Mother's Day

Fabian surprised me with a Mother's Day gift he made in kindergarten. My first Mother's Day gift from him!!!!

Today, when lots of countries around the world celebrate this day....I think of ALL the different types of mothers out there! May we all have the blessings and the strength required for this title.

Spiderman

"Mom: Please draw a Spiderman tattoo on my arm!"

One day, he will grow up and realize I can't draw to save my life. As of now, I just smile as I see him walk away feeling very proud -invincible!- with his tattoo.

15 de agosto

Today is "Mother's Day" in Costa Rica and it's also the 61st year that India celebrates its "Independence Day".

After Fabian was born, I celebrated my first "Mother's Day" in Goa, India. Every year, on this day, I realize I have come to admire my Mom Olga and my Grandmother Carmen, more and more.

This year I am also remembering one other special Mom of mine...my Mom Marie. She was brave enough to want to host an exchange-student and as I have said before, it was a great opportunity for me. Mom Marie played a very important role in my life...I'll be forever thankful that I met her and I still remember things that she taught me.

Here are some of my memories: She was really excited for me when I was going out on a "date", she helped me write a good-bye note to the editor of the local newspaper before I went back to my country, she asked me to help her cook dinner on Wednesdays and whenever she made plans I was sure she would carry them out. During my first days of my arrival at her house, she bought me shorts so that I could stand the heat of the desert (Arizona), she bought me a diary so I could record all of my exciting experiences of my exchange-student days (that was probably what lead me to blog later), she took me to Church every Sunday morning, even though she wasn't a Catholic and didn't stay for the Mass. I saw Mom Marie ten years later after my exchange-student year when I went back to Arizona for a High School Reunion. She kept in touch with me by air mail and e-mail as well.

Now she's no longer with us and the only regret that I have is that she never visited me in Costa Rica (due to the fact that I started to travel a lot since my early working days). I remember her when I think of my AFS experience, when I go to a library and when I see Fabi's eye color, which also reminds me of the rest of the family, my former host-father Curt (who is also not with us any more), my host-brother Josh and host-sister Cari.

Last year my Mom spent this day in the hospital. One year later, she's recovered from very scary sick times and just a few days before "Mother's Day" she met Cari for the first time, as my former host-sister happened to be in Costa Rica! What exciting times!

I want to wish a very "Happy Mother's Day!" to Mom Olga & Mom Marie....my Grandmother Carmen ... all of my friends who are mothers and those soon-to-be Moms, too!

(Cari & Mom Olga in Heredia, during Cari's recent trip to Heredia, Costa Rica - Aug. 2008)

¡Gracias, Sandra, por compartir tu poema! ¡Qué pases un muy feliz Día de las Madres!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Indian mothers who are celebrating their Independence Day, too!...

Happy Day!

On this day of Pentecost I pray to the Holy Spirit for wisdom and patience especially, for all the mothers in this world.

On this Mother's Day, I think about all the women who have sick children, who have given their children in adoption, who have children in heaven, who are waiting to be mothers...may they all know that it's their day too!

To celebrate this day I found a list of "Momisms". Here are some of the classical ones:

• Money does not grow on trees.
• Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
• If I talked to my mother like you talk to me....
• Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
• Be careful or you'll put your eye out.
• What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
• Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
• If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
• Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been!
• Be careful what you wish for, it might come true.
• It doesn't matter what you accomplish, I'll always be proud of you.
• I hope that when you grow up, you have kids "Just Like you"! (Also known as the "Mother's Curse")
• This is why we can't have nice things.
• If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times.
• Eat your vegetables, those children in China (Africa, Vietnam) would be happy to have some broccoli to eat!
• If you fall out of that tree and break you leg , don't come running to me.
• Someday your face is going to stick like that.
• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Yes, I *AM* the boss of you.
• Just wait till your father gets home.
• No dessert till you clean off your plate.
• I've got eyes in the back of my head, that's how
• Get that thing out of your mouth! (or nose)
• Just you wait until you have kids of your own - then you'll understand
• I slave for hours over a hot stove and this is the thanks I get?!
• Honestly... You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on!
• Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.
• Because I said so.
• Because I'm your mother, that's why.

A much funnier version of these momisms is in this video that Liza posted.

