And what a wonderful tribute to your Mama you wrote.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Margay said: I've also learned to rediscover a sense of wonder through my kids and to really appreciate everything about life and the time we have here together.


That's so true, Margay! I love the things I've learned through my kids.

And bless you for being so strong and enduring and wonderful for your daughter. What a great Mom you are. Are you getting to be with your children today?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Christie, it must be a weird feeling to not being doing all-baseball-all-the-time. Grins. I'm not sure that will ever come to pass in my household. Hahaha!

You said:
What have I learned to love from my kids? Boy stuff. Action movies, Legos, and air soft guns. (Okay, I don't really love that last one, that might go in the tolerate category.)


Don't EVEN get me started on the LEGOs. They multiply at my house like the proverbial bunnies. Everywhere I turn....LEGOS!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joan said: And no, that's not me, but it is my breed

A breed of Jeannes? How cool!


HAHAHAH!! No, I'm afraid they broke the mold with me. :>

Margay Leah Justice said...

Thanks, Jeanne! Unfortunately, I only get to be with one today. The other is at college an hour and a half away and we are both without a car right now, so it's lost of phone conversations, texting and email/Facebook for us today.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joan said: And BOY....does Grayson the Monkey Cat cross boundries. Heck, he MAKES new boundries!!! And he is my special little guy.

The cat who goes where no cat has gone before....grins.

They are such wonderful babies. I love hearing about them!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Jo said: I didn't realize until my mother passed away, but I inherited her cheerful-in-the-morning disposition. At least that's what my husband says as he groans into his hot chocolate.

OMGoodness, Jo, remind me not to room with you at National. (Not that Dr. Big would let me! Hahah!)

I'm the groaning-in-the-coffee one, and my DH is the darling who is all cheerful and up in the morning. Our boys are split, one of them is a morning person, the other a night owl like me. Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oooh, Suz! THOR!!! Let us know how it is. There's a great review up on rotten tomatoes that recommends it.

Have a great Mother's Day!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Dianna! Welcome back. :>

You said: I have learned to accept habits and idocyncrasies of other people. My children's friends were not always of my choosing.

I know this one - probably every mother does - but they learn a lot from those friends too. And so do I.

I LOVED the tribute to your mother too. That was so heartfelt and wonderful, and beautifully written and created.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Gannon said: "They know me in a way no one ever has. They open me to things I never knew existed. They drive me to insanity and push me to my depths. They are the beat of my heart, the pulse of my veins, and the energy in my soul ~ they are my kids."

Oh, that's lovely, Gannon!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Louisa said: Having a 65 pound basset hound who insists on sitting in my lap during every storm and tornado because he survived Katrina and is terrified of bad weather.

Awww, poor baby! My 90+ lb lab/rottie cross is this way, but she just leeeeeaaaanss, rather than trying to be in my lap.

That post was lovely, Louisa. And that unconditional love bit is just the best, isn't it?

They are, however, hard on vacuum cleaners. Might as well buy 'em cheap because they won't hold up for long.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Margay said: Unfortunately, I only get to be with one today. The other is at college an hour and a half away

Awww, too bad, but at least you got to be with one! Had to LOL about the texting.

Hope your car gets fixed soon!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Jeanne,

I can highly recommend THOR to our sci-fi and blow-em-up girls! And THOR isn't too bad on the eyes, either!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

What have I learned from my kids or because of them?

Joy. At their accomplishments, their talents, the love for each other and their parents. Joy at their happiness and their own children.

Heartache. At their disappointments, their pain, their loss. The decisions they made that didn't turn out as they thought they might.

Hope and wonder. At their ability to adapt, change, grow in spite of life's disappointments of pain.

Love. They fill my heart and soul more and more each day. Who knew a person's heart could expand so much?
(No grinch quotes, please!!)

Nancy said...

Barb, congrats on the bird!

Jeanne, Happy Mothers Day to you, too! We celebrated by seeing Thor. We enjoyed it but were not blown away by it. I was pleased to see that Asgard resembles a vision by the late Jack Kirby (a reference that likely means nothing to most of you).

I have to agree with the NYT reviewer who said Thor was lucky SHIELD agents don't carry tasers. I'll add "or sidearms." But the movie was fun anyway and it certainly looks as it should.

Anyway, about your questions, I learned a great deal about the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers because of the boy, who is much more into manga than sports. I also learned who Inuyasha was and where to find the anime track at DragonCon.

Nancy said...

Limecello, I'm not crazy about crowds, either. And people runnign their mouths in the movie theater as though it were their living room making me freaking gonzo. So we went to a movie matinee while many other people were at brunch today.

