Cuddlebugs

Mother's Day 2010 started off with a bang on Thursday when Charlie's daycare hosted a special luncheon for the moms.  I didn't know any of the other moms before the lunch and I'm pretty sure that I've been branded as the resident idiot after the lunch.  When I got there, Charlie and I mingled around the food table, trying to make small talk with a roomful of strangers.  Despite being chubby and cute, Charlie isn't great for starting conversations yet, so the bulk of the work fell to me.  Anyway, when talking to two different moms during two different conversations, I was asked if Charlie was a ladybug or a grasshopper.  I thought that the conversation was really bizarre each time and just smiled and said, "oh, he's neither - he's a cuddlebug."  I should have known by the blank stares from the moms that I was missing something.  It was only after I was leaving Charlie's room that I noticed the sign above the door that read "Grasshoppers".  Oops - I'm sure the two other moms thought that I was an idiot.

The "teachers" helped all of the babies make gifts and it is ...(gulp) beautiful.  A homemade kleenex box cover, complete with a quote, a picture of Charlie and a smudged footprint on the one side.

While this gift has special meaning for me and I will cherish it always, I had to laugh thinking about how everything comes full circle.  I remember picking dandelions for my mom (which she proudly displayed on the kitchen counter as if they were roses) and even going as far as wrapping a pair of earrings that she already owned for her birthday or Mother's Day.  She told me that she loved the earrings and I remember thinking that of course she loved the earrings - she wore them all the time.  Needless to say, I'm sure that this is the first of many gifts that I will proudly display that will be considered works of art in our house only.

We had a great weekend - we met  our friends Arch and Jenn for dinner on Friday night, a friend of mine from law school on Saturday for lunch, and our friend Zinn and her boys for dinner on Saturday night.  Today was pretty low key.  I slept in for a few hours while BJ and Charlie had some bonding time starting around 5:45 am and then we went out for lunch and ran some errands.  Charlie was in a great mood while we were at the mall and was laughing and smiling most of the day.  It was one of those afternoons that I didn't want to end.  

Charlie is apparently a genius and read on the blog how much I hated my digital camera so he, Copper and BJ surprised me with a new digital camera.   

Me and my two boys.  Charlie was too busy polishing off a bottle to look at the camera.  Please note that Charlie didn't realize that most gifts are specially wrapped and not in a brown paper bag.  It's ok Charlie Boy - it was your first time giving me a gift.  Please ignore the fact that Copper looks like he is homeless.  He is going in for a much-needed hair cut tomorrow morning.  Even he thinks that he stinks. 

The actual camera, which I can't wait to use (it's currently charging).  BJ said "milk" and Charlie looked in his direction (just kidding).  Thanks Charlie for a wonderful first Mother's Day  - you've made me smile more than I thought was possible and my heart happier than its ever been.  Just imagine how much I'll love you when you start sleeping through the night.  I kid, I kid.

BJ and I are really lucky to have grown up with the moms that we have and it really makes us appreciate that we get to see them more often now that we've moved back to Iowa.