It's okay if you think I look like a monkey. Because my family and I already know that truth. My mother looks beautiful, even in a handkerchief.
I love my mother and grandmothers. I love my mother-in-law too! It's so wonderful to be able to have such loving, supportive and helpful women in my life. I am proud to be their daughter. To show them my love I decided this year I would give them a special brunch. I wish my MIL and Tyler's grandma's could have been here too!
After I had seen this lovely brunch set-up on a favorite blog I realized that I could create a simplified version! My mom was already in town for the weekend to arrange flowers for my cousins wedding. It was perfectly timed. And I already live next door to my grandma, like across the driveway! Here is a photo from our adjoining yard. Sadly this lilac tree is no longer here. The roots weren't strong enough to handle my 6 year old monkey.
I quickly ran to Sunflower Market to buy some fresh fruit on Friday night. I asked my mom, who was quietly reading a novel, if she could watch my two oldest while I took the little one to the store. Sadly, though, I didn't think I'd be gone more than 40 minutes while the make-ahead manicotti was baking in the oven. My mom had no idea it was in there and in my haste I forgot to look at the time when I left so I didn't call her to check on it. Needless to say now we're stuck eating dried up crusty leftovers. Such is life.So anyway, back to the brunch. I invited my mom and grandma over (sorry Aunt Claudia, I'm afraid we had while you were in Church. Jocelyn specifically asked for you!) along with Jocelyn. Cecily was sleeping.
I loved the citrus theme. It felt so summery. I gave up the idea of sleeping in and woke up and got to work. This day is a day I wished I had two ovens. I thought about using my grandma's but I didn't want to to spoil any my surprise!
The menu consisted of homemade quiche (and I made the shell this time!), orange rolls (Rhodes with zest and glaze added), poppy seed bread and citrus drop cookies.
We ate outside on my Grandma's patio. It was perfectly warm and we had a lovely and brief time chatting and eating. Two of my favorite things to do! And with some of my best friends!
All in all, my Mother's day was grand. After this brunch I managed to quickly (and not very motherly-like) get the children ready for Church. They were pretty well behaved. They both came home from Primary with two cute cards. The men served us ice cream too! That was fun and different. Then Tyler made dinner and cleaned up. He even mopped! You can hardly tell now but it was a much needed (and avoided) task by me! I've been reading a book called, I am a Mother and I am loving it. (Thanks Lori!) It's nice to hear a true perspective from a woman who, in some eyes, "had it all" with a very successful career in TV but gave it all up to be a mother. Honestly, some days are a struggle for me. I wonder why I chose this path. And some days I am NOT very good at it. But the few moments that my children give me hugs or write me love notes or say they don't want to go to an orphanage (gee, I wonder whey they would ever think of that??), makes up for the harder times. I think one day I will miss the crumbs underneath every kitchen chair, or the smudge marks on all the walls and surfaces. At least they are there. It means that none of us are perfect, and it's a good reminder that I have the blessing to be a mother.
