I love Aquamarines. They are my birthstone, and they stand for faithfulness. I have them in my Wedding Ring and my Mother’s Ring. They are in the earrings I wear nearly every day, two on each side.
On any given day, if you took time to count, you’d see I wear seven, but now…
…I have eight.
Thank you Daddy & Claire! I love it.
A few weeks ago, I had mentioned to Claire that I would like to have a flower pot (simple, but pretty) for the front step. We’d done some rearranging, and our front step is really large, perfect for something pretty.
She told Daddy, and this is what those two concocted for my Mother’s Day Surprise!
It’s massive! And beautiful! Talk about over-achieving for Mother’s Day.
Speaking of over-achievement…
Later that weekend, I mentioned to Daddy that I’d like him to help Claire plant some melon seeds we’d saved from a cantaloupe.
We have a dirt pile out back that she’s been “gardening,” and she’d be thrilled if weeds grew, let alone little purposeful plants.
I meant for the two of them to go poke holes in the ground, drop some seeds in, and water them.
This is what I saw when I went to check on them.
And, the next day, we transplanted some of our Grape Hyacinth (that had been randomly growing in Claire’s dirt pile “garden,” much to her ecstatic joy) as a barrier and planted our melon seeds. The other section of the garden box will be filled in with dirt from our other landscaping projects over the summer, and Claire will continue to “garden” it as well.
Even the weather decided to be an over-achiever, with clear skies, a soft breeze, and temps in the lower 80s!
I couldn’t have planned it any better myself…and the BEST part was that I didn’t.
We had Claire’s Ballet Gala on Saturday and took her in for a Ballerina Photo Shoot on Sunday.
This time, rather than stick to the one-pose-only deal, Daddy bought Momma a set of photos for Mother’s Day. This time, we have a CD full of images, some of which we had printed, and others we only have in electronic form.
It’s so hard to choose, especially when given free reign. To be honest, they were all good, but we printed ones that show our little ballerina in ballerina-form. I’ll be posting little photos of our Ballerina all week. (Lucky you! *cough*) 
When looking at the disc last night, I came across one of my favorite images that didn’t show Claire as a ballerina, but as Claire.
You know when you come across one that just captures a person’s true essence?
Well, here it is.
That look? That smile? The laugh that is just starting to bubble up, but it hasn’t escaped yet? The mischief brewing and plots thickening?
THIS is Typical Claire.
Pop Quiz: When is Mother’s Day?
Answer: That depends on where you are! See the conversation below… 
“I just realized that not only am I missing your birthday on this trip,” my hubby said in a panicked voice, yesterday on the phone. “I’m also missing Mother’s Day!”
“What? Mother’s Day is in May!” I told him. Where is he getting this, all of a sudden?
“No! Mother’s Day is Sunday!! And I can’t believe I’m missing it…I already feel guilty enough as it is, especially since I’m gone for two weeks this time…and I’m missing your birthday!” he said.
“Um, Mother’s Day is in May. It’s always near your mother’s birthday…” I reassured him, knowing full well that he doesn’t remember when his mother’s birthday is, so the point of reference would be lost on him.
“What?? Well, at dinner tonight, everyone was giving me a really hard time….especially when they found out that I’m in London over your birthday,” he said, audibly upset. “And, there are ads for Mother’s Day being Sunday everywhere I look over here.”
“No, for real. Mother’s Day is in May…” I said, flipping through the calendar on my wall. “It’s May 11th this year. It’s always in May. I wonder what’s going on? Why would it be different?”
So, I type Mother’s Day England into Google. Sure enough, Mother’s Day in England is Sunday, March 2nd! Unbelievable. He’s right. Mother’s Day is on Sunday.
“No way! Mother’s Day really is Sunday in England,” I said. “So, the ads you’re seeing are right, and what your friends were saying is true.”
“I can’t believe it’s different! Why do they do that!?” he said, totally relieved.
“You know, I should get extra points for this…” I said with a wicked smile. “I could have totally played this up. I could have summoned the tears. I could have really lathered on the guilt…but I didn’t.”
“That would have been so evil…” he said with a gasp, knowing I was fully capable of such things but choosing to use my powers for good. “I nearly had a stroke worrying about this!”
“Maybe that’s what you get for not remembering important dates on your own…” I said, teasing him. “Such oversights as this wouldn’t happen…” I said, unable to hold back my laughter.
“Riiiight,” he sighed. “I don’t think you understand how much trouble I thought I was in!”
“Ha ha ha! Serves you right! But, this is actually good news, and you can use this little piece of trivia to your advantage. You can tell your friends that if they miss the one in March, they can celebrate it again in May with the Yankees.”
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