Speaking the same language

Tell me if this sounds familiar.  Before any major event, holiday, birthday Craig and I will have a conversation and it goes something like this:

Craig:  So _______________ (insert event: birthday, Christmas, mother's day, etc) is coming up.

Me:  Yeah, we don't have to make it a big deal.

Fast forward to the event.  No "big deal" is made of the birthday, mother's day etc.

Me (after feeling sorry for myself a bit and Craig coaxing why out of me):  I am just sad because I was hoping we would do something, go somewhere, etc as a family.

Craig:  But you said we don't have to make it a big deal out of it so I didn't think you wanted to do anything.

Me:  That is what I said but I wanted you to know that I actually want you to do something for these events and surprise me with something thoughtful.

Craig (bewildered looking):  Well, how am I supposed to know that unless you tell me.

Me:  You just are.

Maybe it is just us.....

So this year is my 9th Mother's Day.  For the past 8 Mothers Day you can just look to the conversation above and repeat it with slight variations as to how it went.   This year I started to realize that Craig and I have been speaking a different language.  I am speaking the "I say one thing but mean another" while Craig has been speaking "she says what she means" (Which is usually the language I speak I think..... just not when it comes to celebrating special events in honor of me).  So I decided to change tactics this year.  Here is our conversation a few weeks ago

Craig: So Mother's Day is coming up.

Me:  Yeah and the weather looks a little crummy and we have a birthday party in the afternoon so I would really like you to plan a family fun event for Saturday which looks to be completely open and beautiful weather-wise.

Craig:  Huh...

Me:  Yeah, something fun and adventurous.  Oh and I would like to eat out sometime too.

Craig:  Ok.  

I was a bit skeptical when I didn't hear much after this conversation.  Teased him a little bit about it.  And then we woke up Saturday, he made pancakes, had us all get "dressed for an adventure" while packing extra clothes and shoes, piled us into the car and drove us off to an adventure.  I had no idea where we were headed (luckily he did) only that it was "somewhere we have never been" and he hit it out of the park.  I had been stalking this place on facebook for 7 months but hadn't gone to visit and today was the day.  We pull into the place greeted by a herd of deer.  (the herd had run off while I took out my camera so I only got this one)

Took some time to visit the nature center which had all sorts of live animals, puppets, furs, claws, etc.

And started on a little mother's day weekend adventure.  There was a turtle pond:

Caverns and logs for climbing:

Rocks with a river for practicing our skipping (or ker-pluncking if you are Caleb or myself)

Even some pictures with me + 3 which are few and a far between.

A great pond was explored in which I think we saw no less than 50 big frogs.  Isaac caught 3 of them.  Andie and I had trouble catching them.  Both of us could get really close but something about how big they were weirded us out.  Which is funny because those things usually don't weird us out.

Oh yes, and the children had facepaint from a school carnival the night before.  We really don't believe washing your face is high priority at bedtime....


Some more hiking and exploring:

And then one of my all time favorites.  An old-school A&W rootbeer.  I have absolutely zero control over how much A&W rootbeer I drink out of those frosty mugs.

And a picture on the real mother's day before church.  All festivities and presents opened the day before.  All I required today was to sit and take a picture with the kids.

So as much as I THINK  Craig should just read my mind and know what I want for something it is just not reality.  Reality is so much better actually.  When I told him exactly what I hoped for he was able to go forward and do something really cool that I really enjoyed.  There was still that element of surprise which is fun and he knew he was doing something I really would like.  I feel almost a sense of accomplishment and progress in communication and all I really had to do was to tell him exactly what I would like.  He hit it out of the park.  Happy Mother's day all!!