Shopping with the "Girls"

Meet Abbie Lincoln and her twin friends, Andrea and Drusilla Jackson:

Let me begin by stating that I dread the approach of Mother's Day every year. Every year. It's one of those holidays where I sit in church and listen to stories about mothers who should be awarded sainthood, and catalog all of my glaring defects.

And then I start wondering how hard Stephen had to twist his kids' arms to go out and buy the obligatory Mother's Day present.

I'll admit I didn't make my kids five-course breakfasts before sending them off to school. I did teach them how to pour milk on cereal. I am pretty sure they will not be able to give one of those aforementioned talks in church and say that they never heard their mom raise her voice. And in my house the running gag is that my kids have an imaginary censor button at the ready when Mom begins speaking. Not that I would ever fall into the category of George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television." Not even close. But my occasionally unguarded wit had earned me some rolled eyes and "Mom!" comments. *sigh* And well-mimed censor button pushing.

So, with dread lurking and needing to be faced, I made a conscious decision to think about my mom (love you, Mom), who has been gone a couple years now, and spend time with my wonderful mother-in-law (love you, Grandma Audrey). I chose to be the kid and not the mom this time around, and focus on the mothers in my life.

As a result, I had a terrific Mother's Day.

And amazingly, because I had no expectations about what my kids would or wouldn't do, an already terrific day got even better. I got a great, gushy note from each of them (we moms like to hear that stuff from our kids) and they gave me a shopping spree--very creatively.

Now the challenge is this: I don't want to spend the shopping spree money! I don't want to go shopping with the "girls," I want to keep them!

Here's to all you mothers and mothers to be.