Sitting at the kitchen counter, minding my own business and resting after another exhausting shopping trip, my reverie was broken when my son decided he must speak his mind. "Mom, thanks so much for buying those pudding cups you know I like. That was really nice of you."
Say WHAT?!?
Absolute shock: a face usually reserved for stepping on an entire tube worth of toothpaste on the bathroom floor or finding my best scissors used on fruit leather or, better yet, the real leather chair.
It crosses my face often enough that its appearance evoked no special attention. I was surprised, however, he didn't notice when I almost fell off the stool.
"You're ... welcome?" I tentatively reply after regaining my composure- and balance; more surprised his follow up was a hug and not a request for extra computer time.
It gets weirder.
Over the next several days I was thanked for waking someone up in the morning, driving a kid to school, making a favorite dinner, fixing a pair of pants. The thoughtful thanks just kept rolling out off their tongues!
So much for motherhood being a thankless job. Somehow my children actually noticed the things I do on a regular basis. And they appreciated it. Enough to tell me. I checked their biological clocks and they were at least a decade or two ahead of schedule. I couldn't figure out what kind of alternative universe I'd entered, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it.
While it lasted, anyway.
A couple weeks later I was once again at the counter resting my shopping-sore feet. "You bought pudding cups? But I wanted granola bars!" Ah, to that I know how to respond. (Cue up the You-Want-To-Go-There-? face and watch the kid scamper upstairs, bemoaning the cruelty of his insensitive mother). Guess I accidentally hit the reset button on those biological clocks. Oops.
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| This picture has nothing whatsoever to do with the post. I just like it. |
Those "Thanks!" sound like a wonderful surprise! Was it maybe prompted by something they learned at church that week?
ReplyDeleteI had a moment like that the other day when my 10 year old came into the kitchen while I was doing dishes, and asked, "Can I help?"
ReplyDeleteUm, yes?
So he did - he washed all the pots and pans from dinner by hand. The only reasonable thing I can come up with is that he was trying to delay having to go to bed. (And also, I'm pretty sure the kid has a really incredible heart.)
Maybe they had brain transplants. Seems like the likely suspect.
ReplyDeleteI like that picture too. Enjoy it when ever you can get the thanks, it is nice . Your kids are great. Miss you guys.
ReplyDeleteThey THANKED you for waking them up in the morning?! The response I usually get is a look of fear behind the hands covering a child's face because I have to resort to employing a spray bottle to get them out of bed.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty impressed with your kids...but I'll be more impressed when they start tipping you! ;o) (The only "tips" I get come when I empty loose change from the pockets of dirty laundry.)
Love those moments when they act older than their ages. They are few and far between but oh, so awesome.
ReplyDeleteA little thanks goes a long way, but especially with mothers.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Wow, that's awesome! I almost feel bad when I get so shocked by a thank you or a nice comment. :D
ReplyDeleteYa never know who their little minds work, do ya?!
ReplyDelete