I will be eternally grateful to schools for encouraging/forcing kids to make Mother’s Day cards on the Friday before that strange day that stirs up such a spectrum of emotions in women everywhere.

This year Percy brought home a self-made ‘coupon’ for un abrazo and un beso, which has resulted in me accosting him at odd times for a hug or a kiss whilst insisting: ‘I have a coupon!’ He also brought home a fill-in-the-blank homage that reminded me of a list of questions a friend shared on Facebook last year, as answered by her children. I posed the same questions to the boy-men in my life and got these delightful, albeit now one-year-old, answers. I guess I’d better get started on my world famous hot dog empire.

Funnily enough I’ve gotten so ‘bad’ at cleaning the basement, I now insist they do it themselves.

1. What is something I always says to you?

G: Have a good day

P: No messing around in your bed, no jumping in your bed

H: We shouldn’t spray each other with water guns.

J: Sleep more.

2. What makes me happy?

G: Going on walks and cooking

P: Snuggles

H: When we don’t make the house dirty and we make it stay clean

J: Good coffee and pretty things…aesthetics

3. What makes me sad?

G: When we don’t behave.

P: Us fighting

H: When we punch and kick each other

J: When people don’t listen

4. How do I make you laugh?

G: You tell really lame jokes.

P: You don’t make me laugh

H: Tickling me

J: With your writing

5. What was I like as a child?

G: I don’t know. You played with dolls and played office with [your sister].

P: I don’t know. How am I supposed to know.

H: A good child?

J: I have no idea

7. How tall am I?

G: About 5 and a half feet.

P: 5 feet. Well I think so. Or are you 4?

H: 5 feet.

J: 5 foot 9? 5 foot 10?

8. What is my favorite thing to do?

G: I’d have to say cook.

P: Play games I think. And snuggle.

H: Snuggle with us. Play games with us.

J: Travel.

9. What do I do when you’re not around?

G: You probably let my little brothers play with my stuff and you probably look at your phone a lot.

P: I don’t know, clean up the house? You shop and you also go to coffee shops.

H: Clean up the house and tidy it. Make us snacks and food and go grocery shopping.

J: Probably read, eat popcorn.

10. If I were to become famous, what will it be for?

G: Cooking.

P: Selling the greatest hot dogs in the world.

H: Being a lawyer. Talking to people about stuff.

J: Writing.

11. What am I really good at?

G: Cooking, doing art,  chores around the house, taking care of us….it would probably take me forever to mention all the things you’re good at.

P: Piano. Reading.

H: Making us food.  Doing the piano – playing it.

J: Cooking, writing, photography, listening to people.

12. What am I not very good at?

G:  I can’t really think of anything.

P: Cleaning the basement by yourself – you always make us help you.

H: Computer games. Races – running.

J: Being patient. Basketball.

13. What do I do for a job?

G: Teach Piano

P: Cleaning the house. Working? You’re asking questions I don’t know.

H: Play piano and teach people piano.

14.What is my favorite food?

G:  Salad?

P: Lamb

H: Zucchini.  Asparagus.  Broccoli.  Chicken stir fry.

J: Chocolate? Cake? Chicken? I think it’s dessert…it’s definitely dessert.

15.What makes you proud of me?

G: How you care for me, how good you are at cooking and art.

P: You cleaning the house.

H: When you’re nice and helpful.

J: Almost everything.

16. If I were a character, like from a show or a movie or a book, who would I be?

G: Jamie Oliver

P: A rock star

H: Jill Jenkins..in [the book] Keepers.. she sometimes argues and she actually knows how to play the piano but she is not that good at it.

J: You’d be Tina Fey in 30 Rock, but married. Or the lady from Malcolm in the Middle.

17. What do you and I do together?

G: We go on dates, we cook together, we hang out together at home.

P: Play games, go to the shops, go to coffee shops, go to village ice cream – remember that one time we went to village ice cream?

H: Play games…Snuggle….dinner…go places.. shop…take walks together

18. How are you and I the same?

G:  We both like cooking and we both like walks and bike rides. [But I don’t have a bike??]

P: By our eyes and our hair.

H: That is tricky. We both play Mario….we’re both in the same family

19. How are you and I different?

G: You’re good at art, you have a lot of patience. Like physically,  you’re way more active.

P: By our skin…by our armpits…we don’t wear the same clothes

H: You’re a girl, I’m a boy. You have darker skin. You have dark blackish hair and I have blond hair and blue eyes.  You teach people piano and I don’t, I go to school and you don’t.

J: You have a better memory and you’re better with people. I run faster.

20. How do you know I love you?

G: You take me on dates and say have a good day before school and ask me how my day was after school and cook us yummy meals.

P:Because you just do….you tell me

H: Because you always come to snuggle me and you never leave me alone when I’m feeling sad.

21. What do I like most about dad?

G: How funny he is and how smart he is.

P: That he gets money….that he works

H: You like him because he does the dishes while you’re snuggling us and he takes me to soccer when you’re too busy.

22. Where is my favorite place to go?

G: Maybe like to a coffee shop with one of your friends

P: Coffee shops

H: Little Lebanon[the place where they sell donairs]?  Coffee shop.

J: Paris. I think.