Mother's @ MindSay 
day
The "first" sunflower in my garden is dedicated to all the mothers out there.
Happy Mother's Day!
Children and spouses have been doing it for many decades. Sending the flowers, calling long distance (the biggest day for phone calls of the year) and booking over-priced brunches to celebrate mom or spouse for all she does. And yet, somehow it always rings a bit hollow, like we're pre-programmed to do one or all three things on cue. We're like Pavlovian dogs hearing the "incoming message" bell to prod our actions. In an over-stressed, over-scheduled world, Mother's Day has become a "to-do list" holiday. We order the flowers, pick up mom, eat, thank, kiss, drive home, and check it off the list.
But it doesn't have to be that way. I'm lucky enough to share my house and kids with a woman who speaks her mind. She's never content with the status quo. She lets me know that a $9.99 bouquet of Roses from the Safeway doesn't actually say much more than, "Yes, I was at the grocery store and thought of you while in the produce section." It's not that she's ungrateful for little thoughts like that; she doesn't even treat mom's day that seriously, but like most women, she knows when she's being put on.
So, like many modern families, we spend more prep time for Hallmark holidays thinking about what the honoree really would enjoy rather than what we are told we should do. In some cases, this is a brunch in a fancy hotel at the top of California Street where we can fritter away our children's education fund in an over-eating frenzy accompanied to the sound of a harp. My mom likes that, but she doesn't get to San Francisco that often.
For my wife though, who loves the outdoors, almost anything we can do that involves hills, muddy shoes, and the complaints of small children asking "how much further?" is fine for her. No extra expense, no flowers, just a bit of dedicated time sharing the outdoors with the family. We'll head to Crissy Field and fly kites, or into the Marin Headlands to walk along the cliffs, or into Golden Gate Park to walk the Labyrinth. There are hundreds of places to go that will entertain the kids while satisfying her need to get some time outdoors.
We're not afraid to break out of the conventions of the traditional Mother's Day. On the plus side, that means that not getting a reservation doesn't mean I don't treasure her as a mom or partner. Not buying flowers doesn't mean I forgot the simplest of symbols. I can literally wait until right up to Mother's Day morning when we are setting the tray of burnt toast and orange juice in front of her in bed to give her what she wants most, a little time with the family doing something she particularly loves.
My advice on Mom's day: forget the card and the lines at restaurants. Do everything from scratch this year. Have the kids make their own cards and make breakfast at home, followed by something mom likes to do, whether it's a museum, flower show, ball game, or afternoon at home in front of an old movie.
And that goes for Dad's day as well. But remember, mom, if you're thinking of golf, you need to know one thing: Mother's Day is the best day in the year to get any tee time you want, but just try to schedule a golf outing on Father's Day.
A Mother's Day gift basket, though conventional, is still a popular gift option. While you can easily make one up by putting together some goodies such as perfumes, candies and flowers, you may find it easier to order one from an online store.
Here are five good places to order a Mother's Day gift basket:
Amazon.com: Search for "Mother's Day Gift Baskets" and you'll get a range of choice products - from the classic Renewal Spa Lavender Bath and Body Gift Basket Set to the Beautiful Flower Bouquet Chocolate Gift Tote Gift Basket.
Flowerswhisper.com: Say it with flowers - after all, no woman can really resist them. Mom will not only get the message - that she is loved and appreciated - loud and clear, she will remember the gesture long after. Visit Flowerswhisper.com and select one of their special flower gift baskets for Mother's Day.
Gourmetgiftbaskets.com: Mother's Day is the one day mom deserves to be pampered. Gift her the lavish Breakfast in Bed basket from gourmetgiftbaskets.com.
Lowcarbchocolates.com: You know women. While they love to indulge the sweet tooth, they are always concerned about their expanding waistlines. The chocolate gift basket from Lowcarbchocolates.com will allow her to celebrate Mother's Day without the fear of putting on a couple of extra pounds.
Giftbasketscity.com: You know what your wife would like to receive for Mother's day - or at least you think you do. Help the kids select an appropriate gift basket from Giftbasketscity.com. Their collection includes baskets with chocolates and candies, spa products, candles, and keepsakes.
In the United States, Mother's Day celebration is on the second Sunday of May each year. This year it's May 11- so you better red letter that date into your planner.
Moms have been celebrated throughout time of course, and in recorded events in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. The origins of a specific Mother's Day go all the way back to the 16th century and the practice of visiting one's "mother church" once a year.
On that day, dark ages moms would be reunited with their children at church. In the United States, a mother and social activist, Julia Ward Howe worked to create a Mother's Day for Peace day during the Civil War in an attempt to organize mothers against war.
It was not until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. In some parts of the country, it is traditional to wait until Mothers Day to plant tomatoes.
Since then, Mother's Day has gone on to become the most popular day of the year to dine out in a restaurant and to make long distance phone calls and May is the biggest month for florists. Mother's Day is celebrated around the world, though the actual date changes depending on the country.
Mothers Day reminds dads that parenthood cannot be taken for granted and that life gives us an opportunity to celebrate it everyday and make it extraordinary.
Mother's Day is just around the corner. Here are five good places to order a Mother's Day gift basket.
I had an okay mother's day. We didn't do anything real special. Randy let me sleep in till 8:30 mainly because his cat didn't wake him up till 8. We both are still tired from our week and half trips. Randy's for work and mine out to Cali.
I bitched about the dishes so Randy came in and helped me with them. I scrapped the majority of them and he loaded the dishwasher. And we still had too many to still wash-did I mention even a few days home after our trips we were still really tired-so I washed the rest of the dishes by hand and Randy dried and put away.
Then Randy hopped in the work truck went to work to unload and reload (he is gone as of today for another week and half to two weeks), I made 24 deviled eggs, a taco salad, and a strawberry trifle to take to the family bbq. The kids were actually really good and knew not to irritate the ass sore tired mommy:D
We went down to my mom's. All of us kids and grandkids, minus my brother's boy were there. The kids climbed one of Papo's trees, Randy and my brother took over the couch and one of the lazy boy's and promptly fell asleep, my brother in law took pictures of my sister and I decimating my mom's rhubarb patch, and then my sister and brother in law headed to the city to get some things for her remodle of her bathroom. Dad and Mom stayed outside with the kids while I went inside and grabbed a pillow from the couch and laid down on the floor and took a nap along with my brother and hubby.
I didn't get any presents on Mother's Day because I got the digital camara and great dane puppy as a combo ani, bday, and mother's day present.
Over this weekend I did buy a new tent. And threatened Randy if he didn't get off his ass after the next work project (not the one he is on now) to go get my shit out of storage in OK that I would start going out and buyin all new things! Camping gear isn't a big deal to him you always need to replace things once in a while but he sure as hell doesn't want me going out and buying a new dinning room set, hutch, bikes, and old china to replace my grandmother's!
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