Happy Mother’s Day to me and all the women who assume the role of mother in some fashion. Today was a day splendidly spent with my youngest son. 
Andrew and I started out at the movies where we watched A Quiet Place. Both of us enjoyed it even though we were tense the entire time. I treated myself to popcorn and an Icee. YUM! I haven’t had movie popcorn in years.
Next up, we had a late lunch at Courtyard Café in downtown Hammond. This was our first visit, and we were not disappointed. We both ordered crepes. Andrew chose the Perfect Pair (Nutella and bacon). I chose the Strawberry Fields (strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream). YUM 2! In addition to the delightful crepes, we ordered Dragon’s Breath. It was a bowl of 
pastry puffs with liquid nitrogen. The pastry puffs are about the size of a cheese ball but look and taste like Trix cereal; however, when you bite into them, smoke comes out of your nose and mouth…like it does from a dragon. Terrific experience! YUM 3!
To round out our day together, we stopped at our favorite place…Books-A-Million. We browsed a bit and did very little damage. We left the store with a book for Andrew and a gift card for one of my students who earned over 1,000 points reading Accelerated Reader this year. Once home, I took a siesta. Later this evening, I plan to watch the first part of Little Women on PBS.
The upcoming week for me will be busy. Andrew’s Ring Mass is tomorrow evening. My 8th graders have Honors Day on Wednesday morning and Graduation on Wednesday evening. My team and I will celebrate after the graduation ceremony. I’m taking off Thursday to attend Andrew’s Undergraduate Honors program at STA. On Sunday, I plan to take my momma out, and we will celebrate her for Mother’s Day. While this week will be a whirlwind of activity, I am thankful to be a part of it all.
Gift from Son #1 for Mother’s Day
Dear reader, I hope your week makes you smile. Even if there are a few bumps during the week, or you are feeling a bit stressed, take a deep breath and be grateful that you get to participate. Happiness!
“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love.” ~ Mildred Vermont
I had rough drafts, lesson plans, and graduation tasks to complete. I admit, I was disappointed because of everything that I wanted to do during the break, this was on the top of my list to accomplish. This would have been possible had I been able to take care of the school stuff the week before break. Unfortunately, the week before my break was pretty hectic. You win some, and you lose some. The silver lining is that I now plan to scrapbook Andrew’s trip to Ireland, Wales, and London. Furthermore, I will start organizing the materials next weekend.
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On my front porch relaxing in a rocking chair, I embraced the new day by watching the sun peeking through the trees while squirrels scampered across the lawn and birds hopped about looking for breakfast; listening to the chattering of the birds; smelling the fresh air; feeling the coolness of the morning air, and tasting the smooth richness of coffee. All five of my senses were fully engaged at that moment in full communion with the new day. Bliss! At that moment, fully PRESENT, I felt bliss. And, a sense of gratitude washed over me for the opportunity to appreciate the stillness, the beauty, and the absence of time. No place to be right away or a strict schedule to follow is my idea of the perfect way to start a new day.
The Kat Files 