Happy Mother's Day!

I don't know about you, but I love going to shop for cards.

This year was no exception as I shopped for the perfect cards to give the mom's in our life. Gregg's mom received one noting her ability to keep her son in one piece, in spite of the numerous trips to the emergency room. It was perfect for her really, as Gregg has a wide assortment of scars from stitches that have long surpassed the 60 mark. God Bless that woman!! I shudder at the thought of raising rambunctious boys.

Finding a card for my own mom was a little more challenging . . . comical or serious . . . Hoops & Yoyo or a singing card . . . so many choices.

Finally I settled on a sentimental card, but I debated.

One card in particular said on the outside "On this Mother's Day, I just want to tell you . . . " (open the card) . . . "I'm not quite done embarrassing you!"

I nearly laughed out loud. You see, I tease my mom a little bit.

Ok. A lot. I tease her a lot. And I continue to embarrass her.

For instance, shortly after my younger sister was born, we took a trip to the doctor for a well-baby check up. Good old Dr. Griffin. I loved him-nice man . . . very attentive . . . especially to this new baby sister of mine. (Grrrrrrr) In the middle of his examination of her, somewhere from the depths of my 5 or 6 year-old self, I exclaimed:

"MY MOTHER BEATS THE BABY!!!!!"

Good grief, I have no idea why I chose to utter those words. I clearly remember saying them, though. My poor mother-she never saw it coming. Neither did I! Thankfully, the doctor knew our family quite well and must have had some experience with bratty little children because he never flinched. My mom however . . . well, suffice to say she hadn't been beating the baby but when it came to 5 year-olds . . .

No, I'm just kidding BUT I distinctly remember her turning on me in the car out in the parking lot and asking (loudly) why on earth I would say something like that to which I replied, "I just wanted to see what you'd say." (Duh . . . I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed-that's for sure!) Can you imagine?

You know the saying about paybacks? If you're a parent yourself, you know!! My father-in-law always said, "I'm just going to sit back and laugh!" Sadly, he is not around to laugh at us anymore (not on this side of earth at least), but trust me when I tell you that there are other grandparents enjoying their fair share of laughter at our expense.

When Cassidy was about that same age as the bratty little girl in Dr. Griffin's office, she was asked to be a flower girl in a wedding. She had a blast and offered to be a flower girl in everyone's wedding (even for couples who were already married)-loved everything about it and was fixated on weddings for quite some time. It should have come as no surprise when I picked her up from Sunday School one day and her teacher was giggling.

"Cassidy really wants you and Gregg to finally get married," said Miss Diane as other parents stood nearby, ready to pick up their own chatterboxes.

After a hasty explanation and exit from the preschool area, I remembered that fateful day in Dr. Griffin's parking lot. Paybacks.

And did I mention that Mackenzie spends quite a bit of time at our pastor's house? Ever since she was about 2 weeks old, she has been in the loving care of "Oma" (our pastor's wife) while Gregg and I are at work. Oma has been with her through learning to roll over, sit, crawl, walk and talk . . . oh yes . . . the talking.

Suffice to say, there are no secrets. The last revelation included Mackenzie's need to tell Oma and Papa (at dinner nonetheless) that "Daddy cuts his toenails over the toilet 'cause Mommy gets mad if he gets his nails all over the place."

Ewwwww . . . please . . . she felt the need to discuss this because???????

So, on a day that celebrates moms, encourages extra hugs and kisses and expressions of thanks and gratitude for those women who do their absolute best to raise up little people to be good and not so bratty, I'd like to publicly thank my own mom. And apologize. I honestly don't know why I told Dr. Griffin that you were beating the baby.

And to my own children, my dear Thing 1 and Thing 2, be careful what you do to me now because hopefully, Lord willing, you wil have little children of your own. And I will remember.

And I will laugh.