HAVE A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Mother´s Day Pics & Update...

My Mom got a really cool present on her day: a Digital Frame (similar to this). I took some pictures so that when she gets home from the hospital she can enjoy seeing her grandson. The pictures are here.

Bittersweet Day - 15.Aug.07

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates today the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Today is a day when the Catholics go to celebrate Mass even if August 15th is not on a Sunday. Most of the population in Costa Rica is Catholic and therefore - in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - Costa Ricans also celebrate MOTHER´S DAY today.

I remember as a kid not really grasping the meaning of today´s celebrations. As I grew older it slowly became clear to me the importance of "August 15th". Several years ago, our whole family had gathered for lunch to celebrate Mother´s Day and my Mom cut her hand washing a drinking glass. She ended up going to the hospital and getting some stitches. I remember thinking what a lousy way my Mom ended up celebrating her day. It turns out that day was nothing compared to the way she will spend Mother´s Day this year. As I type this, hopefully she´s recovering from an apendicitis operation. I hope she gets to be back home from the hospital really soon.

It so happens that this "Mother´s Day" also brings a touch of guilt for me as I´m feeling frustrated over my failure to protect Fabian´s dental health. I don´t care if the dentist assures me that it´s "statistically normal" for a kid his age to have caries. He shouldn´t have! I learnt that sugar is not the only enemy, but also the acid that is found in some drinks like apple juice and apfelschorle, which are so popular here in Germany.

Ironically my Mom was probably having her operation at the same time Fabian was at the dentist today. Fabian was under the effect of anesthesia to allow the dentist to work on him. He woke up in a state of fury, but it turns out he was just VERY hungry*. He´s sleeping now (hence this post) and I´m suppossed to keep a close eye on him for the rest of the day. The good thing is that besides getting the fillings he needed, he now also has very clean teeth.

* He totally gets that from me!

Recently, August 15th has an added meaning for our family. It is the day when India celebrates its Independence Day. Happy Day to all Indians and may you continue to grow as a country and maintain your traditions! India´s neighboring country, Pakistan, also celebrates its 60th Independence Day. Both countries celebrate the end of the British rule since 1947.

¡Feliz Día de la Madre a todas las mamás, especialmente a las ticas! Un saludo especial a mis primas Nazareth, Catalina y Gabriela Cartín (las mamás mas recientes de la familia). ¡Felicidades a mi amiga Xinia, quien celebra hoy su primer Día de la Madre!

Un gran abrazo a Abuela Carmen y a Estela....y muy, muy especial a mi Mamá, Olga, ¡la mejor del mundo!

Una madre es capaz de dar todo sin recibir nada. De querer con todo su corazón sin esperar nada a cambio. De invertir todo en un proyecto sin medir la rentabilidad que le aporte su inversión. Una madre sigue teniendo confianza en sus hijos cuando todos los demás lo han perdido.

Sus brazos siempre se abren cuando se necesita un abrazo. Su corazón sabe comprender cuándo se necesita a una amiga. Sus ojos sensibles se endurecen cuando se necesita una lección. Su fuerza y su amor nos dirigen por la vida y nos han dado las alas para volar. ¡Muchas felicidades y que Dios bendiga a todas las Madres!

- Gracias a Sandra C. por este mensaje...Muchas felicidades en tu día!

Men at Work

I found this. I liked it.

Dia de la Madre en Alemania

I wanted to write a deep, meaningful post about "Mother´s Day", but due to my very busy social schedule this weekend (insert this theme song here), I will just leave you (for now!) with my absolute new favorite show with Leah Remini, In The Motherhood.

"Perfect Stranger"

Bus ride to city center: 1.50€
Movie ticket: 5.50€
Snacks: 2.50€
Having Masaladad come home early from work last Thursday so that I could go to the movies with a friend: PRICELESS!

Thanks Johanna for the idea of leaving our kids with their Dads so we could go out to the movies. It had been THREE(!) -very long-years since I had seen a Hollywood movie in the theater. It´s *SO* cool to feel normal again ... even if we had to go to the 5:30pm show and were home again by 8:00pm.

Ah! This motherhood gig has certainly changed the way I see the little joys in life...lemme say it again: "I WENT TO THE MOVIES!"