Sunday turned out to be a delightful, slightly untraditional Mother’s Day, the kind that some moms might not get—but I did. The whole weekend felt like an extended celebration: Saturday we visited the farmer’s market and attended the Bon Air parade and festival with Clara and John (Burger skipped the parade because he’s afraid of firetrucks and loud noises). On Sunday morning I woke to Clara holding a handmade card—she’d scribbled all over it with crayons, which was irresistibly cute—along with sweet cards from John and Burger. John also gave me a printout titled “The Tale Of Sherry’s First Mother’s Day” explaining how he hunted for a pair of gold Calypso-for-Target dangly earrings I’d been admiring but couldn’t find. He even checked my Pinterest boards and discovered another pair of earrings I loved, ordered those for me, and included a photo in the printout since the real pair hadn’t arrived yet. I love them—they remind me of lemons and bring back memories of our wedding day. It was thoughtful that John used Pinterest to figure out something I truly wanted.
In addition to the earrings, John surprised me with a Mother’s Day massage—continuing a tradition he started last year when I was heavily pregnant and in need of prenatal relief. He let me schedule the appointment for later so I could spend the whole day with Clara, which was perfect. After the gift exchange we headed to Einstein Bagels, one of my favorite breakfast spots. I had an asparagus and mushroom flatbread sandwich (I even used a coupon), which was delicious, while John and Clara shared a muffin and a coffee cake. Back home, Clara napped and John intended to work on finishing the patio while I relaxed with some reality TV—Pregnant in Heels—on Karl the Sectional.
About two hours into patio work it became clear John needed more time to make progress, so I decided the best way to spend the day was to play with Clara while he kept working. We built with blocks, did puzzles, colored with crayons, had lunch, and even practiced assisted walking so John wouldn’t miss any real first steps. We brought him granola bars for energy and spent time outside on the new patio while he worked nearby. Burger loved being outside with us too; it was sweet to see both of “the kids” enjoying the space even before it was finished.
Watching John work and seeing the patio take shape felt like a special Mother’s Day gift. After about eight hours of hard work, the edge pavers were cut and the main work was done—he only needed to add sand between the cracks, which he planned to finish the following day. We squeezed in a simple family dinner of Five Guys burgers and then put Clara to bed before settling in on the sofa for a little downtime. John used the evening to write a post for Monday while we watched an overly long episode of The Apprentice. It was a full day—part pampering, part family time, part DIY—but it was the best Mother’s Day.
