Everyday Mom

Okay, so it’s the Christmas shopping season.  Everyone is buzzing with either excitement, stress, wonder, or despair.  It’s the time of year when you make your list and check it twice with little concern for the naughty or the nice.  As is quickly becoming a tradition for my mother, my sister and I went shopping with her this past weekend.  We dressed alike and met for a fun filled day.  Oh, doesn’t it sound wonderful, NOT!  Yes, we were semi-excited, but knew before we even got started that the day would wear us out in more than 100 different ways.

 First, we were up and out the door at 6:30 a.m. in order to meet our mother about 1 1/2 hours away.  Then we had to get past the literally hundreds of people who stared us down all day because we were dressed alike in black turtle necks, red and black vests, and jeans.  My sister and I even had on the same shoes.  We could hardly keep from laughing when cashiers or passers by would ask “Are you guys together?” or “Did you plan to wear the same outfits?”  It’s one of those times when the only answer is just as stupid as the question like “No, I’ve never met these people before in my life!”   One lady in Toys R Us thought we worked there and was seriously asking us all kinds of questions about toys she might buy for her granddaughter and where she might locate them in the store.  I thought my mother was going to wet her self while I politely let the lady think I was an employee.  It was even funnier for me when we got to the checkout and I paid full attention to the Toys R Us uniform.   The cashier was wearing her standard issue red shirt and, for warmth, was wearing a black turtleneck underneath.  Of course, we were totally prepared for the stares and questions after our triple pink sweaters last year.  Sadly, we are already thinking about what we’ll wear next year!

 The real “fun” started when my mother started working on her list.  She had almost everything done except for the grandchildren.  I too needed to shop for the children.  I had hoped to make some great purchases and mark some items off of my list, but much to my dismay, every item I picked out my mother purchased.  Oh she was so thrilled to find such awesome gifts.  Oh I was so thrilled to know that all of the awesome gifts would come from my mother!  What else should I expect when Grandma goes shopping?

 I guess the upside is that the kids will have a great Christmas where gifts are concerned.  Although, I know that the season should be about more than gifts.  Every mom wants to have gifts that her children will love.  Is it wrong to want all the best gifts to be from me?  Is it selfish to deny my mother the joy of giving them just what they asked for?  Should I make her be the one to break the news about Santa?  Or, does any of that really matter?  I still have no idea what I will buy.  I’m sure I will find some great stuff in the comfort of my mismatched pajamas in front of my computer in a quiet corner of my home office.  I won’t miss the mall until next year when my mother says “Let’s go shopping!”

 Until then, I’m just an everyday mom hoping to survive another crazy season.  Happy shopping!  I love you mom!