happy mother's day

It was a happy mother's day here...low key with plenty of time for cuddles.

And I received my first homemade card from the one who made me a mother. A treasure.

I only wish I could have given my mom a hug today.

happy birthday mama!

I know it's not until tomorrow in your neck of the woods, but I just couldn't wait to share this!

I think I definitely need to watch The Sound of Music this weekend; what about you?

Have a happy happy day and a fabulously healthy year ahead...

the kindness of my parents

My parents are awesome about sending care packages. And I know it's a lot of work. Their dining room table is a resting place for goodies to add to a future shipment. They work as a team. My mom is always asking me if there is anything we need or want and she does all the gathering. My dad hunts for a suitable box in the attic or garage and he takes the parcel to the post office. They are forever thoughtful and we are so very appreciative.

Today was our lucky day. A big box of Easter goodies (and lots of Dinosaur oatmeal) arrived. When I realized it was for Easter, I tried hiding the contents, but Q immediately spotted this bunny motorcycle tucked away at the bottom.

It's now 9 April and Q has been playing with the bunny motorcycle for weeks. He has yet to realize that it's filled with candy. Oh the naivete of a first born! The other day, the egg part snapped off and he told me to take it to my office. I guess he knows that's where there is a growing pile of stuff awaiting repair. Later I told him that the Easter Bunny might visit on Sunday, and he replied sadly, "Easter Bunny broken."

Also no matter what the item, his first response to the question, "Who gave that to you?" is now always an emphatic, "Oma." And he thinks that anything good that comes in the mail must be from Oma.

From 6,000 miles away, my parents still manage to make a strong impression on their grandchild. I love that.

a mother's love

Not a day goes by when I don't think about my mom and how she means the world to me. Even though she is so far away, she still plays a huge role in my everyday life. She truly inspires me to be a better mom and person.

I am so happy and content in my role as mother. I am thankful to my mom for that.

Last year at this time, I was a week away from giving birth. I was filled with such anticipation.

A year later and that anticipation has been replaced by a tremendous amount of love. A love that is unconditional, unquestioning, unwavering, tender, at times overwhelming, and oh so pure.

(note to self: Blog entry composed in my head yesterday as I rocked plagued-with-a-tummy-bug-Quincy to sleep. I could have stayed there forever and a day.)

mothers

I have been very fortunate to have so many mothers in my family to observe, learn from, respect, and admire over the years. Now it's my turn. I finally get to join the Club of Mothers.

I certainly have big shoes to fill. I only hope I have learned enough to follow in their footsteps. Sure I will do things my own way and make my own decisions and mistakes, but I am blessed to have such good role models in the motherhood department.

Yes, I have been a dog mama for nearly five years, and this is a role I treasure and take seriously. It too requires patience, hard work, guidance, love, and lots of shuttling around. But I am a nurturer by nature and am so looking forward to adding human mama to one of my many cherished roles in life.

Happy Mother's Day.

me & my mom

It's interesting how often I have thought about the similarities between my mom & I since I moved here 7 years ago. Among many other things, we both ventured off to far away lands with the intention of staying only about 2 years.

At the moment, though, the similarities run a bit deeper.

When my mom was pregnant with me, her mom in Germany became very sick. Sadly she died when my mom was about 7 months along and unable to travel. My mom wasn't able to see her before she passed away and couldn't attend her funeral.

With everything that has happened with Eddye, I think I might understand how difficult that was for her. For me, it's not going to be totally real until I go there next Christmas and feel that gap firsthand. Similarly, it wasn't until my mom visited her mom's grave and experienced Vreden, her hometown, without her mother's presence that it really hit home.

Sometimes I think we are living parallel lives.