Mother's Day Weekend

With the sun has come a lighter mood in our house - A seems less irritable, J has jumped into skateboarding again so he's spending most of his time outside, M has been immersed in practicing for her dance recital (accompanied by imaginary friends), D has been more willing to take time and just relax, and me, I've been grading and drafting final exams. In preparation for the new season, we bought bathing suits, swimming goggles, and beach towels. We'll barbecue tomorrow for lunch, entertaining company (the husband will BBQ and make salad, I will stick some potatoes in the oven) and watching the dogs chase each other around the house and yard. Simple, uncomplicated living.

I spent yesterday morning with M at her preschool for Mother's Day - the school set up stations under rainbow umbrellas where the kids could paint Mom's nails, curl her hair, decorate her hair with flower clips, and put makeup on her. We painted t-shirts together and made a necklace out of beads. The day was topped off with hot dogs and fruit in the elementary school cafeteria. Moms (and grandmothers, too) walked around with blue eyeshadow spread across their eyelids and bridges of the nose, with purple blush and pink lipstick. Moms had orange fingernails and red toenails. Their hair had curlers and plastic flower barrettes. The mothers all ooh'd and aah'd the efforts of their children to make them beautiful. As I walked with M, hand in hand, gifts in my purse, I couldn't help but think how "beautiful" the moms really were - how sweet to sit with the little ones, special time that's normally skipped in favor of working, cleaning, cooking, tending to other children.

In a selfish sort of way, I'd considered not going to the event. I don't know why I considered it - maybe a certain laziness - maybe a certain unfamiliarity. I never did such things with my mother - different times, different expectations. I thought we'd just have lunch with my sister or my grandmother. Do the usual. In the end, M was too aware of the day so participation became a necessity.

I have a trivet now that sits on my bedstand for my glass of water at night that's a drawing by M of her and me on a sunny day with Sassy at our feet. I have a t-shirt that's covered in pink, green, blue, purple and red with the date, with hearts and flowers and rainbows.

Just sweet.

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My grandfather passed his driving test. Makes me wonder about the DMV. His driver's license is good until 2008. My grandparents are relieved and triumphant. We are praying for two years of safe driving.

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Last night I attended school function for the paralegal students I teach. The evening took place at a restaurant that doubles as a dance club. All the way there, stuck in the worst traffic on the 60 freeway, I laughed about a night of debauchery back when I was a single, brand-new lawyer. I went dancing with some of my co-workers, really paired up with my secretary, ML. She and I had become friends, working closely together as I learned to be a "lawyer." Well, we started drinking and before long we were dancing really close to the mailboy. Yes, the mailboy. He had to be 20 years old, was Italian, and a little on the pudgy side. At one point, the lens of my glasses popped out and ML and I were on the floor, hunting for the lens, in absolute stitches and absolutely toasted. At another point, ML and I were on the ground looking for lost money. Don't know how we all made it home, but we swore on our lives never to talk about that night ever again. To this day, we do talk about it and always end up in tears with laughter...that night with the mailboy.

I walked into the restaurant and was greeted by the modest group and sat with my particular students and ate and chatted and made it home by 9:30, touched by the many faces that had shown up. I'm always moved by how hard these students work to improve themselves, to move ahead in this society of ours.

***

I'm writing the civil procedure exam this afternoon while M jumps around the office and talks to herself to her "friends" and J complains that I'm on the computer too long. D is sleeping on the couch. A is playing a video game.

A sweet Saturday.