Mother's Day Musings

BY HATTIE FOOTE

My daughter was home sick recently, and we had a cozy day, just her and I. I made tea, lit candles, and we wore our robes; the vibes were immaculate. We just had to agree on what to watch on TV, which is no easy feat these days. Because she is ten going on 30, we are in a funny stage where kids’ movies are “too childish,” and we are trying to find things that are up her alley/ age-appropriate. So basically, the Taylor Swift Eras Tour has been on repeat for months now (not that I’m complaining). Throughout the kids’ lives, my husband and I have loved showing them movies from “back in our day.” Classics like ET, The Goonies, The Sandlot, and even Independence Day! It’s so fun to explain what a tape player is or to prove that contrary to their belief, life was, in fact, in color, not black and white, when mom and dad were young!

So, since it was just us girls, I thought we should watch one of my coming-ofage favorites from my childhood, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. She wasn’t sold on the title but was instantly enthralled with it, just as I was when I was her age. I mean, there wasn’t and still isn’t anything as cool as the main character, Sue Ellen, played by Christina Applegate; her 90s fashion was iconic. If you aren’t familiar with the film, it’s about a family of five kids whose mom goes out of town and the elderly woman babysitting them passes away; they don’t want their mom to come home because they think their summer of freedom would be ruined. Shenanigans ensue, my daughter was obsessed, and I still loved it so much. It’s crazy to watch through adult eyes, though, and I couldn’t help but be shocked by details that flew over my young head. The craziest is that the mom left her five kids with an 80-year-old stranger to go visit her boyfriend on a sheep farm in Australia for two months. Can. You. Imagine? This is just as bad as Kevin McAllister’s mom leaving him Home Alone not once but twice in a topsy-turvy chain of events. The 90s movie moms need to get a grip!

With Mother’s Day approaching (May 12th… you are welcome), it’s time to make sure you have something special planned for the incredible moms in your life! There’s no need to overthink it; it could be jewelry from Lumo, brunch at Little Frenchie, or a walk on the beach. Even just give them the gift of a quiet house to watch Real Housewives in peace. Simply make the effort and don’t put too much pressure on it. Also, a gentle reminder: all these things apply to literally any day; let’s all agree that moms deserve more than one Sunday a year. Except for the 90s movie moms, they don’t deserve peace and quiet after two months at the sheep farm in Australia or traveling to Paris and forgetting kids. I will be flying home Mother’s Day morning, and I can tell you I will want to go straight to Bluewater Grill and order a loaf of sourdough bread, have a bowl of clam chowder, and a chilled chardonnay because there is nothing I love more than a white wine and seafood situation. Then, I want to go home and take a nap with my family because I’m a simple creature. I hope, however, you do something special that day and you feel so loved and appreciated.

Circling back to Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, my daughter and I were watching the new Taylor Swift/ Post Malone music video “Fortnight,” and I screamed when I saw Bryan from Clown Dog (the love interest from the movie) making a guest appearance. I’m sitting here laughing that I managed to write a whole column on an old movie, Taylor, and Mother’s Day. I’m sorry if this one was chaotic; Mama is tired. Cheers to the hardest, best job in the world!