Mother's Day

This year, British Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday, falls on March 14th - 2 weeks from this Sunday (tomorrow).  More about Mothering Sunday:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_Sunday

So I thought we could have a Mother's Day thread.  We could revive it again when US Mother's Day rolls around, or start a new one - whichever. 

If you feel more inclined to complain about your mother, or mother-in-law, I would direct you to either the:

Official Parent Venting Thread

or the:

Official In-Law Venting Thread

Please let's keep this Mother's Day thread for good thoughts, in the spirit of Mother's Day. 

British Mother's Day is the only one I celebrate now, because I lost my mom at Christmas-time 2008, and I am not a mother myself.  Of course, I miss my mom, but hers was a good death considering she was nearly 83 years old, had been ill for 30+ years, and the last several years of her life she did not really have any quality of life remaining.  So for her, death was a blessed release from an especially long period of illness and suffering.

I was thinking yesterday of stuff she used to say that tickled me - things like 'I don't care who started it - I'm finishing it!'  (it probably didn't amuse me when I was a little girl) and more colourful things - perhaps her nurse's sense of humour...she would talk of someone having a sh*tty outlook on life - because the cord that ran from their bottom to the back of their eyeball was just too short. 

Also, I think I must be one of the lucky ones, because I love my MIL to bits!  She isn't my mom, of course, and I don't feel the same sense of familiarity around her (yet) but our connection is growing as the years pass.  We'll be spending Mother's Day with her and the rest of DH's immediate family.  I'm not sure what we're going to get for her gift yet?  My in-laws have been so kind and accepting of me - I couldn't have asked for better.  They were just so happy to see their shy eldest son settled and content, which they attribute to me (bless them).  And for her part, she raised an amazing son - the kindest, gentlest, most tolerant man I've ever met, which is good because he needs to be all those things to put up with me. 

Nice thread

We twist things around and celebrate the british date with my american mom and the american date with my british mum in law. We decided since they both have other children it would give them each two mother's day a year .

When I think about my mom the first thought is the journey I have watched her take. When I was growing she was a very quiet mother/housewife who always left decisions to my dad and always deffered to him. As I entered my teens she began to change- she began to become her own person and confident in her decisions. She now challenges ideas regularly- (maybe too often sometimes ;-) ). Thankfully my dad took this journey with her and supported her- which couldn't have been easy for him at times.
I have watched their relationships blossom with her increased confidence and it has shown me what being a mother and wife should be about- sharing and working together.

We twist things around and celebrate the british date with my american mom and the american date with my british mum in law. We decided since they both have other children it would give them each two mother's day a year .

What a great idea!

When I think about my mom the first thought is the journey I have watched her take. When I was growing she was a very quiet mother/housewife who always left decisions to my dad and always deffered to him. As I entered my teens she began to change- she began to become her own person and confident in her decisions. She now challenges ideas regularly- (maybe too often sometimes ;-) ). Thankfully my dad took this journey with her and supported her- which couldn't have been easy for him at times.
I have watched their relationships blossom with her increased confidence and it has shown me what being a mother and wife should be about- sharing and working together.

Lovely! 

I'm really luck I have a wonderful mother in law, too. She really is very caring and sweet. I once took her to be hard as nails (and in some ways she is) but it is so painfully obvious to me now how much she really does care about people, even if she isn't overly affectionate physically or with flowery words. When I am sick, she sends broth. When I've had to go to the hospital for tests, she has gone with me. She loves her grandkids to the ends of the earth and she goes out of her way to ease the gap between DH and his son's mother so that arrangements run more smoothly. She often just picks up some jeans or whatever she thinks might fit me at the charity shop, and to her credit, they usually do fit. And if I don't like them, she doesn't mind me taking them back. She's very thoughtful. She may be the cheapest person alive but I prefer to think of her as thrifty, or economical. She raised four boys through the miners strike by working two jobs since her husband was a coal miner and couldn't work. She has amazing strength and she is in better shape than I am! She is also one of the few people who can take me down at Scrabble. She's fierce!  I'm so glad that she has welcomed me with open arms, even though really she had no idea how to feel about her son moving some American to this little village that he met online. Still, she made the best of it and has made a true effort to get to know me and treat me like family and I'm truly grateful for that.

