The birthday card I got last week from the kids reminded me why parenting is worth every second of stress, poverty, and headaches…
First of all, I received these coupons:
Right after I looked through all of them, Ronald made me laugh. He said, “Are you going to use them, Mom?”
“You’re damned absolutely right I’m going to use them! Every single one of them!”
As if a spotless house and a day without kids isn’t good enough, I also got this note inside my card:
The handmade drawings all over the card were adorable, but it’s the message inside that really tugged at my heartstrings.
Here’s what it says:
Mom, (#1 Mom)
Thank you for supporting all of us through our hard times. We cannot explain how much it means to us. If you weren’t with us, guiding us to success we would be nowhere by now. Even when we make you really mad and act really dumb and disrespectful, you stay by our sides through the good and bad times. Happy 32nd birthday mom! We love you!
Love,
Gerald, Ronald, Jeremy, Emma
How freaking amazing is that?!
#1 Mom? Wow! As many times as I’m told that I’m the meanest mom ever, I never thought I’d be reminded that my kids actually DO like me sometimes!
Hard times? My gut reaction when I read this was almost to laugh. But then I remembered that we often forget that life can be stressful for our kids, too. Sometimes they even have more going on than we do. Don’t believe me? Check this out.
Guiding them to success? Yes! Just when I thought I was a failure at parenting and that they weren’t listening to a thing I’ve taught them over the last 13 years, I finally see (even if only for one day each year) that they’re getting it!
Even when we make you really mad? Okay, so this part did make me laugh… At least they didn’t call me out too badly and say, “When you scream at us like the house is on fire…”
And act really dumb and disrespectful? This one made me laugh, too. At least they realize on their own that sometimes they’re dumb – I don’t want to have to call them douchebags every time!!
Happy 32nd birthday? Damn. Did they have to write the number? That part I could have done without!
In all seriousness, though, it’s the little things like this that mean the most to us as parents and the things that we’ll remember long after we patch up that hole in the wall from the football or fix that broken window from the baseball.
I love my kids more than anything, and I hope I can make that as clear to them every day as they did to me in my birthday card.
July 17th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
That’s awesome, and well deserved!
July 17th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Why thank you!!
In a blink of an eye, little Rowyn will be making you birthday cards and Father’s Day cards telling you how much she loves her daddy!!
Time sure does fly… keep enjoying every second with the little princess!
July 17th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
I also like Jeremy’s advice. “You should use the coupons when the house is a mess!” You were like, “OK!”
Then he thought about it and you could see the “Damn…” expression in his face at what he had just set himself and the others up for.
it was a fun night for the whole family.
July 17th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
And I plan to do exactly that…!
July 17th, 2013 at 2:44 pm
This card made me wish Teddy could write! How sweet and thoughtful. I’m also ultra impressed that your kids know how to do laundry! Can you send them over to my house?
July 17th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
DONE! Oh sorry. That was meant for Alicia.
July 17th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Ha! Well, if you know how to do laundry…..!
July 17th, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Oh noooo! Not me. You said the kids can come.
July 17th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Um, sometimes you count as a kid… just saying. ;P
July 17th, 2013 at 2:48 pm
I’m fairly sure we can teach Teddy… we’ll work on it.
I’ll send them to your house ASAP! Although, I can’t promise that everything won’t turn out pink and a few sizes smaller than they went in!
July 17th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Damn! I will have to teach them the art of the air dry. I’m sure kids are totally all in for the lessons of laundry on hot summer days when they could be at the pool instead, yes?
July 17th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Oh yeah… especially the teenage boy. He loves nothing more than learning how to be an adult during his summer vacation!
July 17th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
Your kids are classy.
July 17th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Most of the time… 😉
July 17th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
best card ever. Hands down. What mom wouldn’t love that! Happy Birthday!
July 17th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Thank you! 🙂
Who knew that little messy handprints could get better?!
July 17th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
Oh, that’s what keeps me going. That it gets better and that some day they will hopefully write me a card like that! 🙂 Except mine will probably say Happy 42nd on it. 🙂
July 17th, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Haha! And they love to rub in the fact that we’re getting old!
Every time one of them mentioned my age, I would respond with, “You’re grounded!” 😉
Oh yes… one day you’ll have sweet letters and cards hidden away, waiting to be looked at again every time you think you can’t take another second of whatever life’s pounding you with.
July 17th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
That is the sweetest thing ever!
Do they realise what “clean the **whole** house” actually entails 😉 ?
July 17th, 2013 at 3:28 pm
Not a chance!! If they did, they would have left that coupon out, for sure!
July 17th, 2013 at 3:53 pm
First of all, Happy Birthday! 32 is nothing, you are just a baby…wait until you are 45 like me – i’m almost a dinosaur! oi!
I’d love to see how the kids would react if you cashed in your “clean the whole house” coupon with a real list that’s entitled ” Part ONE” ! They have NO CLUE lol! ~maria
July 17th, 2013 at 3:58 pm
That’s genius! I may just have to try it and get their reactions on video!
July 17th, 2013 at 4:01 pm
I can see it how – first all smiles and as the oldest reads it, the smiles turn to confusion and then frowns! lol!
July 17th, 2013 at 4:02 pm
And then I’m back to the meanest mom ever! LOL!!!
July 17th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
That is so sweet. And you’d better make full use of those coupons!
July 17th, 2013 at 6:06 pm
Oh, you better better believe it!!!
July 17th, 2013 at 8:17 pm
Aww so sweet! Happy 23rd Birthday Alicia! See? It’s all in how you use the numbers…
July 17th, 2013 at 8:55 pm
You’re a genius, Diana! I love it!!!
July 17th, 2013 at 10:10 pm
oh you’re only saying that cause it’s true! 😉
July 17th, 2013 at 10:51 pm
Oh my gosh, I would have had tears rolling down my….cleavage! Of course, they may milk that for a good long while. My daughter gave me a bunch of coupons, and when I took one out she was horrified. “I didn’t think you would actually USE them”. LOL
July 18th, 2013 at 9:04 am
Hee hee! That’s funny! I bet she learned in that 30 seconds not to ever make you another coupon again!!
P.S. – I wish I had cleavage for my tears to roll down… they just roll straight through my shirt and onto the floor. 😉
July 18th, 2013 at 12:10 am
32 seemed like such a long time ago, so much that I don’t remember anything I did that year.
July 18th, 2013 at 7:17 am
Damn, those kids of yours are adorable! BTW, I recently gave my wife a similar birthday present. 10 handwritten one-hour massage vouchers, redeemable at any time. She redeemed them all in 10 days, and I missed out on 10 hours of sports on TV!
July 18th, 2013 at 9:54 am
Best. Husband. Ever. Seriously!
And I bet she used them all so quickly before you could change your mind!! 😉
July 18th, 2013 at 11:39 am
Awesome awesome awesome! I love this post. Shows the humanity of everyone in your family. Perfect. Happy Birthday!
July 18th, 2013 at 11:40 am
Thank you, dear!! It should have been your birthday, too, since I swear we’re long-lost twins and all!!
July 26th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
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