A shout out to moms

Tomorrow will be my 3^rd Mothers Day. Since becoming a mom I have become more appreciative of the crap I put my own mom through. Sadly, my mom had to wait 31 years for me to conceive so I could finally realize how much she must love me and in turn how much I appreciate her. My kids are still young, but I assume your love for your kids doesn't diminish with time, I certainly hope not. The thing that keeps me awake some nights is that I am pretty sure my kids are as in love with me now as they will ever be, at least until that have kids of their own. It is likely that their love...infatuation...trust....for me will gradually decrease each year until they hit puberty at which point it will plunge and stay at sub zero levels until they finally reproduce and fall in love with their own children. I will likely be 65.

Somehow I know that my children will blame me for all the ways I didn't provide for them, the things I didn't buy them and the parties I didn't let them attend. I am not sure they will blame their dad. It seems to be a common phenomenon that kids remember limits their mothers have saddled them with and the strength their fathers have provided. I have said before that my Sam is a mama's boy, Shiloh is 8 months old and nursing so it is pretty clear where her bread is buttered. Sometimes I feel sorry for Erik, knowing that I have my kids wrapped right now....but I am sure that that will all change sometime after age 5.

As I grow older I hear my mom's voice in my own more and more and I no longer cringe. I look at what she did for my brother and I when we were kids and I hope I can give even half that much to my own kids. Every day I need Erik's help, and I realize how my mom did it all by herself: the driving, the cooking, the cleaning, the worrying....all of it.

As we celebrate Mothers Day tomorrow remember your mom not just with a card and plant but a heartfelt thank you for the love and life she has given you and the things she unquestionably gave up for you along the way.

To all those not drinking out of a Sippy cup....I say bottoms up, Cheers to MOM!