Love These Boys

The week before Mother's Day the preschool calendar is full of things like: 'Shh.. don't tell', 'Secret Projects', 'Special Surprises Go Home'. The first year it was very exciting, by the 4th year, I knew what to expect. Especially because the preschool does the exact same craft every year.  Since Jack was finishing his second year of Pre-K I was not very surprised to think of what they were making in class this week.

Micah is the first to come home with a Mother's Day surprise. He comes down the stairs on Wednesday proudly caring a paper bag covered in gold glitter. "Can I play outside" is all he says to me before throwing said present, backpack and coat at me.

In the car on the way home Micah asks me if I like candy. Oh yes, I tell him. Chocolate candy, he asks. Umm, not so much, I say.  That's okay, he tells me, I can share the candy with him. What candy? The candy he put in my cup he made. The Mother's Day surprise, that he is not supposed to talk about?  I quickly tell him that is okay I don't want to know.

Once we get home Micah runs into the house, I quickly unload Finn, but before I am even inside I hear Micah yell.  "Can I have this candy?"  As I step foot in the house I see that he has unwrapped my gift, opened the coffee mug, and is pulling out the candy inside. I quickly pick it up, stuff it all back into the bag and tell him this is not his gift to open. Much crying ensues.

Jack comes home on Friday and quickly disappears. In the chaos of lunch, and getting boys down for naps, I don't really notice.  He brings me some drawings he did at school and talks a little about the day before becoming quiet.  "I have a surprise for you" he tells me.  For Mother's Day, I ask.  "I hid it." He says, "In a secret spot."  I just nod and continue feeding kids, cleaning up, putting kids to bed. As I walk past the playroom, I see Jack doing something sneaky at the play kitchen. It looks like he is hiding something. This usually  means they have snuck off with my phone or have found the hidden candy stash. I quickly jump in with a stern "What are YOU doing?"  Jack says nothing, but won't move his hands from where they are behind his back. "Are you hiding something?" I ask.  He nods.

Then it hits me. It is his Mother's Day present.  He does not want me to even see the card he made so when he first got home he snuck it out of his backpack, and hid it in the house before I could even see it. I quickly nodded at him and moved on.

Saturday morning is when we celebrate Mother's Day. Sunday is too rushed with church and lots of "Please let's be on time for once!"  Saturday I get pancakes in bed and the ability to wake up slowly.  This morning I am half asleep with a pillow over my head when I hear the door open and little feet. "Happy Mother's Day" Jack whispers as he hands me the gift he made.  The card is a hand print signed with his name. Inside the bag is a soap dispenser with his picture in it.  I will add it to the soap dispenser from last year.

"Do you like it" Jack asks. I love it, I tell him, it is just what I wanted.  More then the 3rd coffee mug or the 2nd soap dispenser, I love these boys.  Micah can't wait to let me open my present (he doesn't even really care if I open it) he is desperate to get to that candy. Jack hides the present himself and brings it up to me along with my pancakes and coffee.

One is tall, skinny, sensitive, caring; the other is not as blessed height-wise, solid, athletic, funny and sweet.  They both melt my heart when they throw their arms around me and whisper, "I love you".  These are my boys and I am truly blessed.