Happy Non-Mother's Day to all those in countries not celebrating it today!

[Portofino]

What are you upto instead? Or do you celebrate on the UK date?

We have a birthday party for dd this afternoon. 12 french speaking 5/6 years and a magician. Eek!

[MmeLindt]

The DC have made me a card, but we tend to celebrate properly on the Swiss Mothering Sunday. DH has gone to the Farmer's Market in France, the DC are watching a DVD (DD is a bit ill so resting) and I am on the terrace, wrapped up very warm but enjoying the sun. Bliss.

A magician sounds good, at least you can relax for a little while. Are the parents staying?

[Shitemum]

My mum, in the UK, used to get a little miffed when I didn't wish her happy Mother's day. I wasn't aware it was mothers day because i lived in Spain where it is a completely different day!
Just made more obvious to me the 'arbitrariness' of it...

[MmeLindt]

I used to miss it before we got a computer and I started MNetting.

[Portofino]

No! Plan is:

Arrive 2.30 - trash the house for half an hour.
3.00 presents and maybe a game if I can gain any control over them
3.30 Magician should do her stuff for an hour followed by 30 mins of balloon animals
5.00 Cake
5.30 Hometime followed by copious amounts of wine on my part! I have put a casserole in the oven so I don't have to faff later.

I am most of you sunbathing on your terrace!

[MmeLindt]

Good plan. They will be arriving soon, so I hope you are ready for the onslaught. Have fun.

Still lazing about at home, but inside now. DH watching Formula 1. DC playing upstairs. May go for a walk later. And bake.

[belgo]

Happy Birthday to your dd!

Hope she has a lovely day, and the house survives the party.

We have just been out for a meal, we had two extra children to stay last night and I am exhausted especially as ds is still coughing all night.

[ArcticFox]

I send my mum flowers on UK mother's day. Don't think it even exists in Hong Kong so next year, when I'm a mother, I'll be telling DH that we're celebrating the UK date. I've already told him that unborn DC thinks mummy should get something really special the first year.

In fact the UK date is not arbitrary. It's always the middle Sunday of Lent and is a Christian festival. In the "olden" days when a lot of young girls were "in service" or working away from home, they would get the day off to visit their mothers and it was quite a big deal.

I'm not sure how other countries have chosen their date- any other overseas dwellers know?

[belgo]

ArcticFox, you are making me feel guilty, I always forget to send anything to my mother on mother's day, until I see it mentioned on mumsnet and by then it's too late.

[ArcticFox]

More than my life's worth!!

[ArcticFox]

Belgo- to make you feel better, just had lunch with some friends. I was the only one who remembered out of the six of us. The only reason I remembered was because of the threads on mumsnet last week so I called the florist direct

Totally failed to send a card though, but florist is nice and knows me so she went and got one and sent it with the bouquet.

[belgo]

I will send her a card for international mother's day.

[BlauerEngel]

I always used to forget the British date too until the advent of the Interweb - now I have all the dates for the next 10 years hanging on my notice board. My mum just wouldn't warn me in advance that it was coming up, I'd forget of course, and then she'd get miffed when nothing got sent to her. Mothers, eh!

I've sent her a mahoosive bunch of flowers via Interflora and paid extra for Sunday delivery, but that was clearly a mistake because they haven't arrived yet (no guaranteed time) and now my mum thinks we've forgotten again. Ho hum.

We 'celebrate' in May, although there's often a problem with that date because dd2's birthday is May 8th, and on at least three occasions we've had her party on that day (ie zero relaxation for me). This year dd1's class is going off on a class trip on the morning of May 9th at - wait for it - 4am, so we're going to have to get up on Mother's Day at 3am. The teacher did have the grace to apologise for the appalling timing.

[MmeLindt]

I also spent a fortune on sending flowers but it was my own fault for not ordering them until 4pm Saturday. Idiot.

Still, it was worth it. My Mum was really chuffed. Luckily they arrived in between them going to church and then going out in the afternoon.

Sent my SIL flowers too, as it is her birthday tomorrow.

[Portofino]

The Belgian one is May I think...? I have sent flowers and a card to my Nan, and i rang her this morning.

The party went well! The animatrice was absolutely fantastic. Arrived about 3 and didn't actually pack up til 5.30. She had heart shaped balloons! The only difficult bit was the giving of pressies where there was a bit of a scrum. Me shouting "arretez" and "asseyez vous" fell on deaf ears. One darling 6 yo told me I didn't speak French very well

And the cake was too "chocolatety" apparently! These are BELGIAN children! At least I knew this time to just offer crisps, squash and water rather than the full on UK party spread. Dd had a lovely day though.

[belgo]

Glad it went well. Agree about just having crisps for food, it's always me who ends up eating all the cheese and pineapple on sticks and rice crispy cakes. DD1 also had a chocolate birthday cake and a couple of children turned their noses up at it! (all the more for me..)

Don't worry about the language comment, my children's friends never understand my dutch either. Fortunately STOP! is universally understood in any language!

[MmeLindt]

Lol at the 6yo telling you that your French is not very good. What is cheeky in French?

I was surprised at the first party that DD went to. Did not feed her beforehand and she came home starving cause they only had cake and sweets.

[springaporesling]

Mother's Day in Singapore is in May too. Personally I have no problem in celebrating twice ! It's a shame for DH though that Father's Day here is on the same day as in the UK so only me for double pressies

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

We did nothing except entertain dd's friend who had stayed the night before. I phoned my mum yesterday, she likes living flowers so I generally send her a plant or a certificate to buy some rather than a bouquet. This Swiss mother's day (may 20 something) I think dd will be having her birthday party due to many factors. At least it may self limit the numbers coming if we have it then