Gifts

For Mother's Day this year I received some outstanding gifts. From my 11-year-old son, Topher, I got a colorful hand-sculpted leaf that I can use to hold paperclips or my wedding ring. It could be used as a paperweight or simply be admired as a work of art. It was wrapped and labeled in his hand with a caligraphy pen. I love this gift and love that he was so pleased to present it.

From Ronan I received a 2-dimensional bouquet of flowers. Each flower can be removed and on the back of each is written something that Ronan will do for me. Ronan cracks me up because once before I received coupons from him that entitled me to Watch a movie with Ronan or Eat candy with Ronan or Play video games with Ronan. You get the picture. The coupons this year entitle me to 1. Cleaning my room (his, not mine), 2. Rinsing the dishes only (his exact words), and 3. A trip to the library with Ronan. For the record, he already cleans his room every day and while he occasionally rinses he also wipes down the table, takes out the trash, puts leftovers in tupperware, and helps to dry the dishes. Rinsing is the job everybody wants and the youngest child, Lacey Grace, almost always gets. Hmmm...... Going to the library is definitely a fun and rewarding way to spend time with Ronan except that I usually also have to take 20-month-old Lincoln as well to this place where everything is in alphabetical order and also at his eye level. I am, contrary to what you may think after this paragraph, a very big fan of Ro's coupon gifts, mainly because in giving them, he gives me a wonderful gift he has no knowledge of, the gift of laughter.

Lacey Grace gave a plethora of gifts this year. From school she brought a butterfly feeder and some sugar water to put on the front lawn.
In addition I had a little card made by her. When she saw how delighted I was with this gift other gifts came pouring in: a little paper crown with carefully cut knobs on top that we were to share, I would wear it on Mother's Day and she would wear it on her birthday, a nativity scene made out of paper and glued like a diarama in a cardboard box for my bedroom, a paper charm strung on nylon string to be worn as a necklace, and a recipe card written with her best handwriting and spelling that said, "I will giv inethie to mack you hape," (I will give anything to make you happy. Lacey Grace, you just did.

These are the kind of gifts I have been waiting all my life to receive. How is it that a semi-garish ceramic leaf, a coupon bouquet, and a misspelled note can mean so very much to this heart of mine? This year, my cup runneth over.

Hill children

Tonight was Lacey Grace's school concert - her very first. She was so proud to be on the risers and later told us, "I've been waiting a long time to go up on that stage." During the last song of the evening we made eye contact and held each other's gaze for the majority of the song. For me, it was a powerful moment. I thought to myself, "I can't believe that such a sweet, strong little girl is mine - that out of all the people at this concert, she wants to sing to me." I remembered holding her in my arms as an 18 month old baby and in a rare moment of stillness gazing at her and she back at me as we did tonight. I felt then and again tonight, the great honor and responsibility of being the mother of such a daughter. I have felt that way about all of the children Heavenly Father has given me in quiet moments shared between mother and child. What a beautiful gift to be a mother in Zion.

On the lighter side, Lincoln has finally learned to say the word "daddy." It's very cute and he says it with such joy when he sees that glorious being coming through the door after a day away at work. I confess that there is a little part of me that is sad about this progress. Prior to this I did a lot of giggling when Lincoln's big, manly daddy would come striding toward us and my baby would run into his arms and cry out enthusiastically, "Momma!"

About Ronan - I have a friend who ties a grocery bag around the bathroom plunger. It always looks so sanitary sitting there next to the toilet that I decided to try it. Shortly after this improvement I heard Ronan call from the bathroom, "Dad, the toilet is clogged. Can I use the plunger?" To my dismay, Jay said yes. As the mother, I knew this little affair would not end neatly. Ronan has never plunged the toilet before and has never had proper technique modeled to him. I tried to ignore lots of splashing from the bathroom. With relief I heard the toilet flush and then Ronan said, "Mom, should I take the plastic bag off now?" Yes, he had successfully and swimmingly plunged the toilet with the bag still tied around the plunger. Now tell me that this child doesn't have determination.

One more thing about Ronan - At his parent teacher conference his teacher told me, "Ronan loves to read and always has a book at the ready. When I am teaching and pause for breath he whips his book open and reads until I resume." I can't tell you how glad that makes me.

And finally, Topher. Topher likes to come into bed and lay on Jay's side when Jay is working late. He reads his book and I read my book and I love it. Since he is almost 12 I doubt this sort of thing will continue for much longer but I love the fact that my son still likes to be with me.

With all my heart, I love being a mother.