Yo Mama's Day. 2020.

Why is that I tend to be the worst mother right before Mother's Day? Is this a form of self-sabotage so that everyone will leave me alone not only ON Mother's Day, but every single day before and after?

The homeschooling thing has actually been going okay. I've actually enjoyed parts of it. Dare I admit that? Are the other frazzled moms going to come after me with their pitchforks (with unfinished math homework pierced through the ends, no doubt)? I've definitely had my moments of frustration too. This week, for example. Wednesday was really bad. I was tired and fed up. So I blew up. And marched upstairs and put myself in time out.

I'm sure this is when everyone in my family put my Mother's Day presents in the toilet. Again, why do I do this the week leading up to Mother's Day?!?! It's like breaking up with someone right before Valentine's Day! At least get your present first.

But anyway, I calmed down and we called it a day on schoolwork. It was rainy so we couldn't go outside, so we climbed into the van and drove to Harris' favorite spot, where we haven't been since before isolation began.

That's right, we went to the YMCA parking lot and watched trains go by.

It was a very nice way to spend the rainy afternoon. Also, I played The Wonderful Wizard of Oz audiobook for the girls. Everyone was content.

Except Baby Beck, who kept crying whenever the car was parked. So then we just drove around the same parking lot to keep Beck content, still close to the trains so Harris was content, and still listening to the book so the girls were content.

There's a lot of construction going on in our neighborhood, so when we go on walks, Harris just plops down on the grass and watches the construction show whenever he can, so often the girls go on ahead of us.

We also did our usual bike rides. Baby Beck was promoted from stroller to bike trailer this week. Here's his very first ride. He loved it.

I normally like to say what we read and watched this week at the end of the post, but I've already ruined that and might as well ruin it some more. The girls listened to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, most of it all in one day. And then my phone died. So they had to wait until the next day to listen to the final 30 minutes.

We watched the movie for Fun Friday. But on Saturday. Because no one finished their chores Friday so it had to be moved.

Having Fun Friday on Saturday sounds exactly like the new read aloud we started this week, Sideways Stories from Wayside School. We finally finished up Begin from the Growly series. It was long. There were many times (especially the first half) where I thought--if we ever finish this, we aren't continuing with the series.

And then of course, we got really into it, and the last chapter left us with a cliffhanger. So we are going to continue on with the series. But I needed a little break and a different change in plot pacing. So Sideways Stories, it is. The girls can't get enough. 

Which inspired the next event. There's a chapter about a girl named Rondi who is missing her two front teeth. June's top FOUR teeth have all been super wiggly for months. Reading about Rondi inspired her to finally let me tug a tooth out of her mouth.

Of course, even though I told myself a million times NOT to forget, I forgot to play Tooth Fairy. This morning, I woke up to a sad June bemoaning that the Tooth Fairy never came.

I had to think, and fast. I scrambled to get a piece of paper and put together a scavenger hunt. It was three clues long and each clue led to someone's bed, first Gwen's, then Harris', and then mine. While she was rounding up the clues, I managed to sneak a dollar into the final clue's spot--her underwear drawer.

I didn't mean to upload this picture. It is terrible. But here it is. Here she is getting a clue off my bed.

 A dollar! Normally, the Tooth Fairy is a stingy lady at our house, doling out a quarter per tooth. But she was feeling a little guilty this morning.

Five minutes after receiving her prize, she marched back into my room and demanded I take out another tooth. So I did. Now she looks exactly like Rondi, so she's excited.

And I'm excited to forget all about being the Tooth Fairy again so I can scramble around like a banshee last minute.

Not.

ANYWAY. Mother's Day! Me me meeeeeeeee.

Luckily, even though I was a grouchy mama this week, my family didn't flush my presents. A few years ago, Dan and I attended a marriage workshop at church, and one of the therapists leading it said, "Ladies, it is not cheating to tell your husband exactly what you want for a holiday. He can't read your mind. Just tell him what you want."

I have ever since, and it's been grand.

I wanted flowers. I love flowers.

Dan brought me some roses for the table.

And some geraniums for our garden.

And yesterday, he spent the entire day painting our garage. I'm one of those weirdos who really wants a beautiful garage. I don't know what part of my psyche is lacking where I think the aesthetic nature of my garage will fulfill it, but it's a true desire of mine.

Before:

After:

He's going to paint the floor in another month when the weather is warmer.

He's the best. I'm the worst. Everyone knows it. The end.

And I highlighted my own hair yesterday. The regrowth has been out of control.

Orangey and spotty but still better than before.

And now that everyone knows how weird I am and how grouchy I am and how shallow I am, I can close.

The End.