Hope this is not a repost.

I let mine hear her grand daughter sing "row row row your boat" over the phone. Though it sounded more like "roo roo roo blablabla teeheehee! Kattamjauw!" (My daughter has renamed the cat to kattamjau and greets him with that every time she sees him.)

Ha! Funny video.

I just got home from a lovely day. My parents, sister, nephew, and kids went for lunch at a little rundown place on the river that has great fish sandwiches. Then we went for a long boat ride. My father paid for everything, so I guess I didn't do anything for my mom. We're not really into exchanging cards or presents on days like this. Saying "Happy Mothers Day!" and being together is enough for us. We had a great day, it was good for my head.

I had a lovely mother's day week, actually. Mom came in from Seattle, one aunt came up from Florida, another came in from Pennsylvania. We spent a lot of time together, and had a blast. So this weekend I got to spend in my garden and relaxing in the sun (and shade), today I played with my new Mother's Day camera, we visited the cemetery for my husband's mom, visited my father-in-law and his fiancee at the rehab (FIL has compression fractures in his spine, and is very feeble), and just relaxed. Oh, and I spoke to my mom, too. The weather cooperated beautifully, and I couldn't have asked for more.

In the last week I have planted tons of flowers at my mom's. Yesterday I planted a couple dwarf alberta spruces for her. The swing (the actual mother's day present) she wants for her deck is out of stock at Lowes and we're waiting for them to get more (the swing is sold out at all the somewhat local stores.) They have 24 on order and seemingly no idea of when they might show up and they won't hold one. I'm supposed to believe that the truck drivers for Lowes drive randomly about the country delivering items and that this info is not contained in a computer ANYWHERE. Because they are sneaky bastards. (The swing is a Lowes exclusive. Fuckers.)

I also fixed her kitchen plumbing. The woman keeps putting things in the garbage disposal that should not go there. She just cannot keep it in her head that potato skins DO NOT go there.

I'm getting ready to go over there now to till the flowerbed area in her back yard.

I got a new hammock and the chance to lie in it, although briefly. Then my five year old came out and I had to share half the hammock and one of my headphones so we could listen to music together. I hope I did not warp her by allowing her to rock out to Tattooed Love Boys.

I got my mom some solar lights that go under her patio umbrella (she likes to mellow poolside at night and candles don't quite cut it) and a bucket of strawberry margaritas. My folks and a couple of my sisters are coming over for dinner soon. The mister is cooking tonight, which is nice.

Oh..and dabitch, what does kattamjau mean?

Heh. I don't even know where my parents are living right now. They're staying in an apartment somewhere until the house they're moving into is finished. Needless to say, my mother did not think this was an adequate enough excuse for not sending a card.

She also wants me to visit, but there's no way in hell I'm staying in a 2-bedroom apartment with my parents and brother. It'll be like family vacations in elementary school all over again, except now my brother and I occupy a lot more space.

I called my mom up. She did not know it was Mother's Day. It is amazing that this woman I was afraid (and loved) the most as I was growing up, is now such a sweet and vulnerable old lady. Getting old breaks my heart.

Happy mommies everywhere.

I don't speak any Scandinavian language--but is it kitty meow?

Nothing--the only way I have a mother is biologically.

Brujita is correct, you linguist, it's kitty-meow.

(oh and yeah, that was a funny video. Are brothers always like that? All brother-pairs I know act like that.)

I sent her a card.

Do people in the USA just commonly wish any breeding-age woman happy mother's day? I got it from a ton of ppl yesterday (in Philly. Maybe it's just those wacky pennsylvanians). It freaked me out.

Then, it also freaks me out that mr. gaspode's dad gives mr. gaspode's mom a mothers day gift. She's not his mother! (had never seen anything like that in NZ, although maybe I'm just a freak).

Wishing a non-mom Happy Mother's Day is just kind of tacky, gaspode. However, a man honoring the mother of his children is pretty much expected.

Hrm. Maybe I was just oblivious to stuff like that.