Sunday 12 May 2013

Being a Mum on Mothers Day

Today is Mothers Day here in Canada.  I think it's also Mothers Day in Australia and the UK too.  Weird that Mothers Day is the same day, but not Fathers Day. 

Anyway - I'm digressing and I haven't even started.

I had some ideas about how events would pan out today.  It started with a sleep in, included coffee and cake with a friend, progressed to more cake with Dan and Kalani and ended with a champagne and cake finale.

It was quite different. 

It started with a very early start after less than 3 hours of broken sleep due to Kalani having yet another stomach bug.  There was a lot of cleaning up and cuddling and quiet, go-to-sleep-now storytelling during the night.  

So - not much sleep, definitely no sleep in, no meeting up with friends or having some selfish 'me' time.  Instead today consisted of a lot of sitting on the couch, cuddling a very sick little boy and watching endless episodes of animal rescuers and pirates.

But, you know what?  It was a perfect day.  Obviously not the sickness part - that sucked - no, it was the reminder of exactly what it means to be a mum (to me at least).

It means holding his little body upright as he's ill and gently lying him back down again when he's exhausted himself.
It means wiping his hot head and hands to bring relief from fever sweats.
It means cuddling him close to warm him up.
It means making up hour upon hour of nonsensical stories to keep his mind off how awful he feels.
It means lying awake next to him so that as soon as the sickness starts, a bucket will be placed in just the right place.
It means going slightly insane after watching 17 back to back episodes of Diego and his manic cousin Dora.
It means giving my whole heart to a small little boy and knowing that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him.

I'm glad I was reminded of that today and didn't get too caught up in a chocolate frenzied madness.

Yes, being a mum is hard, and takes oodles of time and patience and self sacrifice, and can be unbelievably messy.  But, lying next to Kalani tonight, watching him succumb to an exhausted sleep, I knew that I wouldn't trade last night and today for any other time - even a fancy shmancy get-dressed-up-and-party-party-party night.  Nope, I'm glad I was exactly where I was.

Now, where'd Dan hide the chocolate and champers - it's time for some madness ;)