To My Friends:
For those of you who are a mom and you’re celebrating today, let me say “Thank You! Job well done. You are appreciated. You are Loved.” For my friends who are not a Mom, but wish they were, I am sending you warm hugs and thoughts of sunshine.
One of my favourite moms is “my SueB”. She’s a great friend, incredibly intelligent, and gorgeous inside and out. The dedication and love that she shows her two girls makes my heart sing. I remember when we were room mates in university and she already wanted children then. Her dream didn’t come true until she met Dave, and they made beautiful babies together nearly 20 years later. The patience paid off. They have two little girl children, and oh, they are WonDerFul.
Sue sent me a recap of last night’s bedtime process. I’m pasting it below because it is simply precious and seems fitting for today’s celebrations. You’ll see why I think Sue is a fantastic mom, and how special her first princess, Erin, can be.
Thank you for sharing, Sue. You made my day!
The evening before Mother’s Day, May 8, 2010
Erin – Bedtime
Mama: What book do you want to read, Erin?
Erin: I want to play a game, Mama. The bedtime game and you be me and I’ll be you, okay?
Mama: Okay, we can do that …
Erin: Okay. Now. I’m going to do the story on the CD and you have to get in bed. Right here. Get in.
Erin: Okay, now you pretend to start the radio and I’ll do the story. <Switch noise> <Click noise> It’s on! You pretend to sleep and listen.
Mama lies down, wedged in the toddler bed, and Erin runs across the room.
Erin: The Mitten. Once there was a boy and his grandmother and his grandmother loved him very much. She made him a hat, a scarf and mittens and he went out to play. He lost his mitten but his grandmother said, “That’s okay. We’ll look for it tomorrow.” A squirrel found the mitten and said, “I’m so cold and this mitten looks so warm and cozy. I’m going to climb inside.” So he did. And then a bunny came along and said, “Can I come in?” and the squirrel said, “NO. GO AWAY.” But the bunny said, “Please? I am sooooo cold.” So the squirrel said, “Oh, okay.” And the bunny squeezed in. Then a – Mama, Mama, what’s next?
Mama: <whispering> A fox!
Erin: Oh yeah. So, a fox comes along and says, “Can I come in?” And the squirrel and the bunny say no but then the fox says, “I’m sooooo cold. Please?” So they say yes and he gets in.
Erin: Okay, Mommy, now you have to yell for me. Okay, wake up and yell for me. Right now.
Mama: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!
Erin: <Stamps up the ‘stairs’> Yes? What is it, Erin? It’s bedtime now. I mean it.
Mama: I can’t fall asleep.
Erin: <comes close and whispers> No, no, no, no. Say something different.
Mama: <thinks a minute> I’m cold. Will you tuck me in?
Erin: <whispering> Just pretend, okay? I won’t really pull the covers up.
Mama: <whispering> Okay.
Erin: Here you go. It’s time for you to go to sleep so I’m going to turn out this light and turn on your turtle light but you can finish your story.
Mama: Oh, do you have to? <sigh> Okay.
Erin: There. Now the CD is back on. The grandmother and the little boy go out and find his mitten and it’s all broken so the grandmother says she loves him so much she’ll make him another. The end. Now it’s morning! And I’ll come wake you up. Shhhhh. You be asleep and when I wake you up, you can’t wake up. Remember.
Mama: Okay, I’m asleep now.
Erin: Good morning! It’s time to get up!! <Starts hitting Mama’s shoulder>
Mama: Ow! Hey, don’t hit me so hard!
Erin: Pretend to be asleep and wake up when I tell you.
Mama: Okay but don’t hit me so hard.
Erin: Time to get up! You can be awake now.
Mama: <Yawn> Good morning.
Erin: Time to get up and go down for breakfast! <Pulls Mama out of bed and tells her to sit on the floor next to the bed, pretending the bed is the breakfast table.>
Mama: What are we having for breakfast?
Erin: Potatoes and salad and pancakes that are the good, crunchy kind.
Mama: Potatoes?
Erin: Yes. They’re good for you. Here you go!
Mama: Yummm. These pancakes are good!
Erin: <Takes away the pancake plate> No, you have to eat your potatoes first before you can have the pancakes.
Mama: Really? <eats a potato> These are pretty good.
Erin: No, Mama, pretend you don’t like them. Remember, you are three and a half.
Mama: <laughing> Oh, okay. Yuck! I don’t like potatoes!
Erin: Well, let’s put whipped cream and yogurt on them and then they’ll taste like dessert.
Mama: They do! Yummy!
Mama: I’m thirsty. Can I have some milk, please?
Erin: You’re allergic to milk. Have some water.
Mama: Just water? Can I please have some mango juice in it?
Erin: That would be mango water. <pause> Well, okay.
Mama: Thank you!
Erin: Okay, now I’ll eat. <eats breakfast really, really fast> I’m done! Now I’ll do the dishes and then we can play.
Then, it really was bedtime.
Mama: ‘Night, Erin. I love you.
Erin: ‘Night! I’ll see you tomorrow on Mother’s Day! <pause> You can go now.
DeNel Rehberg Sedo 