... "oohh, la, la..."

Today my youngest son's class celebrated Mother's Day with a Spa for Mom.... what a fun morning... his teacher is really something else... she is one of the most amazing educators I have encountered...

We received an official pink invitation saying "Ooooh La La" ... with an RSVP card... when we arrived we rotated stations with our child. First we played multiple hands of 'Go Fish' ....

Next we moved on to a listening station & listened and read along to "Are You My Mother" by Dr. Seuss & dined on a buffet of Godiva chocolate and cookies... we washed it down with a refreshing glass of lemonade...

The next stop was was the most devine.... the pedicure station... my son soaked and washed my feet in a foot bath... I felt a little like a disciple being cared for by Jesus... my son used gentle hands to apply apricot scrub & wash it away...

Next he painted my toe nails... a light silver.... ever so meticulously...

The next station was a manicure & neck massage station... he teacher has shown them how to 'wipe' the extra polish off the brush, so you don't drip... she had suggested they karate chop & sprinkle rain drops on our shoulders (massage them)...  my son loved filing my nails... with his tongue out, deep in concentration...

This reminded me of the last time a man painted my toes.... huge and pregnant.... 216 pounds of pregnant..... it was winter & I was pregnant with the very boy who painted today's pedi-master piece.... I was fat & wanted my toenails painted to feel pretty.... I asked my husband to paint them... to be beautiful in labor & delivery.... my farm raised, brothers-only, Midwestern man sat at my feet and painted my toes... a true act of love!

... Our last station was reading in the class Reading Hut... my son chose a book by Robert Munch. Such a fun author I wasn't familiar with. He was proud to be exposing me to one of his favorites.

Next the students each gifted their mother with a melomane plate decorated by their 6 year old artistic selves... a special note scribed by my youngest... who could only write his name nine short months ago...

The kindergarten teacher ended our Spa treatment with a touching prayer & a story by Marianne Richmond... "If I Could Keep You Little."  My son climbed upon my lap... growing up so fast he fills it up to the brim.

Tears filled my eyes as I listened to his teacher read.  Each page talked about something we wish we could do for our kids forever.... pick matching clothes, but then we would miss seeing them choose a polka-dot shirt & striped pants.... rock them and sing nursery rhymes, but then we would get to hear them sing a solo in the school program growing up...

Such a great story... we have to let them grow up... learn thing for themselves.... find their own way in the world....

This takes brain on a rabbit trail... to a favorite verse from my Bible mandate...
"Every good & perfect gift comes from above... from the creator of the heavenly lights..." James 1:17 (paraphrased by me)

Our children are a good gift... a perfect gift... given to us from our heavenly Father...

The plate I was gifted today reminded me that yes, my son will grow up... but I have photos & mementos to document his journey ... to remind me of when he was still small enough to fill my lap...

For I really think the joy of mothering is in the journey... watching them grow and evolve into the men the Lord has planned for them to be...

I pray multiple times a day for both my boys... I pray for their future spouses, the little girl the Lord will some day have grow up to become their wife... I pray for my boys safety... their choices... their spiritual development... that the Lord will bless them with good & perfect people in their lives.

It's tough watching your kids grow up before your eyes... but if we trust in the Lord, he will unfold the amazing plans he has for them.

On this Thursday afternoon I am thankful the Lord has entrusted these two souls to me... I am thankful he has placed my son in his kindergarten teacher's class... the Lord's plan for my son is slowly unfolding... I can't wait to see what else He has in store!