Mother's Day musings, take 2

So this is my second year of blogging, and herewith, my obligatory Mother's Day post.

I'm the kind of person who really loves the heck out of holidays. Thanksgiving is my favorite, but I'm a sucker for any Hallmark-inspired occasion, from Valentine's Day right on to that most sacred of them all...Mother's Day.

I tried to lower my expectations this year, and asked Fred to just cook for a family BBQ as my present this year.

We have a spanking new propane grill (to replace the 9-year-old blue Weber we got when we first moved into the house), and we were ready to really dive in and give it a workout.

My Orthodox sister is in from Israel, however, so that made barbecuing a delicate business. We had to kosherize our stainless steel BBQ tools in the dishwasher, use aluminum pans to hold the kosher steak, hamburgers and hot dogs, and make sure to use a newly purchased knife for any cutting that couldn't be done with a little white plastic one.

Fred covered the grill in aluminum foil with some holes poking through to keep the grill itself kosher, and we proceeded to wrap freshly shucked corn in tin foil and put it on the grill while Fred did the first round of hot dogs.

About the time they started to brown, it was apparent that something was not right. The grill was melting before our very eyes, and then flames started shooting up through the bottom. Not a good sign.

We quickly moved the food off the grill and inside and Fred used our kitchen fire extinguisher for the very first time.

The upshot? I ended up literally slaving over a hot stove for the next two hours, broiling all the meat in aluminium pans, fetching condiments and other assorted accoutrements for my guests, and generally not having a much-anticipated relaxed Mother's Day.

My brother, sister-in-law and Fred did pitch in to help, and played with the kids so they weren't all underfoot, and all in all - it was nice to have my entire family together for the first time in nearly 6 years. But it was certainly exhausting.

The best part of the day? After everyone had left, I asked Fred to bathe the girls. Then I took my lemon Italian ice and the Sunday New York Times and curled up on the plush sofa chair in the living room and leisurely read the paper while watching the neighborhood go by through my picture windows.

My reverie was only interrupted a half hour later by a naked Jessica, fresh from her bath and smelling sweetly of shampoo, who cuddled up with me in the chair and asked if I would sleep with her that night.

As a working mother, I don't get much alone time at home, and something like reading the paper for a half hour is a luxury I rarely get to enjoy. So I treasured that time last night and a half hour was all I needed to recharge and rejoin my little girls in our nighttime routine.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there who rarely get that much "me" time either, but who also could never resist the lure of a freshly washed child - a beautiful reminder of the wonders of being a mother.