Smothers Day

Yesterday was a delightful day! About 7:15 three youngsters came bouncing down the steps...well...one of them came bouncing in from the living room where his bed still resides...and I was informed by the eldest that I MUST stay in bed.

Too bad for me.

While that may be a serious punishment for a child, it certainly didn't break my heart.

I lay there reading a magazine while listening to the giggles from the kitchen. Before too long in they paraded, each child carrying a bag of M&M's and Jason following along behind with a beautiful orchid.

"Happy Smother Day!!!", they announced! They were right. It was a rather smothering day. :)

After the appropriate amount of gushing, Addie remembered that she had a gift for me, only from her. She proceeded to the other side of our bed where she had 'hidden' it from me. Never mind the fact that it was on my side of the bed and it had been sitting there for several days. :) I didn't peek in it, not even once.

I wanted to be surprised when the time came to open it, and I truly was.

Every year at her school they have an auction. Parents and students donate items (kind of like a garage sale) and the students bid on the item of their choice, all of which are paid for with fake money that they earn through-out the school year. She had told me that she really wanted something badly, but she wasn't going to tell me what it was until she brought it home.

It ended up being a doll. She had thought she would keep it for herself until she realized that Mother's Day was coming up....then she decided that I would LOVE it and she gave it to me instead.

I did love it. Not necessarily the doll itself, though it is cute, but I LOVED the fact that she took an item that was highly treasured, an item that she had been looking forward to having for herself for several days, and gave it away.

I finally lumbered out of bed (yes, lumbered is the correct word nowadays) and we hustled around getting ready for church.

After a wonderful sermon, we headed back to the van where the menu was discussed for lunch. I was informed that when we arrived home I was to grab a bag of M&M's, a blanket, and a book and head to the recliner while Jason and the children fixed our meal.

I didn't argue, though I did dis-obey the orders just a tad. I was told that I couldn't go into the kitchen, but I HAD to snap a picture of the chefs.

Lunch consisted of hot dogs (Will was confident that they were my favorite...apparently he hasn't caught on to the fact that we only eat them about 3 times a year...when we camp), salad, and chips. Dessert was to be frozen fruit and chocolate texas sheet cake, but til that time rolled around we were entirely too stuffed for dessert.

After lunch I was told firmly that I HAD to go take a nap. Once again, I was devastated, but I obeyed my children and bedded down in the recliner once again.

While I slept, Addie and Will washed all the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. Wow.

I woke up right as I heard them say, "There, all done. I bet Mommy will be impressed."

And I was. Nothing quite like being ordered to take a nap and then waking to find the kitchen completely cleaned up.

We headed outside where the children rode bikes,

Swung,

and jumped on the farmer style trampoline. A tractor tire inner tube.

They love that thing. Will ended up with a slightly sore foot from twisting it when he landed wrong after an awesome stunt, but other wise it appeared to be fairly safe.

We all headed to the pasture on the four wheeler to 'help' Daddy move the sheep....and were pleasantly surprised to be able to meet the first lambs of the season! An adorable set of triplets.

This morning when Jason went back out to check on them, two more ewes had lambed during the night..one set of twins and a single (though she didn't appear to be quite done, so we'll see how many she ends up with).

I'll have to say, lambing season has to be the best part of living on a small farm. I love to see the new life. The wobbly little legs. The instinct to nurse. The bouncing around just a day or less after being born. The mommy sheeps constant baa's to keep the lambs close by. The lambs' answering bleats. If you've never been around a new mama and her lambs, I encourage you to find a farm with sheep around lambing time.

Anyway. That's a little off topic. Except not really, since that ewe became a mom on mother's day. :) Along with the cow that had a calf yesterday morning. :)

We got back to the house about 7:30 and finally ate our fruit and cake...along with popcorn. The children were sent off to bed about 9:00 and Jason and I sat down to a feast of grilled lamb spareribs. :) Isn't that what all parents do? Eat after their children are sleeping soundly?! It really wasn't planned that way. Really. We had planned to grill and eat as soon as we were back from the pasture, but the new lambs kind of detained us so we ran out of time.

It was delicious, by the way.

Then off we went to bed. Only to be awakened at 2:00 by Jack needing to go to the bathroom, and then again about 4:00 by the barking dogs, and about 6:00 by the alarm clock.

And thus begins another day. Addie is off to school, Will is sitting at the table attempting to get his attitude in check so we can do "school", Jack is playing, and Jason is in the field....hopefully on the last day of planting!!!

And me? I'm struggling to get my self back in gear after a very, very lazy day. I don't think that M&M's and a book should likely be on the agenda as part of my daily routine.