Mother's Day

It started with the 6 year old's awakening shout of, "Happy Mother's Day" followed by his giving me a small stuffed fox and then deciding, no, he wanted it and crying when I wouldn't trade for the killer whale he had. It ended with me cleaning up my mom because things are still... well awkward. She keeps telling me I'm wonderful. If I am it's not at all by choice.
Really I remind myself that if I keep in mind where we were a week ago, and the week before that we are doing better and better. But then I think about a week before that and -no, really this is not an improvement.
That many weeks ago I knew more than I wanted to know on any number of topics but absolutely nothing about stomas. If you don't know what this is be happy. I can only say my mother is tired of the nurses telling her it (hers inparticular) is beautiful. Nurses are funny people...
Meanwhile I have graded the final exam and posted grades and am now waiting to hear from that one student who always wants to know how I came up with their grade (by doing exactly what the syllabus said I'd do...). Truthfully it has been a good bunch this semester and a number are certainly smarter than I am. I only say that to sound humble -who really thinks this at the end of the semester? Mostly I think, how, when I said everything so clearly, could they still seem so confused? Irrationally I write a question to be challenging and then am annoyed with the ones who are too obviously challenged by it. It really hasn't been long enough since I was a student to be changing sides so easily. Still, in us vs. them, it's so comforting to know who us is - in the classroom at least. I've no idea which side I'm on anywhere else.
I think the non-picture taker in the family took this picture today because he knew I needed reminding. I couldn't be a mom without him.