Mother's Day Gifts

I love Mother's Day, especially the hand written cards from my younger children. The writing projects they do in class for this day give me a snap shot into how they perceive the world that I cannot get any other way; a holiday Rorschach of my parenting duties if you will.

For example: 

When my oldest was 4, his class did a project.  I love my mom because......fill in the blank.  There was she makes pancakes, she gives me kisses, she reads me bedtime stories.  And then, there was mine. 

I love my mom because...  

she gives me everything I want. 

Now I loved the scope of his expression, but worried I'd perhaps spoiled the lad during his formative years. I didn't want the teacher to think I indulged his every whim so I sent in oranges for snack for a  week to make sure they knew, it wasn't always the case that he got his favorite things every time all the time.  

There's always a sentence My mom likes to...

My mom likes to...this phrase just brings out the weird.  My daughter wrote go to the mall.  I think I make it there other than when I walk with a friend and this kiddo is in school, twice a year.  On said occasions, I am usually under duress as there is some important event looming and some child who is impossible to fit (or worse, me), needs a specific outfit that I cannot find.  The mall is an anethma to me but no moreso than the proposed favorite pastime watch basketball.  Not since 1994 I think, have I sat though an entire game. How said daughter thought this was my fave I'll never know.  One offspring was paying attention and wrote "write."  However another son must be visiting some alien mom because he wrote exercise.   My favorite answer is accurate, "My mom likes to dance."  Even better is the picture, she has me doing a salsa type move that makes me look far cooler than any of my actual moves have ever managed.  

Interestingly enough there was uniformity on one answer across grades;  "My mom's favorite holiday is..."  Now I love holidays but never feel like I celebrate any of them properly, I'm always too rushed, too overwhelmed or thinking of all the things I didn't get to or ruing that in an effort to make the moment memorable, I've run around crazy and spent too much money.  All of them wrote the same answer to this question, Easter.  They also all drew me in a fuchsia dress.  I started thinking. Maybe they understood that I liked the less pressure of the holiday or having everyone go to mass together and eat dinner.  However it was wasted time imagining. There was a follow up sentence.  There was uniformity on this one as well across three children. 

I like Easter because I get chocolate bunnies. In one case, because I eat their chocolate bunnies.  (After a month and her admitting she doesn't like chocolate), but the teacher doesn't know that fact. 
So now the faculty at their school might think I devour my children's candy like a strung out gluttonous maternal piranha.  Part of me frets because there is an element of truth in that appetite.
Maybe they are paying attention. Closer than I'd like.

If anyone wants me, I'll be hiding out at the mall exercising while watching basketball, not eating anyone's Easter candy.