A taste of Christmas

The build up to Mother’s Day lasted a good few weeks in our house. Amy’s school had a morning planned for the special moms, and the children had been learning new songs to share with us too. They had also been hard at work on crafts to spoil us with, but it was all still hush-hush and definitely on a need to know basis…and apparently I didn’t need to know.

If there’s two things that Amy loves in this world it’s singing and crafting (and reading books and eating ice-cream of course), so you can imagine she was in her element. But what amazed me was that she was thriving on the surprise element involved, and she was just so good at keeping the secret too. She would find herself singing the new Mother’s Day songs she was learning at school and she would just suddenly clam up mid-chorus when she realised. I would tease her about the artwork she was busy making for me by analysing the paint on her fingers at the end of her school day, and saying yes, I see it’s green and pink. This would always be followed by squeals of ‘no, no, no Mom, it’s a surprise!’

While I did revel in her excitement and in being the centre of attention for all this planning, secretly I also found myself becoming impatient too. I found myself remembering the wait for Christmas presents when I was small, and understanding again what it’s like to be a child so excited for something with counting down the sleeps and being reprimanded for nagging her for clues.

She had also made me a Mother’s Day present at her art class that week. It came home hidden in a decorated brown paper bag and I was made to close my eyes as she hid it in her cupboard. Every morning she made sure to remind me to not look in her cupboard, and I must admit that I found it hard not to go and peek the moment she left the house for school in the morning.

The week of Mother’s Day her excitement reached fever pitch, she could hardly go to sleep the night before the Mother’s Day morning and so I was hardly surprised when she crept into my bed at 2am and smiled at me as she said, ‘Happy Mother’s Day.’ I couldn’t help but to smile at her in the darkness, really understanding just how much it meant to her too. A whispered ‘I love you Mom’ before she drifted off to sleep again, cuddled up next to me and holding my hand.

The morning finally dawned and the girls left for our special morning together. Waiting in her locker was a beautiful Mother’s Day card and a handpainted heart with a picture of the two of us on it. The songs were wonderful, with Amy keeping her eyes on me for every one and blowing kisses at every chance she could. We then had a bit of time to enjoy some fun time, she chose crafting so we moulded pretty play-doh cupcakes, painted bright flowers, and decorated hearts together. It was such a special morning, and we were both sad when the time came for me to leave.

The excitement continued after school, however, as she deemed it the right time for me to open my art class gift. Wrapped in the decorated brown paper bag was a handmade card with a teabag saying I was tea-rrific and another drawing that said I love you. There was also a material bag covered in her handprints and stamped hearts. Definitely a gift and card that I will treasure forever!

Sunday rolled around and I was given another awesome handmade card that hubby had helped the kids to craft. I was also treated to breakfast and crumpets in bed, along with my favourite chocolate of course. All in all, it was worth the wait to enjoy my Mother’s Day surprises and I had a happy day feeling very loved and very spoiled.