Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String...

I enjoy all the loving attention and whispered surprises that Mother's Day brings, but truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of breakfast in bed. The kids have managed to pull this off in years past, and it's made for some lovely memories, but there's something about dazedly sitting there amongst the rumpled sheets with eggs and crumbs and gently sloshing coffee, trying to prop myself up comfortably and ignoring the fact that I really need to pee.

But this year? This year those kids really hit the nail on the head. They went shopping with my husband and chose several presents for me, including a 6-pack of Snickers bars. When I woke up yesterday, they helped me get all comfortably lounge-y on the futon, and presented me with my very special Mother's Day breakfast: a cup of fresh, hot coffee and A SNICKERS BAR! And then, of course, I offered each of them one, too, much to their amazed & giggling delight.

We sat around all cozied up together, with our bedheads and puffy eyes, chewing away on our delicious candy bars and sharing sneaky grins. I had a little lump in my throat (not Snickers), and felt all warm and bubbly inside (not just caffeine and sugar). The love & happiness in the room was a present every bit as tangible as a gift bag. Those kids, they really know how to warm the cockles of this mom's heart.

Here are the rest of my Mother's Day gifts: a dozen roses, a gossipy magazine, a balloon (which Junior loved a little too firmly...), and a lunch of delicious homemade fajitas (made without me lifting one finger!)

And then, the piece de resistance: just as I was heading down the hall with Junior to change a messy diaper, my husband shouted out, "No, just sit back down -- I'll change him!"

It just doesn't get much better than this, folks.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone.