Tea anyone?

Today was Mother's Day Tea at Ella's preschool. We went for the whole day. First Ella painted a paper cut out teapot. Then we read books. We played Dora Chutes & Ladders (she was Boots, I was Dora). We did a teapot matching game, matching letters. We counted out the number of buttons, and put them on paper teapots. We did puzzles. We did patterns. We made bologna & cheese sandwiches, and cut them into shapes. We played with a tea set & water, pouring and stirring. The moms left the room, and the kids set the tables with table clothes they had decorated, placemats they made, paper candles and little butterfly napkin rings. What a precious, precious day of memories...

Like the one during dancing, when Ella whined, "I don't wanna dance....I'm too tired...noooooooooo......" and when I told her we were going to have fun dancing, she said, "I just want Daaaaaadddddddyyyyyyy..." Nice.

Ella ate her little sandwiches and had some juice, and perked up quite a bit. Me too. They sang us some sweet little songs, and we read a book, and everyone said what they love about their mom. Precious, precious memories.

And then we went outside to play on the playground. They have playground gravel, and Ella manages to get so dirty that there is a dust imprint on her car seat when she gets out after every day of preschool. It's time to go home. "Ella, time to go." "Ok, Ella, we need to go get Natalie." "Alright, Ella, let's get going." "Ella. Come here now." I finally have to go get her and carry her dirty self to the car.

Precious memories.

Don't get me wrong, aside from those two dark spots it was a nice day. It's fun to have the one on one time with Ella, and she thought it was cool to have me there. But I'm really discovering that no mothering moment is picture book pretty. There's always a little something on the side. Like a really great hug and "I love you Mommy" that is so sweet & genuine you fall to pieces, but it leaves a grape jelly smear on your new sweater. It's worth it and wonderful, but it's not completely peaches & gravy, as my husband would say.

So Happy Mother's Day. Grape jelly and all.