A mother of a day.

I suppose I was being a bit naive when I thought Mother's Day this year would be in accordance with what one would typically expect. Warm fluffy slippers, breakfast on a tray, a cute homemade card, surrounded by the people I love, with no jobs. Maybe even a quiet afternoon nap.

Here's the thing.

In order for my special day to remotely resemble the Myer catalogue, the man of the house needs to be on top of his game. Not hungover.

Mother's Day 2012 was the probably the busiest day I've had this calendar year, as it turns out. Before I knew it, or indeed was even properly awake, I was whipping up a quick batch of pancakes for one kid while spooning rice cereal into the other. Hours passed, and then it was 9am. Time to go to the pool! Wait, a screaming baby! Better quickly put him to bed first. And so on, and so forth.

By midday I was really fresh out of ideas, and almost out of steam. I decided to go on a lunch date with my girl. The baby was asleep again, so we ducked out.

I sat at the restaurant with her sipping a coke, and I watched her eat chip after chip, and drink sip after sip of her Orchy orange 'juice'. And I thought this: I am in love with my kids. They are beautiful. My little two year old sat in her chair at the table with me for almost an hour. We chatted, ate, looked around. She told me about her favourite colour at the moment, her favourite song. When it was time to pay, she got up with me and pulled her buzzy bee along behind her, wings buzzing as his wheels turned. It was very very cute.

On the quick drive home, she fell asleep. I carried her into the house, took off her purple sunglasses and watched her sleep. My beautiful lunch companion.

Then it was time to return to the baby. I spent a good 20 minutes nibbling his ear, blowing raspberries on the side of his tummy, and finding the spot where he is the most profoundly ticklish. His screaming laughter was completely infectious. He is a true joy to be around, every minute of the day (nb. this excludes 2am, 3am, 4am and 5am). When he started to get grumpy and grizzle, I handed him back to his ailing father and departed for bed. Godspeed my friend.

So, yeah. Not quite the day I expected. But - it was a day where I had nothing to do except enjoy my kids, and I did. I feel very blessed to have them in my life. They are a miracle to me in so many ways.

There's always next year for the pink bathrobe! Until then, I will be hard at work drumming up ideas for how to make Father's Day this year truly memorable!