The Kids Shall be First, & the Moms Shall be Last.

An omelet with hollandaise and provolone, strawberries with whip cream,  fancy bacon, and a delectable cup of steaming hot coffee in my favorite mug.  The final treat was a fried potato, the kind you can find at your local fast food restaurant, but better because we are eating at home.  My heart and soul longs for this wedge of treat-y potato goodness.  This was the breakfast which was laid out in front of me for Mother's Day.  

Silas had been working with the kids in the kitchen to perfect the feast.  They were a bit like spaced-out cats or chickens, so it was my pleasure to find something to do outside of the kitchen to wait for breakfast.  I could hear my son turning the whip cream to butter as he stared out the window.   

I was served first, so I was taking my time eating, so that we could all eat together, and so that I could eat that potato last.  The kids sat down, then soon Silas.  I opened the card from the kids.  Someone got milk to cool the coffee the kids like.  I had worked my way through the strawberries, and two bites of bacon and omelet, still pushing the pleasure of the potato off just a bit. 

Just then, the full jug of milk my son was yielding, tipped my full mug of coffee into my plate, saturating the majority of my breakfast, including the perfect potato, with coffee.  What couldn't fit into the plate, splashed onto the table full of Mother's Day cards.  Wet bacon, floating omelet, and spongy, soggy potato.  The coffee is soaked up in an old beach towel, and the food is in the compost.  

I'll be honest, my heart sunk, I really wanted to eat that potato.  I'm writing this in past-tense, but it really only happened 30 minutes ago.  It is the kind of thing some say, after you let the disappointment go, "We can laugh about later."  For me, I could laugh about as it was happening.  It typifies the experience of mothering for me.  

If you feel you can control what you are going to eat, when and how much you sleep, how clean your floor is, or going to the bathroom by yourself, then being a mom is the best learning experience for you.  This Mother's Day reminded me that loving my kids is a sacrifice of which I am perfectly willing to participate.  

As the coffee spoiled my breakfast, sure, I was disappointed, but I laughed right away.  I laughed because it was comical and I laughed with joy.  

Coffee soaked card and beach towel.