Thank You, Wonderful Husband!

In a few hours I'll be starting my Mother's Day weekend pampering, thanks to my wonderful hubby who will be holding down the fort on the weekend! Yes, I know, he holds down the fort every day...and he does a fantastic job of it as well...but weekend time is extra duty. I try not to schedule a lot of events back to back in the evenings or on the weekend, but this weekend is scheduled back to back:

• In a few hours, I'll be joining my friend Shelia in celebrating her 40th birthday at a Girls' Night Getaway at McMenamin's Grand Lodge in Forest Grove. I haven't had a girls' night overnight since my sister's bachelorette party in '97!! That's bad. I'm really looking forward to it.
• Tomorrow afternoon, after stopping home for a few hours to see the kids, my sister and I will go out with my mom. We usually take her out to brunch the day before Mother's Day, but my plans tonight mean we've had to revise plans. I'm looking forward to our annual women-only time.
• Sunday we'll go to church, which promises to be emotional. Each year on Mother's Day and Father's Day, three members of the community share their own personal stories of mothering or fathering. (Mike was asked to talk this Sunday about my qualities as a mother, but it was sort of last minute, so he declined and told me that I shouldn't take it personally--he likes to have more time to prepare for those sorts of things. [I don't take it personally...it's the last thing he needs to worry about since he'll have all three kids for much of the weekend!]) At any rate, Mother's and Father's Day services are always highly emotional and touching.
• After church my dad, Mike, and wonderful brother-in-law are making and serving us lunch.
• After my sister and her family depart in the afternoon, we will go off to the Portland Art Museum to see the Degas exhibit on its last day. I was able to get free tickets via my company's membership, and it will be the younger children's first visit to the art museum. Since Kieran has become an absolutely obsessive artist, I'm hoping he will enjoy it!

I'd better go off and pack for my overnight...Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

Nicholas just woke up from his nap and I played this Mother's Day song for him (my mom sent it to me). It made him giggle out loud! He loves balls and babies, and this little ditty had both!