Labor Day

I've recently become aware of something that has been going on for a long time (and in my personal opinion should stop!) As I was decorating Caden's birthday cake I was thinking about what was left to do: laundry away, sink cleaned out (again), counters wiped off, floors vacuumed (again - but we won't go there), general picking up, change my clothes (because I decided to make the frosting in a bowl that was waaaay too small but refused to concede defeat even after it was clear that I should have because bits of frosting and tons of powdered sugar are now covering the front of my shirt) but I digress. Then my husband calls and wants to know if we are doing pizza for dinner (it's 4:00) and he knows I spent my afternoon at an indoor kids jungle gym that is most parent's idea of he_ _! That was after baking two cakes and doing all that other stuff this morning (which was a dumb idea because now I have to re-do most of it!) But again, I digress. So the thought occurred to me. We carry our children for 9 months then labor through delivery for hours on end (we don't want to talk to those of you who labored and delivered in ten minutes!). Then we are handed this bundle of joy. One year later as we are remembering that day and the events that took place, we are amazed to have made it this far. But there is little time to think on that because there is laundry to be done, dishes to wash, vacuuming to do, a cake to bake and frost, gifts to wrap (which I should be doing instead of doing this), and any number of other things to be done before the guests arrive. So what's wrong with this picture? Why do they get the party? We worked to get them here and we're still working for them! I know Mother's Day is supposed to be the day we get to celebrate our accomplishments as mothers, but you know, I'm kinda thinking we should get the day off on our kids birthdays too!

Well, that's not gonna happen. So I guess I should go empty the garbage, pick up the gift wrap, put away the cans of pop, take the recycling out, fold the last load of laundry and put the kids to bed. I'm not kidding, I think I will start calling my friends on their kids birthdays and telling them Happy Labor Day!

*The fact that this post coincides with Labor Day is purely coincidence! This is the first year his birthday actually fell on Labor Day itself.