I now know exactly what my kids like about me

For Mother's Day this year, both kids did projects that spelled out stuff they like about me. Sabrina made a mini booklet on the topic and Max put together a cute tree at school with leaves that detailed his appreciation.

This is what Max thinks I do particularly well:

• I take him out to the movies
• I cook stuffed shells with him
• I read with him
• I take him to the fire department 

Sabrina is impressed that:

• I brought her into this world
• I help her clean up her room
• I encourage her to be a better person
• I help her feel better during hard times and also "go through your long speeches when I do something wrong so I can learn."
• I take her on great vacations, like the Bahamas. (Which we have never actually been to, HINT HINT HINT.)
• When she is sick, I will do "anything" to help her feel better. 

Oddly, neither of them mentioned some of my more endearing traits including:

• Considering frozen entrées perfectly acceptable meals
• Pretending to be asleep when they come into our room too early in the morning
• Misplacing my iPhone approximately every seven minutes and yelling "Has anyone seen my phone?"
• Nonstop streaming commentary about Dave's driving on family road trips
• Embarrassing them at restaurants when I send back food 
• Sneak-attacking their ears to pick out wax
• Screeching "WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE NOW OR WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!"

Anyhoo, it was both fun and heartening to read their Mother's Day tributes. I mean, I try to be a good mom, yet you never know what your kids appreciate about you given that they don't mention it the other 364 days of the year. But the "I love you's"—well, those never stop.