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.
Lamb is your favorite food?
Yes! I mean I don’t cook it, or eat it. But it’s my favorite.