My mom has her faults. But there are many good things about her. She is generous and kind and loves her family and always does her best. She feeds the stray cats in the neighbourhood (even though she doesn't like cats) and she nursed a bird with a broken wing that landed in her yard. She has taken in my cousin when he had nowhere else to go and helps him out in so many ways. I think these examples show the kind of person she can be. She really does have a big heart and many people (including myself, at times) don't always give her the credit she deserves. I know she loves me more than anything in the world, even if she doesn't always show it. She was very supportive (and still is) of my coming to the UK and of my new family life here with my husband and stepson, but she still whinges enough about missing me that I feel truly missed.  I really do love her and feel very sorry for her sometimes, both for the way she is treated by others and for the way she treats herself. She often deserves much better. She is my one and only mom, and I love her unconditionally, even if she makes me crazy sometimes.

What are people getting their MILs or mothers (for British Mother's Day) - whatever the case may be?  Cards?  Pressies?  We've got to figure out something to get my MIL.

Or are you hoping for a present yourself? 

What are people getting their MILs or mothers (for British Mother's Day) - whatever the case may be?  Cards?  Pressies?  We've got to figure out something to get my MIL.

Or are you hoping for a present yourself? 

I'm planning to put together a dvd for my MIL this week with pictures of my stepson on it and music and everything - like a slideshow she can play on her dvd player. That will be her gift from him and then DH and I will probably just get her a nice jumper or something like that from us. 

That's a good idea!  Steve usually makes her a card with a silly picture of her on it.    I feel like we're pretty same-y with her Mother's Day present from year to year:  smellies, candles, chocolates, something she asked for for traveling, that sort of thing.  I think I'll suggest a gardening supplies/plant voucher this year.  I've hesitated to give a voucher in the past, but they gave Steve a bit of cash at Christmas for one of his gifts, so maybe a voucher isn't so bad.

We usually go with a nice basket with plants in it (usually from Costco )

That's a good idea!  Steve usually makes her a card with a silly picture of her on it.    I feel like we're pretty same-y with her Mother's Day present from year to year:  smellies, candles, chocolates, something she asked for for traveling, that sort of thing.  I think I'll suggest a gardening supplies/plant voucher this year.  I've hesitated to give a voucher in the past, but they gave Steve a bit of cash at Christmas for one of his gifts, so maybe a voucher isn't so bad.

That's a nice idea, too! My MIL usually goes nuts putting out new flowers this time of year, so maybe I could half inch your idea. 

We tend not to do gifts at Mother's Day.  She doesn't really need anything (I do like the garden centre voucher ideas though.)  It's hard enough coming up with Christmas present ideas!

Last year we took her to this huge outdoor garden place (forget what it's called) and out to lunch.  This year I think we're going to try to take her to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (she loves art) and out to lunch.

We also get a card as well and either post it off or give it to her on the day.

Nice thread

When I think about my mom the first thought is the journey I have watched her take. When I was growing she was a very quiet mother/housewife who always left decisions to my dad and always deffered to him. As I entered my teens she began to change- she began to become her own person and confident in her decisions. She now challenges ideas regularly- (maybe too often sometimes ;-) ). Thankfully my dad took this journey with her and supported her- which couldn't have been easy for him at times.
I have watched their relationships blossom with her increased confidence and it has shown me what being a mother and wife should be about- sharing and working together.

That's so wonderful. 
And happy International Women's Day to you all.

We've had necklaces done with Jean's fingerprint in from smallprint for my MIL and my Mom (she'll get hers in May).  I've given Alex and Jean a list of things I'd like at LUSH 

I've given Alex and Jean a list of things I'd like at LUSH 

Oh it must be great being a mother! 

I just remembered that my MIL had asked me to pick up some curling tongs for her at Tesco next time I go (which I never do) which I now think may have been a hint that she wants them for Mother's Day (she asked me nearly a month ago... but she does things like that in advance... hopefully she hasn't already bought some for herself!) Hmm... do you think I should just get her some? Or shall I ask her if she has bought any for herself first?

For anyone celebrating mothers here in the UK or US this weekend, or any mothers who are being celebrated - have a Happy Mother's Day weekend!