Fun on Mother's Day

There are so many ways to thank your Mom on Mother's Day. Most of us wish we could do more or get more gifts but just can not afford it. But, I have a FREE and FUN way to honor Mom on her day!

In addition to the regular gifts you get mom every year, why not show her how special she really is by having a day at your home devoted to her? Here is what I do, with a little background information.

We love to have little get togethers and have family over. I am the "Martha Stewart" of the family. We do the fun crafts here and always have a great time! Mother's Day is no different. Being a mother and a daughter has made such a difference for me on this special day. My outlook has changed on the things that my mother has done and her reasons why. I have also found a new respect for her and want her to see that.

One of the great things I love to do to recognize my mother is to have a family get together and all fill out questionnaires about her! I send them out to my siblings a week or two ahead of time and they can answer them. The questions are goofy, silly, serious, deep, and sometimes difficult. But we all fill them out and let her know what she means to us and has in the past.

The first one is "Who knows Mom best". It is full of simple short questions that can be answered and Mom also gets a copy to write her answers. Whoever gets the most right gets a small prize. I usually give a home made certificate that says "I know Mom best", and then as a goof, I make the person that got the least amount of questions right a certificate that says "I have no idea who the heck my mom is", or something to that effect.

Here are some sample questions:
1. What is Mom's favorite food?
2. What is Mom's favorite color?
3. Where was Mom born?
4. How old is Mom?
5. What is her catchphrase?
6. What is her pet peeve?
7. What is Mom's favorite song?
8. If Mom were an animal, what do you think she would want to be and why?
9. What is Mom most afraid of?
10. How often does Mom look at her watch in one day?

Feel free to add more and remove these. When you all get together and read this out loud over a barbecue or cake, it is so much fun. We always have a lot of laughs and Mom loves that we pay tribute to her in this way.

Another great thing that I love to have the family do on these occasions is to write their name on the top of a sheet of paper and say what they love most about Mom and what they want to share with her about the last year of their lives together. This can be read aloud or not, it is for your discretion.

Our mothers give us the world for so long. They always make sacrifices for us and never get bitter. They seem to have a magic wand every time something goes wrong, whether you are 2 or 25, and they make it better (even if they can not solve the problem). They make us feel special and loved, they make sure we have socks and underwear. They deserve their day. What better way to pay tribute than to make her the center of attention in the best way you can, show your thanks, laugh, and reminisce with your family? My mother loves it, and she needs no diamonds or perfect gifts to feel special. Our love, laughter, health, security, joy, and happiness is all she needs to have the perfect day with me and my 4 siblings.

So, take the time to write up some questions, send them out, and get together to show mom you pay attention and even to poke a little fun! It will be a great day, and your mom will have the filled out questionnaires to look back on on a rainy day.

ENJOY! Happy Mother's Day!!!!