Happy Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and my dad's birthday which means we can combine them and eliminate a second chance of family drama. I. and V. went shopping and surprised me with flowers, a balloon, a gym shirt, and some headphones that I'll unfortunately have to take back 'cause they're not compatible with my Ipod. It's the thought that counts though and it was all very nice.

Then we had to meet the family at a restaurant and this kicked off some aggravations. The restaurant was packed and we had to wait forever even though we had put our name in at 11am. It was total chaos, with too many people with too many presents, all crammed into a too small space. Add to that the mariachis and it was madness. By the time we finally got seated, we were hungry and stressed out and ready for a margarita. Well at least some of us were. My sister, the addict, asked for the wine list and proceeded to obsess about choosing a wine. Obsess meaning she was hovering over it, peppering my mom with comments that "I want the darkest. What's the darkest one?" to the point that my mom looked like she was going to pass out. I already knew that I would have no chance at being around my mom with my sister there. She monopolizes my mom - physically, verbally, and emotionally. I refuse to compete which is why I sat with my dad but watching it made me pissed off. At least once we got back to my parents' house, my sister acted relatively normal so it was bearable.

My mom has always been consistent about being irritated about having to share "her day" with my dad and this year was no exception. She made several comments about it and my dad made sure he showered her with 8 or 9 gifts. It was so much "her day" that she completely forgot about my card and gifts until we went to go home and I saw a gift bag on the kitchen counter and said, "What's this?" It turned out to be my gift and card. Is that strange to anyone else or is it just me?

All in all, a pretty good day. I always enjoy Mother's Day morning more than the rest of the day because my little family celebrates me as a mother - the daily behind the scenes person, the one who is the glue keeping us together, the lighthouse that remains shining in the storms guiding us back to safety. Isn't that what all mothers really are?