Last night, my ten year old daughter played in the first round of softball playoffs for her spring league (regular season champions, thankyouverymuch).

Even though she worked on homework from the time she got home from school until the time we left for the game, she still had a bundle of it left to finish after her shower. Because her teacher allows it and because it was almost 9:30 PM, while she completed her math, I worked on typing a report for her. I didn’t change her writing, no matter how much it killed me not to.

I typed that paper word for word. Okay, okay…there was one exception.

Her report on slave turned activist, Sojourner Truth, had facts…I’ll give her that, but I’m pretty sure she took a little liberty with the sentence, “I think Sojourner Truth had a great sense of humor”.

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Yesterday was supposed to be a laid back day around here. No softball, no soccer, no therapy, no appointments. Plus, my son was home sick so I didn’t even have to go to work.

I have now come to realize that there is no such thing as a laid back day.

Back in 2007, I wrote a list of things no one ever told me before I had kids. Yesterday, I added a few more items. Such as…

…it pays to have long limbs, even if that means you once had a high school teacher who nicknamed you orangutan arms. Hypothetically. Because, yesterday I was able to steer my car and hold a bag under the chin of my vomiting son who was sitting on the passenger side of the back seat.

…if you try to read a book with a seven year old around, it is like brushing your teeth with one individual toothbrush bristle. You’ll get the job done, but it’s going to take awhile.

…if your son sees you allowing the dogs to bite a few kernels of corn off a cob which you are holding tightly in your hand, he will take the corn cob he is supposed to be eating, throw it to the ground and let the dogs take turns biting off chunks big enough to cause intestinal blockage in an elephant. Then he’ll sit back and watch as the dogs swallow them whole.

…when you attempt to pour spoonfuls of hydrogen peroxide down your dog’s throat to induce vomiting, she really won’t like you very much.

…when your son is peeing and completely misses the toilet, it’s not necessarily because his aim is bad. It could be that his sister is standing at the sink and he’s trying to pee on her shoe.

…even though the drinks at the circus cost $8.00, go ahead and splurge for more than one so you don’t have to share a straw. Especially if your son has an upper respiratory infection. And, you have asthma. Unless, of course, you think breathing is overrated.

Tell me boys and girls…how did yesterday treat you?

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Today is Grandparent’s Day at my kids’ school. Of course, my son is sick which means he’ll be missing this valuable opportunity to entertain the masses. So, for your listening pleasure, here is seven seconds of him singing for you, as he did for anyone who would listen while we were out running errands on Friday.

This includes everyone at my husband’s office, random people on the playground and every employee at LensCrafters.

And, if anyone from our county agency is watching, maybe we can end our 11 month-long battle about whether or not my son needs speech therapy.

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Seven years ago today, I gave birth to my son. He was born seven weeks early because his heart defect was worsening in utero.

The hospital where he was born was not equipped to handle his heart problems, and our local Children’s Hospital was not equipped to have me deliver him there. So, while I was in recovery following my c-section, a transport team came and took him from me. I spent about 30 seconds looking at him before he was whisked away and taken across town.

In 2002, May 10th fell on a Friday. On Sunday, the hospital where I was recovering allowed me to leave so I could go see my son. It was Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day was the first time I stroked my son’s soft hair, the first time I held his fingers in mine and the first time I ever held him in my arms. I have done those things thousands of times since then, but I will never forget our first Mother’s Day together.

This year, my special day and his birthday fell on he same day. We had breakfast in bed together, we both opened gifts and got cards.

Then, I stroked his hair, I held his hand and I held him in my arms. I did all the things I did with him seven years ago, but now he’s bigger and stronger and he’s shown that heart defect who’s boss. I have watched that sick, small child grow into a great kid.

I am writing this late, after he’s gone to bed. I don’t know if there will ever be a Mother’s Day as special as that first one we shared, but today came pretty darn close.

Happy Birthday, Buddy. Your Mom loves you lots.

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