My heart is full after a happy weekend celebrating Archer’s 3rd birthday. Last year was kind of a mess. On his birthday, we’d had dinner but that night around 4am is when I got the call that my Mom had taken a turn for the worst and then we never really celebrated Archer’s 2nd birthday after that.

His one big request that he has literally talked about since November is that he wanted a Mickey Mouse cake. I have zero idea why he got fixated on that, but in true Archer form he’s like a dog with a bone. He will not let it go — so I ordered a Mickey Mouse cake from my dear friend Melissa who makes the most delicious and charming cakes. How happy and cute is he in this pic?!

We went for simple and easy this year: dinner at a family favorite pizza spot with all 22 family members from both sides of our families. It was fantastic. Archer stood on his chair in exhilaration for most of the time; he’s besotted with his cousins, particularly Blythe (who he calls “Bive”).

Jude asked to get out of school early on the day we had Archer’s little mother’s day out class “party”* and I happily acquiesced. Archer and his buddies were THRILLED to have the big kid come to their class.

Editor’s note & subsequent tangent: *I use the term “party” loosely here as it basically involved me showing up right before pickup with mini donuts and handing them out on paper towels. It’s funny – I remember picking Jude up from MDO when he was about this age and some other kid in his class had had a party there. The mom had made individual party favors for every kid in the class – I was floored. I didn’t even know who this kid was. “Well, clearly this is what Good Mothers do,” I thought to myself. I’ve since learned better — but I will admit to still having the same moment of doubt as I walked into MDO for Archer. Was it enough? Was what I did enough? Am I good enough?

Internet, this is Satan, plain and simple. I don’t care if you believe in Jesus or not – we can all agree that it’s evil to have this kind of self-doubt.

I had lunch with my BFF Susan the other day and we were talking about this very topic. I mentioned that my Mom didn’t do any of this foolishness that this current generation of mothers feels the pressure to do. “And you know what?” Susan remarked, her eyes lighting up. “She was still a good mom, wasn’t she?”

“Yes – yes, she was,” I admitted.

And it just goes to show that maybe we all need to cut ourselves some slack. I loved my mom just the same even though she not once ever handmade party favors for any of my (low-key) birthday parties. I loved her for her.

The end of tangent.

Archer. You’re such a sweet and wonderful little bossypants. With your crazy curly hair and your little squinched-up nose. We adore you – even when you’re a cranky old man and yell at us from your bed that you “DO NOT WANT MY BED! I DO NOT WANT IT! I DOOOOO NOOOOOOOT WAAAAAAANT IIIIIIIIIIIT.”  Or when you tell Jude to “KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF, JUDE.”

My vote’s for you — you’re going places, kid.

Keep telling me All the Things and giving side eye to those you find suspicious. I think it will serve you well. And please, my love, do keep eating soup with your pinky finger in the air.

What a treasure you both  are to me, my boys.

love,

Mama

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