Nancy said...

Christie wrote: What have I learned to love from my kids? Boy stuff. Action movies, Legos, and air soft guns.

I've loved this stuff my whole life, but my mom had definite ideas about which toys and books were appropriate for girls and which were not. I had Nancy Drew but was denied Hardy Boys. She really disliked my interest in comic books and made no bones about it but did not forbid them, maybe because my dad liked them.

So I especially enjoyed buying castles and knights and siege engines and the Batmobile and laser pistols and light sabers for the boy.

One thing I learned was the importance of respecting what your child likes, whether or not you can actually love it. We've always told the boy we may not love what he loves, and vice-versa, but that's okay. That doesn't mean what he likes is bad.

I watched super-hero videos and anime TV shows with him, and the dh helped him play video games by reading the screens for him when he was too young to manage it. We drove him to card gaming meets and went out to dinner while he played.

The boy and I played MarioKart on the N64, and he tried to teach me PS2, but my brain would not compute with all those buttons on the controller. And the dh and I've listened to endless blow-by-blow descriptions of gaming bouts we had no hope of understanding because what was important was that they excited the boy.

We've made lots of mistakes, I know, but I hope we've done okay in that part of parenting.

This is the last Mother's Day he'll be home for, the last one when we can just decide to all stroll out to a movie together in honor of the day. It's hard to believe. Our fledgling is gearing up to fly.

Nancy said...

Suz, I would agree--Thor is definitely not hard on the eyes! He looks like he stepped right out of the comic.

Anna Campbell said...

Barb, the chook!!!!

Jeanne, lovely post. And as you know, I love your kids to death (although I'm not quite sure I want to learn about baseball so perhaps I don't love them QUITE as much as you do, LOL!).

Happy Mother's Day!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Suz said: And THOR isn't too bad on the eyes, either!

COOL! can't wait to see it!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Suz said: Love. They fill my heart and soul more and more each day. Who knew a person's heart could expand so much?

Awww. What a lovely thing to say, Suz. And I so was NOT going to say anything about one's heart growing three sizes on a given day.

Not me.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Nancy! Another who got THOR for Mother's Day! Grins.

I like the way ya'll have raised your kids. They know how to treat their mama's right. Grins.

You said: I learned a great deal about the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers because of the boy, who is much more into manga than sports. I also learned who Inuyasha was and where to find the anime track at DragonCon

Oh, now that's something!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy said: This is the last Mother's Day he'll be home for, the last one when we can just decide to all stroll out to a movie together in honor of the day. It's hard to believe. Our fledgling is gearing up to fly.

Next year will be different, won't it? But you've taught him well, and all those bouts of PSP and card cons and so on have suited him.

I've had the privledge of meeting Nancy's "Boy" and he's a confident, smart, genuinely nice young man. I'd say you've done a damn fine job, Nancy. (And your DH too, of course!)

As to mistakes, I've frequently told my DH that we're going to send them to therapy for something - it's inevitable - so we might as well do it really well and give them something to tell the therapist. SNORK!!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Anna said: Jeanne, lovely post. And as you know, I love your kids to death

Thank you, Anna! They love your right back!

The youngest is constantly reading the Aus animal book you brought him when you were here last year. He's quite fond of crocodiles....

Sigh, he IS my child, after all.

Anna Campbell said...

Jeanne, knowing he is YOUR son means I picked creepy crawlies and scary critters when it came to pimping the Aussie fauna. You probably noticed that! So glad the book is a hit!

Nancy said...

Jeanne wrote to Suz: And I so was NOT going to say anything about one's heart growing three sizes on a given day.

But that's the way love is, not just in parents for children but among friends. There's always more when you need it.

Nancy said...

Jeanne, thank you for the kind words about the boy. You know I adore your guys, too. I don't see how you keep up with all the sports just for one. When the boy was in soccer, karate, and children's theater, we felt like we were going all the time.

As for therapy, I've heard it said that one of the things parents are best at is making different mistakes from the ones their own parents made. *sigh*

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy said:But that's the way love is, not just in parents for children but among friends. There's always more when you need it

So true, Nancy! And a lovely thing to remember when one is feeling blue.

LilMissMolly said...

I learned patience. I use to get so frustrated when I had to wait or when things didn't go the way I think they should. Kids taught me that some things you just can't control and you need to wait your turn - sometimes a very long time. :D

Hélène said...

Hi,

This picture of the cats hugging is my work. You can use it. But would you mind adding credits to me and a link to my website?
http://www.helenedouchet.com

Thank you,

Hélène