happy mother's day

To all mothers and mothers-in-law and stepmothers and mother figures and aunts out there, you know who you are, a little fourth-grade classroom card goodness.

For the first time in I don't know how many years, we had nothing planned. In part this was due to the imminent arrival of my niece. We were hoping that she would oblige us by appearing in time for us to make a really appropriate mother's day out of visiting her.

She did not cooperate. Is it too early to accuse her of a difficult personality?

The other problem is that Primo is sick, and we couldn't truck him all over the state. We batted around several ideas, but since all of them required some sort of travel and walking combination, they didn't pan out.

Also, it must be said that I am completely hopeless at these holidays that require heavy lifting in the expectations and obligations departments. I have struggled with it for years and continue to run up against the brick wall of a complete lack of whatever it requires to make these things mean something. Really, if my offspring values me as a mother, then I hope (sometimes in vain) that they will make that clear on a semi-regular basis. I try to do the same for my own parental figures, probably in vain as well. But this "it is a day set by the card companies and you must spend the day with me and furthermore do whatever I want"—yeah. I just don't get it. I have pretty much given up on ever getting it. I know this makes me really, really weird and completely out of step with the rest of the universe. I'm used to it.

So we spent a few hours at Six Flags with my youngest*, because we have season passes and it was something quick and easy to do.This theme park is the absolute armpit of the universe, as far as I am concerned, but hey, it made my little guy happy, and I think that may be what this holiday is all about. It is mostly what motherhood is about, anyway, so close enough.

After such a sweet card, proving that he knows me oh so well, with the possible exception of the vibrating bed part, it wasn't too much of a stretch.

* Primo stayed home. Secondo took Primo's ticket for a concert this afternoon/evening. I had no problem with either one. See above.