Happy Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day is a tough one for me. Even though I am a mom and that role is now central to my identity, I still have such strong and fond memories of my mom, especially on Mother's Day, that I find myself trying still celebrating her on Mother's Day. I know I wouldn't be the mom I am without the mom I had. My fondest memory of Mother's Day growing up was the big brunch that my family hosted every year. It was a big group of extended friends and family, with the favorite brunch menu that they had crafted and perfected over many years. Green chile eggs, sticky cinnamon rolls, cheesy hashbrown potatoes, fruit salad, coffee cake, bacon and sausage cooked at the grill. There was juice for the kids and plenty of champagne for juice for the adults. I can still picture the warm spring days spent honoring the mothers in my life. That's what I've learned over time, especially since my mom died, Mother's Day is about celebrating the moms in your life.
I decided to celebrate Mother's Day this year with brunch, my favorite meal of any day, just one that you only seem to eat on special occasions. Enter one fantastically fantastic day...sleep in, get breakfast for the kiddies, make cinnamon rolls, take a long walk by myself, spend the day on the deck in the sun with my kids, take a nap (possibly induced my the champagne in the morning), cuddle in bed with the two yummiest kids ever. Really?!?! It was that good. Brunch at Todd's with Bridgette and her family, and their parents was delicious, of course. I was SPOILED by Todd and my kids who got me two new necklaces - one that says mom with a stone for each of my kids birth month and one from my favorite jewelry store The Golden Bear.
I couldn't ask for more as a mom - healthy, happy kids who make me smile everyday and having people in my life who make me a better mom everyday.

May Day at the beach

Todd and I enjoying Little Island Beach, Virginia

Tate and Avarie - happy beach babies

The fishing pier

Me and the kids

Avarie and Mommy

Avarie - aka Coppertone Baby

There's a lot to get used to in this new life of mine, but one thing I will happily get used to are the happy surprises...like Thursday evening when I had to gather some things for the kids and I for a quick trip to Virginia Beach! Spring in Virginia is fantastic and I think this has been the most beautiful spring since I've lived here - super warm, amazing flowers, and green green green! It makes you antsy for the pool to open and get into the summer swing. Well, the calendar still says May so we have a few weeks until we can enjoy the pool, but (yay!) we only live about an hour and a half from the beach. I missed the spring break trip to the beach with Bridgette and her family and Todd and his kids, and hadn't ever been to Virginia Beach. Todd surprised the kids and I with a quick trip to the beach to enjoy a little summer preview. We drove down Friday afternoon and stayed right at the center of Virginia Beach. We walked down the beach and watched the kids play on the playground by Neptune's statue, then enjoyed a FANTASTIC dinner at Catch 31, one of Gavin and Bridgette's favorite VA Beach spots. Great atmosphere - eating on the patio, a pound of steamed shrimp, and gazing out on the water. After dinner we headed to get some ice cream, but poor Avarie took her first big spill and tore her little knee open so we had to head back to the hotel instead. Saturday morning we drove about 20 miles south to what Todd called "the locals' beach" and enjoyed the OBX feel of Sandbridge and Little Island. It was BEAUTIFUL! We relaxed in the sun and played in the water with the kids. The water was a bit cold for swimming, but the kids splashed and played and giggled all day. We packed up in the late afternoon and headed home, with a quick stop at the outlets for new Crocs and dinner at Outback.
And now we've created a monster...because I know the beach is that great and that close...hmmmmmmm, what are we doing next weekend?!?!?