Mama's Day 2011

Ever since Benjamin and Calliope came along, most holidays have lost their sheen. Christmas? It's for the little ones now. Birthdays? Bah! Valentine's Day? Too much trouble. But Mother's Day? Well, Mother's Day is what it's all about. It's the one day I get to bask in all the glory that being a housewife, homemaker, and full-time mommy gives me. Yes, I realize that sounded delusional. Sleep deprivation will do that to you.

I kicked off Mother's Day 2011 with a Mother's Day tea at Benjamin's preschool. Ben Ben and I sat with friends Nolan and Julie, and we dined on cucumber sandwiches, tiny cakes, and yes, tea. I was surprised to see that the tea was being served in actual teacups. I was even more surprised to see how delicately Benjamin handled that porcelain teacup.

He wasn't quite as delicate when it came to stuffing his face with madeleines and brownies, though.

As a touching surprise, each student had drawn a portrait of his or her own mommy. Benjamin's rendering of me brought to me tears. I loved how he had carefully layered orange and yellow watercolors to create a sunny background for my portrait. I loved that he had drawn eyes, a nose, a mouth, and limbs and had placed them all in the right places. I loved that he (probably subconsciously) obeyed the rule of thirds when it came to the composition of his masterpiece. And I especially loved that he made me look so damn skinny. Thank you, Benjamin. You really know how to make Mommy happy!

That evening, I went to an intimate baby shower dinner for my friend Brooke, who is due with her second baby in just a month. I didn't get a chance to snap any pics at dinner, so this image of the card I made for Brooke will have to do:

Yes, that's Brooke's face on Demi's body, but if you ask me, Brooke's preggo figure is much more fetching than Demi's was. Just ask the peeps in the cardio classes she continued to take into her eighth month of pregnancy. Yes, her EIGHTH month! I think the only exercise I was doing when I was that far along was attempting to have a bowel movement once a day.

We had plans to visit friends in San Diego on Mother's Day itself, so the day before, the kids and hubby treated me to breakfast at Nichols. After that, we strolled around Century City Mall. As an early Mother's Day gift, the kids behaved themselves during the car ride there.

I awoke the next morning to the words no woman wants to hear from her baby daddy on Mother's Day: "I'm sick. I can't do anything today." Noooo! That meant that not only would we not get to see my friends in San Diego as planned, but I wouldn't get a free pass out of mommy duty for the day, either. Isn't it ironic that what almost every mother wants on Mother's Day is to forget that she's a mom? Well, head cold nothwithstanding, everyone still made me feel special. Benjamin and Calliope presented me with gift cards to Amazon and iTunes.

And later, we went to Third Street where Vince bought Calliope and I matching Toms shoes and treated us to dim sum at an Asian fusion place. Actually, what I should call it is "dim sum-thing-else," because I don't recall ever being offered a complimentary bottomless Mother's Day mimosa at any dim sum place I've been to. So though Vince's inconvenient cold may have stuck me with mommy duty on what was supposed to be my day of relaxation, I did find a way to relax.

Three ways, rather.

Oh, come on, Calliope, don't look so horrified. Sometimes, mommies need their special mommy juice. One day you'll understand.

So although our original plans got scrapped, I still had a wonderful day filled with the things I cherish most: presents, shoes, and booze. No, no, just kidding! What I cherish most are Vince, Benjamin and Calliope. And as far as the presents are concerned, though the gift cards and mimosas were nice, the one that I will treasure the most is the most humble one of all: my sweet little boy's portrait of me.

Is it just me, or do I see a touch of the artist himself in this rendering?

I hope all my mama friends out there had a wonderful day, too. Happy Mother's Day to you all!