Friday Tapas: The Mother’s Day Edition

If you’ve been following along this week, then you know Lil’ Bit and I have been having a rough go of it lately.

And then things got better.

And then they got worse.

But then they got better again and all was right with the world.

At least until the next tantrum.

And so it goes. Parenthood, I’ve concluded, is one long 18-year roller coaster ride – at the end of which you are fully entitled to yell, “STOP! I WANT OFF THIS THING!” swiftly kick your baby birds out of the nest, and disappear on a months-long trip around the world, during which you are in no way obligated to call, write, or otherwise communicate with your offspring.

Not that my parents ever did this. But they should have. God knows they earned it.

Of course, parenthood isn’t always complete chaos. Sometimes it’s actually even sweet. And so, in honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, I’m dedicating today’s tapas to a few of my favorite mommy moments throughout the week.

Won’t you grab a juice box and join me?

• From out of the mouths of babes: Last Sunday, I donned a chic dress, applied a full face of makeup, and generally felt as hip and sexy as I have in well over two years – all to attend the fabulous Listen to Your Mother in Washington, D.C. Just before I left, Lil’ Bit looked me up and down and declared, “Mommy so pwetty!” The following morning, however, back in my regular work clothes, wearing the bare minimum of makeup, and feeling rather frazzled, she again observed me and stated rather bluntly, “Mommy not pwetty anymore.” And sadly, I understood exactly what she meant.

• The first time your child picks a noxious weed and hands it to you, saying, “Here Mommy, a flowuh,” is such a sweet parental rite of passage.

• It stands to reason that the moment I finally learn how to properly discipline angry tantrums, Lil’ Bit should throw me a curve ball – namely, hitting as a form of play. Which is even more maddening than the angry tantrums! One such “playful” incident occurred this week when, while strapping her into the car seat for our afternoon commute, she suddenly reached up, slapped my face, and laughed. Being that we were already in the car, I couldn’t very well put her in timeout. So, I instead scolded her with a firm, “No hit!” and calmly walked away, taking Lambie with me. Then I cranked up Gotye to drown out her defiant wails during the 15-minute trek home. And when Hubs walked in the door soon afterward, I handed her over to him, saying, “Here. Go give YOUR daughter her bath while I make dinner and drink wine.”

But soon a rousing rendition of  ”Bah, Bah Black Sheep” (Bah, bah black sheep, hinny-hinny wool!) won me over, and so I paid a visit to the bathroom extending a sanctioned Lambie as a peace offering. “Lambie!” she cried happily, before saying to me, very seriously, “I sohwee, Mommy. I do my best job.”

Seriously. How can I stay mad at that? And since then, “I do my best job” has served as our mantra for all discipline-related incidents.

Don’t be fooled by that playful smile.

• Looking for a way to entertain your toddler for hours? Just hand them a box of clothes you’ve set aside for Goodwill and let their imagination run wild. Who needs princess and pirate costumes for dress-up when you’ve got Mommy’s old nursing bra, gym clothes, and underwear?

• Earlier this week, I asked Lil’ Bit, “Do you know what this weekend is?” Giggling, she shook her head no. “It’s Mommy’s Day,” I whispered conspiratorially. To which she announced, “It’s my day!” OK then. I decided to try again. “No,” I said patiently, “It’s Mommy’s Day.” Again, she shook her head. “It’s my day,” she insisted. “No, Mommy’s Day,” I replied, to which she shot back, “MY day!” And then she started to get pissed and I decided not to press the issue.

I’m not sure how well this bodes for my third official Mother’s Day.

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This week I also asked my readers to share some of their favorite mommy moments. Below is a compilation of What They Said. If you find yourself nodding along with one in particular, please take a moment to visit her blog - it’s a great way to meet new bloggers! And if you’d like to be featured in future posts like this one, join the conversation on my Facebook page!

• My favorite mommy moment was after I came back from a much-needed vacation. I think the separation really did us some good. At the end of my first day back, my daughter said, “I had so much fun playing with you today, Mommy!” That sure beats feeling taken for granted and living in Daddy’s shadow. ~Ilana of Mommy Shorts

• I love the Oh-there-you-are! hug when you pick the little one up and he hugs/squeezes you with all his might. ~Jennifer of Treading Water in the Kiddie Pool 

• My favorite mommy moment was the first time my oldest (then 7) asked me if she could heat me up a cup of coffee… which she did and then brought it to me and told me to read a magazine for 15 minutes while she took the younger kids outside. ~Tracy of Sellabit Mum

• When my daughter snuggles up to me during a midnight feeding. ~Nain of View from Down Here

• My favourite mommy moments have always been the first time my kids said, “I love you, Mommy.” The best feeling EVER! And I must admit made me tear up with both kids. ~Stephanie of Where Are My Supermom Boots?

• There are lots of favorites but the one that made my heart melt in the driver’s seat of my car was on the drive home from running a 5K with Ash last May while I had pneumonia. I actually wrote a whole post about it. Here is a quote from it: “Out of the blue, Ash stopped belting out whatever song was on the radio and from the backseat told me she couldn’t have done it with out me.” I’ve included the link for the actual post. I wrote it about five days after starting my blog. ~Kristen of The Preppy Girl in Pink

• I may be in the minority, but I love when my 6YO climbs into bed with me at night, sleepy and warm, clutching her blankie. ~Jessica of Jessee’s Spot

• I’ve only had a year to be a mom, but so far my favorite moment(s) are the snuggles. Oh, the snuggles up in your shoulder/chin area and having them just breathe on you and fall asleep. ~Brianne of Don’t Forget the Small Stuff

Brianne and her daughter on their first Mother’s Day together

We could keep going, but that photo really says it all, no? So, here’s to a fabulous Mother’s Day. And may our little despots grant us all a good night’s sleep, a restful morning, and tantrum-free behavior – if only for one day.

Cheers!

Do you have a favorite mommy moment? How about special plans for Mother’s Day?