So you open your social media feed on Mother’s Day and the next day and it’s full of beautiful posts about mother’s and tributes to them; family time; activities; and pictures. Most important of all the pictures.
I have been trying to get a family picture since last October. At Thanksgiving I asked for one, but certain children refused to participate. At remembrance day I again asked and it was more of the same. Christmas was a repeat. And in April when our son moved home, more of the same. I asked for Mother’s Day for a family picture to be taken. In fact the day before I paid for everyone to have their hair done. Yep. No picture. Some family members just refuse or are too busy, doing what I don’t really know.
So on Saturday when my husband asked what was going on on Sunday, well that was a very obvious clue to me that it wasn’t anything for me. When I asked him to take the girls to do their cleaning job on Saturday instead of Sunday so we could do something…the girls didn’t want to and he wasn’t going to go against that.
When I asked various children on Saturday to clean various things and was met with absolute refusal, I knew mother’s Day wasn’t going to be idylic.
So, mother’s Day I woke up and changed my sheets and cleaned my bathroom and asked the kids to do the other 2 bathrooms which I’d asked them to so the day before. One child cleaned one bathroom. 3 children hid in their bedrooms. 1 child proceeded to throw a temper tantrum about how hungry he was and he couldn’t clean the sink and toilet until he ate. His father told him he wasn’t eating until it was clean. Then I come downstairs to him eating and the bathroom untouched and him yelling at the table about he couldn’t do it. So I did it. I sent him upstairs and I dealt with him. I told Jason to stay home with him as he was being a monster and certainly no good would result from taking him to church. I left for church 15 minutes late with 1 child. 1 was still in bed and the others I guess didn’t believe I’d leave them.
Back to Saturday…we are standing in the kitchen and I ask Jason what’s for lunch tomorrow? He says I don’t know. I ask him if that means he wants me to make something to put in the oven during church. He says yes. So I do. Another clue Mother’s Day isn’t going to be idylic.
So at church I’m on coffee cleanup. The one chd who came with me to church doesn’t like work and so stayed away from the kitchen until she felt it was probably time to go. So I did them alone. Not a big deal really. I wasn’t in any mood to have help anyways.
I am the shopper for church and it was brought to my attention that we didn’t have any replacement light bulbs. Then I saw we are still using traditional 100watt bulbs. Like seriously I didn’t know anywhere still used those! We haven’t used those in at least a decade! So, since we are a one car family still I decided I’d better run to Costco. When I tried to call home my daughter insisted on calling. Lunch wasn’t even thought of yet. So, Wendy’s it was.
I arrived home at 3pm to dogs who needed a walk. So I took them for a walk and Jason took the girls to clean. While he was gone I made and ate dinner. And spilled a whole plate for the dogs. Then I went upstairs because 2 of the kids were playing Xbox on the main tv. I watched some tv and went to bed quite early.
I did get a pancake with fruit and a smoothie made by karyssa at 9 am, but I was literally in the middle of cleaning and never had time to eat any. Keilan made me a light up card at homeschool school on Friday. And Jason bought me flowers and a card, which he never actually gave me and just left on the kitchen island. They are still there.
I saw Kieran for a few seconds when I was watering the flowers out front and he was going to the park to play Pokemon. I never did actually see Katarina. And that was my Mother’s Day.
Oh and they ate that meal I made and left all the dishes from it on the stove and counters. So this morning, the morning after Mother’s Day, I am soaking the chicken pan and broccoli pot and rice cooker and loading the dirty plates into the dishwasher, after soaking them too.
So happy Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s whose day was far from idylic and was not what was expected!