The best birthday gift ever!

I think I'm sick of birthdays. Literally. For the second year in a row, I was really sick on my birthday. Does this mean I am sick of birthdays and don't want anymore (I will be 30 next year). It was not so fun, but birthdays can be good even if we're not, right? Most of the day was spent in bed, in the bathroom, trying to wrangle three little ones and keep them entertained while I was flat down, trying to wash some of the dirty laundry piles from the other family members who were sick as well, while Dave went off to work (he offered to stay home, but me being the prideful mother I can be sometimes declined because I'd be okay). That afternoon, when Emma got home from school, she told me she had a present for me. She had a big smile on her face and came and gave me this.

She stayed up the night before making this book for me, it was one of her many journals. I thought I heard her up, and I let her do quiet things in her bed if she stays there and tries to settle down since she's quite the night owl. She was very sneaky! She drew little doodles in it, on each page there was a little message or something about me. This is what it said (I've corrected some of the spelling mistakes on here so there will be no confusion, though i do love the second grade spelling): "Mom, we made you this book. Hope you enjoy it. Dear Mom, Cal said 'I love you'. Lucy says 'I love you'. Sweet mom. Best ever. Friendly. We love mom. Nice. So nice. Good. We love you. We love music. Best. Good at things. Helps. Helps everyone. Love. Cute. Love you. So fun. Loves cooking. Makes crafts. Builds things. Gentle. Polite. Played soccer and basketball. Love, Emma, Cal & Lucy." On one of the pages, it said "I want to give you these coupons". Inside, there were a bunch of cut out squares of cardstock that Emma made the coupons on. She wrote on them: "Book, You day, free day, foot bath, stop cleaning, foot massage, breakfast in bed, break day." She told me I could use them anytime I wanted, more than once, whenever I wanted. Oh, how she melted my heart! It was so sweet I cried! These are the best kinds of gifts, the ones that come from the heart. This made my birthday. I am so blessed to have such a thoughtful, sweet kids and husband, too! It's fun now that they're starting to do things on their own initiative instead of being prompted. Some days being a mommy is a thankless job. The faces and rears we wipe all day, the piles of laundry that never slow down, the dishes to load, meals to prepare, floors to sweep, the time you spend playing when you should be tackling the to-do list, reading the same book 13 times in one day...there is always so much and much of it is mundane work. And it is rare to hear a "thank you for taking me potty" or "that dinner was delicious" or "thanks for playing catch with me" or "I love you so much". It's usually "I don't need to go potty" or "This is gross, do I have to eat it?" or "can't we play something else?" or "I hate you, Mommy!" And it's frustrating and overwhelming and there are some days I feel like I'm going to explode. But moments like these make it all worth it! We did do a birthday make-up party the following weekend. We went to Cappy's, a little diner in town, for dinner and then played together at home and did a movie night. But this sweet gift from Emma and the other kids made my birthday and I will cherish it forever! <3