Hot Mom!

“Hot Mom”…Those were the words my son spoke this morning as I was getting him ready for the day. He often has something interesting to say first thing in the morning, but this was a bit off the charts, even for him. Since his most recent verbal explosion, his constant narration of life happens to be the best parts of my day.

His first words each morning often set the tone for the rest of day. On the days he says, “I pooped”, you can only imagine what I have in store for the rest of the day. The other morning he couldn’t wait to tell me about the frogs we saw at the pond the afternoon before - “Big mama frog ready eat bugs now”. I can thank his mom for his affinity for nature.

However, his words this morning caught me off guard – even this was a new one for me. It was a bit earlier than usual, so it was understandable that I was still groggy. There are times I need a toddler translator to really understand him. Often, he recalls things that happened days prior that I can barely remember. His mind is a sieve and upon hearing the words, “Hot mom”, my first thought was that I need to be more careful what I say around him!

After I asked him to repeat himself, he said, “Hot mom shirt, dad”. Now I get it. My wife and I had previously told him that he was going to wear his “My mom is hot” shirt for Mother’s Day. He was dutifully reminding me of his appreciation for his mom on her day. Coincidentally, it just so happens that a week ago I found a brand new “My mom is hot” shirt in the back of my car. I can’t help but think it was planted there by someone.

My task for the day was to make sure my wife felt appreciated – not just for today, but for her amazing ability to be a great role model for our son. In the past, I have budgeted for nice gifts that I knew she would never buy for herself. While I’ve never been a wealthy person, I have tried to spend my dollars wisely, so there was always enough to show my love and appreciation for those who mattered most.

Besides, the whole situation was always “temporary” (there’s that word again!). The whole idea to further my education, while my peers started their careers making money, was predicated on the idea that at the very least it could open up more opportunities for me. It seems logical, right? Ironically, during my recent job search I was actually turned down because of my degree. I was told, “People like you don’t fit in our culture”. Wow.

But…the truth is that my wealth is evidenced by the friendships and relationships I’ve cultivated over the years. It’s not always about getting or giving an extravagant gift. As it turns out, the ability to spend on your loved ones is a luxury. Who doesn’t have an Ipod, or a digital camera, or an expensive cell phone? These are things we can’t live without, right? I’m guilty too (except for the phone – I’ve had the same phone for about 4 years). As I am forced to cut costs, I must become creative. How can I express my appreciation for my wife as cheaply as possible? When it comes to gift giving, the words “appreciation” and “cheap”, when juxtaposed, are in opposition to each other. If you really break down that sentence, it essentially reads, “Be cheap to your wife”. But, that’s the point. So, in addition to the video gift attached to this entry, I decided to take my wife to a Mother’s Day dinner at Friendly’s (I know, really cheap, right?).

For my son, his appreciation for ice cream goes beyond even his adoration of Diego. It is pure gold. Our extravagant dinner of quesadillas was accompanied by laughter, kisses, tickles….even a few squeals of delight when the ice cream arrived. While his words early this morning may have at first caught me off guard, I can only smile and laugh at the things he says. Towards the end of dinner, I was surprised again when he turned to his mom and offered to share his precious ice cream with her. He then said, “I make mom happy”, as he grinned ear to ear. It may not have been an Ipod, or a cell phone, or even a posh dinner – it was ice cream. It was her son’s ice cream. It was true…She was happy.

Happy Mother’s Day to my hot wife!