And on the subject of gifts, there's an amusing story. You see, when Derek arrived back in the nest after his year of...distance learning... he naturally dumped his small pile of belongings in our bonus room to sort, consolidate, weed out, and repack them in preparation for the next time he departs in August. (And can I just say that it warmed my heart to keep him company while he wrangled his possessions--chatting and periodically jumping in to consult when he couldn't quite figure out what to do with a particular item. I'm inordinately pleased that at least SOME of my organizational tendencies rubbed off on him! Mother/Son bonding at its best, lemme tell ya...)Anyway, I've clearly gotten way off track here, so reining it in: we'd already been laughing at the ridiculous number of free t-shirts bestowed upon him during his first 2 semesters at the university, advertising everything from the school itself, to athletic events, to local businesses. Then at one point he pulled out a sweatshirt depicting his residence hall for the year. I commented on how cool that was, which he brushed off with a disparaging, "No hood; I'll never wear it." I responded with a side-eyed glance, which seemed to cause him a moment of confusion, before he caught on and correctly interpreted, "Oh, right...Mom's always lamenting how hard it is to find non-hoodies for herself....this would be perfect for her!" So he tossed it to me with a cheery, "There you go, Mom. Happy Mother's Day!"
(Hey, it may be a cheap swag hand-me-down from my kid's college, but it made me happy, so that's what counts, right? Besides, with the amount we're paying for his education, I figured it's the very minimum they can do for me...)
Sunday itself included some of our customary activities, such as my outdoor bootcamp/breakfast at Whole Foods with the fitness gang afterwards, and church for me and the boys. There was one slight difference in the latter, however: lately Riley has been using the drive to services as behind-the-wheel practice, to amass hours that he needs to log before he can get his actual license. Thus I think this might have been the first time I've been in the passenger seat, with Derek in the back and Riley chauffeuring us...which provided one of those weird/disconcerting "the kids are too grown-up for my comfort" moments that happen on an unfortunately regular basis. (Siiiighhh...)
On the way home we detoured to Kohl's, to purchase socks for the college dude who refused to be bothered with replacing his worn-out ones during the academic term, and therefore brought a mound of tattered, holey, unusable rags back...for the garbage. (Um...thanks for that, sweetie...)Then while we were already out...at lunchtime...we made a snap decision to take the opportunity to dine at one of Riley's and my faves (Mediterranean Deli, a much-loved Chapel Hill institution offering a dizzying variety of super-tasty dishes). Impromptu (delicious) fun with the fam--yay!
After completing our agenda of communing with God, accomplishing errands, and foraging, we headed back to the homestead for a relaxing afternoon. I also got to enjoy my actual surprises, which included cards, flowers, a Dunkin' Donuts giftcard, and dark chocolate peanut butter cups. First of all, do my guys know me, or what? Secondly, they chose wisely on the candy, which came from a brand that I trust so much I don't even have to read the labels anymore. (But Husband--less well-versed in the world of organic/gluten-free/environmentally friendly/etc. declared "You should have seen us in the store, scrutinizing the ingredients. We did our homework!" Nicely done, gentlemen...)
All-in-all, it was a pleasant and satisfying Dia de Madres, most notably marked by good food and Team WestEnders togetherness. Truly, what more can a girl ask for? Now if you'll excuse me, there are some sweets calling my name....mmmm....
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