Adoration Fest

The kids always ask if I hate my birthday being so close to Mother's Day. I know they're just trying to ask if it's like having a birthday too close to Christmas. But really. Would it even be possible to answer in the affirmative, and say, "Yes dang it, I do. I want more than one present that covers for both this year!"
No.
Because no matter how I meant it, that answer could be twisted into, "Yes, I do. Damn you for making me a mother! You're the worst gift ever."
It just doesn't come out right...
The only solution I could see that would rectify the problem, while avoiding the repeated question, was to declare the whole month of May as one big 'homage to me' month. For thirty one days I can whip this excuse out for whatever I need. It's great. Glad I thought of it.
Here's a recap of this year's veneration:
Gift 1 - Mother's Day breakfast- Biscuits and gravy- strawberries and cream, and they added their own grocery shopping/buying to cooking this year. Score.
Gift 2 - A specialty cake made by Maddie, somewhere between the two official events.

Hy enjoying the specialty cake.

Gift 3 - A friendly game of Poker, played outdoors beneath the trees, after a hard day of doing yard work and "yes, Mom's".

Gift 4 - I was tired of having Hy come pull my hand and lead me outside to see an elusive "k!" that he kept insisting was in our bushes. I wasn't even sure what a "k" was that could live in a bush. At first his insistence was a little disturbing. Then it got annoying. Kind of like the little boy who cried wolf. But nope, no wolf. Dang! Thanks Cache and Calder, great gift - it was also quite entertaining to watch your squealing, high stepping dance. You did not look this 'cool' when it still had a head.
Gift 5 - A trip to the Arbuckle's on Saturday, including Bert. Hiking and swimming are great for a good time, but not real conducive to picture taking.

Gift 6 - A 6 mile, birthday bike ride.

I promise that basket is safer than it looks.
I think.

Not to worry, it was a wipe-out he could still laugh through.
I boast the only real damage of the day, two silver dollar bruises
-in a very unladylike, unpicturable place.

Does it get any better than that? I highly doubt it. And maybe I don't mind my birthday being so close to Mother's Day after all, because they really are the best gift ever. But I don't mind letting them think otherwise for now. A whole month of trying to please me gets addicting.

Happy May to Me!