Mother's Day

So Spills showed up at my bedside at around 6:30 this morning.

"Mommy. Mommy. MOMMY."

"...Yes?"

"I've got something for you."

She proceeded to sneeze all over me, explosively and with feeling.

"Thanks," I said.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mommy."

"Thank you."

"Now you have to get up, because I have your surprises laid out, and you have to come and turn them over."

"Does it have to be this minute?"

"Yes."

So after some more coaxing and coercing, she got me out of the bed. Her Daddy and I stumbled into her bedroom. There on her bench by the window she had several papers laid out.

"Turn the first one over, Mommy."

I did. It had flowers and a horseshoe on it. It said, "Happy Mother's Day."

"Beautiful printing!" I said. "And I love the flowers and the horseshoe!"

"It's not a horseshoe," Spills said, looking very displeased.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"It's YOU."

"Oh!" I said, looking closer. "Oh, yes, now I see. It's my hair, isn't it?"

"It's ALL of you."

"Yes, so it is."

The other cards were lovely too, some in French and some in English. And there was a book mark, and a lone tea bag.

"Oh, good," I said. "Now I can have a peaceful cup of tea."

"Do you want it right now?"

"Well, maybe not right now. I think I need some coffee first."

"The tea bag smells very good," said Spills. She held it up to her nose. Then, because her nose was dripping, she wiped her nose with it.

"I bet it does."

"Want to smell it?"

"Maybe later," I said.

"Come on, Mommy! Come with me!" She grabbed my hand. "I have to show you your other presents."

The other presents turned out to be (in no particular order): the decorative table on the landing, a plastic container of jam that Spills pilfered from the restaurant yesterday, a Fisher-Price park, a bill still in the envelope on the hallway table, the hallway table, and the booster seat used for Robbie's younger sister the other day.

"Thank you," I said. "This is all too much."

"Did you want to have the jam on your toast this morning?"

"Well, I'll just have to decide about that."

"If you don't want it," Spills said, "I'll have it."

"You go ahead and have it."

She threw her arms around me with gratitude. "Oh, Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"