Mother's Day

Yeah, I know...it's been over a MONTH since my last post! It's been a very busy month with plenty of ups and downs and here it is already Mother's Day.

Between baby showers, retirement parties, the death of one of Michael's uncles, the death of an uncle of my own, and trying to wind down to the end of the school year, I have tried to keep my sanity and my wits about me.

Now it's Mother's Day. I can't reach my mom. She had to work today. I've left messages on both of her phones and drew a picture for her on her Bebo whiteboard but haven't talked to her.

We don't really talk on the phone all that often, anyway, but I'm still a bit disappointed.

The weather is gorgeous today. Low 50's right now at 7PM. That's summer weather in these parts. haha We went for a drive, got pictures of a blue jay, and came home to find a gift on the couch (nope...we don't lock our doors when we leave the house; I don't remember the last time I used a key to get in).

It's a set of candles in martini glasses. It's a Mother's Day gift. From my in-laws. They both wrote very nice messages to me thanking me for being a 2nd mom to my girls. I got a phone call from Lindsey. She said, "Hi, Auntie. I just wanted to wish you a Happy Mother's Day. You're my 2nd mom, remember?"

Like I could forget.

I've dedicated much of my life to taking care of them. I help them with homework, lecture them about breaking curfew, talk to them about boys, attend every single activity they participate in, and have even been known to hand out a punishment or two.

I let them talk and when it's my turn, they listen. I am still amazed at how well, even after all these years.

I slipped up one time a few months ago. Lindsey was wearing make-up for the first time and I said to Michael, "Look at your daughter!" Nobody even caught the mistake. When I realized what I had said, Space Cadet said, "It's okay. You ARE their 2nd set of parents."

If I never bear a child of my own, it will be okay. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to. I'm actually glad I was free to be there for my nieces as much as I have been. To be able to give them my full attention and all of my love and the best guidance I knew how. I would never take full credit for raising them but it's nice to know that others, even the girls themselves, give me partial credit for the wonderful young ladies they are growing up to be.

Happy Mother's Day to the rest of you. Including you, Jay, another wonderful 2nd mother. :o)