what i am.

the day began early at six-thirty. eli beckoned me from his room across the hall with elf-like chatter and the occasional "ma-ma?" thrown in for added enticement. he is the sweetest little person in the morning, bright-eyed from the get-g0, always with an ear to ear smile.

j prepared coffee, then brought in sweet cards, the loveliest "motherhood" necklace from Blue Poppy, chocolate (of course!), and tickets to the art museum for the three of us. sometimes i still can't wrap my mind around the fact that i'm a mother...especially on days like today when it's being celebrated and i'm included.


M-O-T-H-E-R...it's so official and grown-up-seeming; it requires knowing things that only mothers know. i'm still learning, but i am blessed with a gracious husband and a tender-hearted little boy who never seems to notice my imperfection. with every hug, he squeezes just as tightly as the one before.

we had brunch at Marche', then a quick walk in the blustery wind, and tomorrow we'll see Renoir at The Frist. we came home to a jar of wildflowers on the kitchen table that we picked while on a family drive yesterday afternoon. [i'll take a plain glass jar of roadside blooms over a dozen perfect roses any day.]




mother's day is all about honoring mothers, and i'm definitely thankful for mine (i inherited her creative genes, for which i'm grateful.) i'm also reminded of all the things i love about being a mother to my child. today, more than i thought about being recognized in my role, i found myself pondering the many glorious facets of my son, and all the joy i have in being his mom...

...like how sweetly he says "mama" in a particular voice he reserves for that word alone.

how he says "toot-toot" when the train goes by, just because he knows it makes us laugh.

his still-tiny fingers that clutch mine when i reach back from the front seat of the car to reassure him... or to hand him a Goldfish cracker. which he reaches up and takes from me. which still amazes me, every single time.

the way he hugs every stuffed animal or real live dog & cat with equal affection.

how much he adores taking a bath, playing piano with his daddy, and balls of string.

his independence, even already...wanting to walk by himself instead of being carried or holding a grown-up hand, and trying to keep up with bigger kids, always watching them carefully so he can follow.

his curiosity about everything: be it bug, flower, rock, toothbrush, fondue pot, or box of oatmeal.

how he rests his head on my shoulder every night at seven and lets me rock him to sleep. this is my absolute favorite moment of any day, without question. no matter what kind of day i've had, how many times i've reached under the sofa to retrieve a puzzle piece, or how many frustrated little tears i've wiped away from his cheeks, it's the moment when all i think about is how fortunate i am to be this amazing little person's mother, for always.