May is already here. Holy smokes!
May Day: As a kid.
Growing up, May was a great month, and with the exception of an occasional snow flurry, winter was over, and springtime was in full bloom. (And were still milking the Mayflowers/Pilgrims joke.) Days were getting longer and warmer, which meant more time to play outside.
Several major events always made May exciting: Mother’s Day was always a big deal for my family. Often it coincided with my big sister’s birthday, which was a rip for her.
Late May was also a time of endings and beginnings. Mind you, this was back before year-round school, or extended schedules and summer school had completely destroyed the sanctity of summer vacation. We would say goodbye to our teachers, our classmates, and sometimes our schools, calling ourselves 4th graders the moment the final bell rang for 3d grade. (Cue The Goofy Movie, “After Today.”)
Every May started with a traditional May Basket. It was a masterfully crafted cone, built from construction paper and paste. Glue sticks? What were those? We would make the cone, making sure the paper loop handle was long enough to fit over a doorknob.
We would then fill the cone with flowers that we would either pick from our own yard, or pilfer from the neighbors. Then we would hang the May Basket on the doorknob as a present for Mom. With much love.
Thinking back, I don’t know if all little boys did this – maybe just those with older, creative sisters. Or did we do them in school? I don’t remember…
May was a great time, filled with great traditions worthy of nostalgia.
May Day! May Day! May Day! As an adult.
Have you looked at your calendar? Somehow Summer has become “toxic” to the point where nothing happens in June, and so it all gets crammed into May. Concerts, programs, Church functions, graduations, finals, recitals, tournaments, school projects, ceremonies, weddings, etc. are all jammed into the few weeks before Memorial Day weekend.
Somewhere along the line, the magic of May has been replaced by the chaos of May, for me. Hopefully it isn’t like that for you.
There are still a couple of things that I am really looking forward to this month:
1) Mother’s Day. (Or what my kids and I call “The Most Important Day of the Year.”) Last year I wrote about making it a big deal here, and generated a lot of conversation. There are Mother’s day haters – I just feel bad for them.
2) Our second missionary is scheduled to return home. We are nervous, happy, and excited to see him after two long, blazingly fast, years. Can’t wait to see him and to see how he is the same/different.
Besides those two events, May looks like it is going to be busy with regular intervals of chaos.
It is obvious that I need to literally stop and smell the roses more often this month. Maybe I should start by making a May basket for my wife.
I will return and report.
Happy May!
Here
I am a new reader so appreciated the link to last year’s Mother’s Day post. I live in a stake that seems to always schedule the annual Father / Son campout over Mother’s Day weekend. Kind of nice if you only have sons, and get a little time alone, but for those of us with daughters also, it’s not much of a break. Plus, the menfolk come home with TONS of dirty clothes and gear that seems to multiply and make a big mess, causing Mom more stress that weekend. Some of us have complained, but someone still thinks it is a good idea. Now, plan a Father / All children campout, and I will happily deal with the extra mess and work getting them out the door ….. a whole Friday night sitting on the couch, watching chick flicks, sleeping in on Saturday morning, and reading a book before they get home? A very nice gift indeed :o)
My EC cherished her girl’s night with her only daughter when we were away on campouts. She misses it terribly now that she is home alone when I take the boys on Fathers and Sons.
Point taken, and I agree that mother/daughter time is awesome. I get lots of it with my girls, as my husband and sons are heavy into sports (he coaches, so spends a lot of time with the boys while we often have “girls’ nights”). I think I just shake my head at the idea of someone thinking, “Let’s give the moms a break and send all the guys camping that weekend!” when in reality it is a lot of work for most moms to get them out the door and then deal with the mess upon their return. And no one ever takes our suggestion to plan a Father / Daughter campout .. for the girls to be out in the woods with Dad and all their friends from the ward would be the ulimate sleepover!
I share you excitement for May this year. This mother’s Day will be our 5th child’s 18th birthday. {His graduation is at the end of May — much preparing for that.} He will get his favourite hamburger dinner and I will get my steak and salad. The oldest son will be arriving……possibly with his fiancé’. We are planning their wedding for June. Our second oldest daughter will be coming through to visit that weekend also. Our youngest daughter is very excited for it all. So am I. We will be skyping with our present missionary son….and possibly have our birthday boy get a surprise present to open up while all our either watching in person, or over Skype or on the phone listening {that would be our oldest daughter and her husband and our grandchild}. What will be the surprise gift?…..his mission call. Yes….Mother’s Day is going to be fast paced,busy…but very exiting! Congrats on your missionary’s return. I can just imagine the emotions going on at your house.
Ahh, yes. May has become akin to December! The schedule is so crammed with commitments (albeit good things) that it’s hard to enjoy just how wonderful this time of year is. May, it’s the new December…
Best wishes on welcoming home your missionary. That right there will be the best Mother’s Day gift any woman could ask for. 🙂
May Day is my # 2 son’s birthday. I use to make baskets of flowers for my grandfather’s elderly neighbors as a child. This year # 3 son is getting married. May is solid jam packed and I’ll leave it at that.
I have never heard of May Day….
I have heard of missionaries coming home, I’m just not sure that I believe it… right now.
AuntSue
So glad you remember the lovely May Day celebrations. What a wonderful father to your children to make sure that Mother’s Day is a wonderful day for your wife and family. Such traditions make for happy days and memories. Hopefully, your sweet wife does the same for Father’s Day.
My missionary is coming home in 6 days and I share your excitement!