The following are a couple of paragraphs I wrote as part of my Mother’s Day tribute to “Super Moms”, which unfortunately is still a work in progress.  They didn’t make the ‘final cut’ but I thought I’d share them nonetheless, in the hopes they might make you laugh:

When my children were small, I jokingly dubbed myself “Super Mom.” It is one of those family traditions that assumed a life of its own. It began when I’d locate a missing article of clothing, bring the homework left behind to school, have the correct clothing washed and ready to go on the appointed day, or cook a favorite meal; But mostly it centered around meeting an endless stream of demands simultaneously and successfully – with relative ease (not!). I would prod the children into calling me “Super Mom” in the spirit of the Ghostbuster’s jingle: “Me: who ya’ gonna call – Them: ‘Ghostbusters!'” Initially my prompting was met with the grudgingly, monotonous chorus of “thank you Super Mom.” But over time the kids voluntarily conferred the honor when the occasion necessitated it. They even adopted the moniker themselves, erupting in triumphant shouts of “Super _” – followed by their respective names – when they prevailed over a formidable challenge with relative ease. Super Dad even got in on the action!

Super Anne & Super Ty in superhero pose!

Several years ago, my kids found the perfect Mother’s Day gift – a “pajama-gram” containing a set of Super Mom pajamas, complete with the requisite blue and white starry bottoms and a red top with a Super Mom emblem emblazoned across the chest. Since my husband was working on this occasion, the kids and I thought it would be funny to text him a picture of me ‘in cameo’ – complete with ‘bed head’, no makeup, and in characteristic, super hero stance. Basking in a self-congratulatory coup of our own cleverness, we fired off the text to my husband. Almost instantaneously my daughter got a horrified look on her face when she realized our message was sent to the wrong recipient – my older son’s baseball coach! As we fumbled around helplessly trying to “recall” the text, the response was signalled by a melodious ringtone and the words: “Any mom that keeps the team’s books is a ‘Super Mom’ to me!” Much to my kids’ angst, I have relayed this story countless times over the years because the coach’s response was classic. The following Mother’s Day I sent the coach a reassuring text, noting his undoubted relief at learning I had received flip-flops instead of pajamas as a gift!