We kicked things off with a trip to a sunflower field for some flower-picking on Saturday:
With my kiddos in the sunflower field
Picking wildflowers with Ellie
Family photo
With my little sunshine
Didn't we get some lovely pictures? Doesn't it look like such a perfect spring day? Don't you just look at those pictures and think, "Wow, what a beautiful, idyllic day—a happy family frolicking through the flower fields, darling children happily helping their loving mother select the perfect flowers and enjoying the springtime sunshine"?
Well, I feel it is my civic duty to tell you the truth about that day. We'll call this a lesson in "things aren't always what they seem on social media." Because here's what you don't see in those pictures: the hour-and-a-half wait, in the blazing hot sun, to get inside. The sweltering temperatures. The pouring sweat. The toddler who decided he was super mad about everything and wanted NOTHING: He didn't want to be held; he didn't want to be put down. He didn't want to eat; he didn't want to not eat. He didn't want to drink; he didn't want to not drink. He didn't want to run; he didn't want to stay still. He just wanted to be angry and by golly, he was taking everybody down with him. You also don't see that by the time we waited an hour and a half to get in, the fields were majorly picked over and all that was left was the sad-looking sunflowers, and even those were few and far between. You don't see the older child SCREAMING bloody murder because she could hear cicadas humming and thought they were bees buzzing all around her and she was TERRIFIED. You don't see that mother pleading with her children, "PLEASE. WE DROVE AN HOUR TO GET HERE AND WAITED FOREVER. PLEASE JUST PICK A FLOWER WITH ME."
There were happy moments in there, of course. Those are the ones we took pictures of. And overall, we left with a good feeling about the day. But please, don't look at my photos and think we've got it all together, that our kids don't cry, that every outing is a walk in the park and we're all smiles and pretty pictures. There's some ugly, not-fun stuff going on there, too. I feel like we can all use a little reminder sometimes that what people put out into the world is usually the pretty, polished version!
And now that I've got that off my chest, I can share the rest of the weekend!
On Mother's Day, I received some really nice gifts. Eric helped the kids answer some questions about me again this year, which I loved. Ellie also made me a lovely little flower pot in school, complete with a sweet little pink flower (that actually endured its life under my care all the way up until our 10-day St. Pete trip last week, when it died a sad, neglected death).
E.J.'s answers to Eric's questions, haha!
Ellie's answers!
My pretty little flower
At church that morning, the pastor spoke about mothers and all mothers received a carnation. After church, we went out to eat at a little restaurant near the beach, where after lunch I was treated to a dance performance by Ellie.
Dinner and a show!
Lunch selfie with my best girl
Then, we went to South Beach playground for some more fun.
Hanging out in the "castle" with E.J.
That evening, we had Mother's Day cake after dinner! Ellie was very excited to help make me a surprise cake. A great end to a fun day.
Happy day to me!
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