My Kids Made Me Cry

Mother's Day was yesterday and my kids made me cry. Good tears. Surprised tears. "I can't believe you did that" tears. It was an epic Mother's Day and one I will never forget.

It began on Friday when Curt and Vanessa dropped in at lunch time with the first surprise of the weekend.

A beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers! What a thoughtful thing to do! We sat and chatted for about a half hour before they had to go home to meet the kids' school bus as it dropped off students. Thanks, Curt and Vanessa! And Happy Mother's Day, Vanessa!

Saturday evening Craig and I dropped by Dog N Suds for tenderloin sandwiches. It's a fun place to go and we like to sit in our car, drink root beer, and chat. (It's kind of "our place," if you know what I mean.)

For Mother's Day itself, I spoke to all my kids on the phone (thanks, kids!) and then Craig and Lisa cooked me my favorite meal - porcupine meatballs, mashed potatoes, cut up fresh veggies and fruit, and Hershey Pie. (Really. There is nothing I'd rather have for a special dinner.) Thank you!

I didn't think my Mother's Day could get any better. And then my kids made me cry.

"I see you used the Purdue wrapping paper," I observed when Lisa set out some gifts. (Black paper with gold spots - Purdue's colors.)

"Well, Mom, that paper is a hint as to what is inside," she replied. "And the ribbon colors are, too."

What could they be giving me that was connected to Purdue? And what gift would be such that they all went in on it together? 

And then when she pulled out her phone and began videotaping, I REALLY began wondering as to what my children had done.

It was when I pulled the wrapping paper off the first box that I knew. I recognized the shape of the box, it was from eBay, and the tears started.

Inside was my most favorite Christmas ornament ever. One from my childhood. I cannot remember a Christmas without it. (I had stored mine in a similar eBay box which is why I recognized it.)

The "pink ornament," as it is known. Very, very fragile and very easily broken. Had my children done what I now suspected they had?

They had! The next box held the silver one! I hadn't seen that one in at least fifty years. (Like I said, they are fragile.)

Just as I remembered it, and now I had it for my own Christmas tree.

And then a BIG surprise. Wait, a green one? "You found a green one??" I asked.

Lisa was just as surprised as me. Apparently it had been advertised as blue but look around the stem and there is no doubt; that is a green ornament.

My childhood set was pink, blue, silver, and gold. I don't remember a green one. (Which actually I was excited to have.) Perhaps ours had gotten broken before I was old enough to really remember it?

When I opened the last one, a silver ornament, Lisa was confused. She said it had been listed on eBay as white.

It does look white. But our family silver one survived a long time and I remember it well; this is actually the silver ornament.

So then we looked at the first silver I'd opened. Turns out it had been listed as blue. But as we examine it more closely, we could see hints of green around its stem. This was also a green ornament and not the blue or silver! (The color on these oldies fades if the sun shines on them while they are hanging on the tree. It can be difficult to see their true color as a result.)

I reassured Lisa and my kids that I was extremely happy to have the colors they'd gotten me and to not worry about the missing blue one. (Those tears that I couldn't stop were proof!) Thanks, kids!!

It took me a while to recover from the emotional experience that that unwrapping had been. And there was still one more gift, one from Craig. We are going to Menards to get some mulch, flowers, and potting soil and he is going to help me spruce up my stepping stone garden. Much needs to be done and it is something I physically still can't do (those lifting restrictions from February's surgery are in place until August.) Thanks, Craig!

The day was wrapped up by some more phone calls from my children and playing a rousing game of Bank with Lisa, Craig, and Kyle who FaceTimed in for it. 

I am blessed. Thanks, everyone. I love you.