Mother's Day: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

I thought I would tell you about my life (for a refreshing change.)

I think there is a lot of pressure being a good mother on Mother’s day, don’t you? As a friend of mine gently puts it. “Fathers day is HiS day and he should be able to spend it any way he pleases, and what pleases him is to be ALONE for father’s day’s sake!”

The week-end started with a terrible knot in my stomach as my 15 year old’s rock band was performing live-in-front-of –a paying–audience during the Topanga Children’s festival. Oh I might have looked calm and composed but inside my nerves were like this:

See, my boy is the singer of his band, tough he is only the singer for lack of another volunteer. That is one scary thought. Did I mention this was going on live? Actually unfolding before my tightly-shut eyes? Oh the bleeding for our children never stops. But they did it! The band was really impressive when you consider their age and that this was they first real gig. And my son actually blew me away me with his self confidence. I was proud. But mainly, I'm still here to tell about it.

The guitar was green. The setting, idyllic. The mother, nauseous.

That night we had dinner at our favorite place in Topanga Canyon, the Canyon Bistro. We ate outside, I had pea tendrils (!) for the first time ever (only in Topanga) and duck with corn flan and the most delicious mystery sauce, followed by an unbelievable chocolate soufflé. In front of me was this plant? Whatever this is I must own it.

The next morning, Mother's Day started painfully early with this gorgeous breakfast in bed and melted chocolate all over the beadspread. I will spare you the image of me caught in the act of waking up on Mother’s Day and being surprised with breakfast in bed and photographed against my will. A face only a child could love.

My nine year old was beaming for putting this amazing spread together, his joy so enormous my heart ached. In his card he praised me for "always being in a good mood" As I read it, i wondered if this might be was a case of mistaken identity and Could Someone Get Me Strong Coffee NOW.

How good are you at receiving presents? I’m terrible. I have to control it all, chose the what, when and how much, while my husband only delights in surprising me with the worst, most ill-colored, ill-fitting and mistaken items. This is a bad mix. Bad mix. The two of us. married. together. Over the years I have learned to receive the gift(s), thank him coldly and return the stuff the next day, but I wasn’t always that philosophical about the whole thing, oh no. But this year my husband made a very outlandish claim. He said he was going to get me something I would never want to return, that he would search far and wide and find ‘it.’ The gift of all gifts. This was a very arrogant statement to make. I said it was not going to be possible. It became a dare. But I was wrong! This is what he got me: the one thing I will never return! “gotcha”, he said.

Yes, good mood does come in a can. :- D

And good mood I definitely needed as Mother’s Day was tainted with the terrible looming shadow of a certain AP biology test that was obviously all my fault and warranted a long face an terrible mood on the part of a certain lead singer of a certain rock band. And patience! As my nine year old used his lego skills and helped build this cute table and chairs bought for $69 at Lowes.

We had lunch under the blooming pergola which really cooperated this year.

Amazing blooms and you know what? I had never meant to plant this. I thought I was planting and expected blue flowers. This is the first year the vine blooms and I am thankful for the mistake.

We (mostly not me) dug huge holes and planted roses, climbing Joseph's Coat, which one day will look like this:

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And maybe even like this:
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I had a great mother's day week-end. Practically collapsed under all the love. My Mother is in France and I'll celebrate hers later this months. She there, me here. Such is life.

I did manage to go see the Iron Man Sunday night. I went alone on Mothers day. That’s right! With my children’s blessing and my husband’s pouting about me sending the wrong message of rather being alone than with my children and yaddi yaddi yadda. And I enjoyed every guilty minute of Robert Downy Jr, bless his nuclear heart thingy and clanking metal suit.

Comments

[muralimanohar]

We managed to remember it was Mother's Day, and that's about it. :p Luckily, nobody minded, lol.

My dh gives me that pouty look every.single.time I suggest any activity that involves not including him or the kids...even if it is just staying home from freaking footy practice. Oy.

Congratulations to your 15yo, nice roses, pretty pergola, very appropriate gift, and I have no idea what those pink flowers at Topanga are. :p

[nadia Dole]

A rock Band eh? The garden looks gorgeous, the strawberries and chocolate i say wake me up anytime! Corine you are so right about about fathers day vs mothers day!

[melissa lewis - off the wall]

How sweet of your kids to make that wonderful breakfast for you! Your pergola is so pretty!

[Caroline]

Do you get mother's day twice? two weeks to go over here...
Oh et je crois que cette plante mystérieuse mais nécessaire est un genêt... no idea of the english name for it...

[Aran]

First of all, belated happy mother's day. I'm glad you had breakfast in bed (fondue!!) and went to a movie alone (jealous!!!). Although my son is not even 2 I could feel the nerves you were describing before the concert... I know I will go through that... we want them to succeed... but they are not "ours", we cannot control them. I think of that often. Beautiful garden and beautiful photos!

[Irene]

That was definitively a very different mother's day post from all that I've read! Loving and being loved is the best thing can ever happen to a person, whatever the present!

[crazyjane]

LOVE YOUR POSTS, They always make me smile ,and wonderful photos.
I think the plant is a 'broom' normally they have yellow flowers, but they do have purple/blue flower varities. hope that helps

[karey m.]

i love your life! i love hearing about your day...

it was a lovely gift to all of us, i think.

{and the pain when he was performing?! i felt it. i was cringing, too...well done to that guy! more guts than moi...}

[anrosh]

good nervousness is good ! it helps to perform well that is what psychologists say. your mothers day sounds perfecto-
an.

[Fifi Flowers]

Love the post... what a way to top off mother's day with Robert Downey Jr... delightful! Love that table and chair set engineered by your lego builder! Rock band teenager... wow... my 13 year old is still doing piano recitals so far.

[cerenna]

I think that plant is Broom. I've got it in my garden, but with a red/bright yellow flower combo. It's starting to bloom now, is zeric and likes alot of sun.