All my children... and Happy Mother's Day to you, too.

It has been my blessing and curse to have two extraordinarily intelligent and multi-talented children. I think the blessing part of that statement is self-evident; they have been a constant source of pride, surprise, delight and camaraderie since they were infants. Both have practical and artistic talents. Both love music, puzzles, wordsmithery, and both are excellent cooks. Jake can build anything. Kelly can act anything. Jake is a wonderful father. Kelly is a wonderful aunt. They love each other, so I am blessed.

The curse is that two extraordinarily intelligent and multi-talented people tend to be discontent. With so many gifts, they find it hard to focus on any one, and with so many interests, they are always striving for perfection on multiple levels all the time and often falling short. Neither one of them has any patience with falling short. And both of them tend to bite off more that they can chew and then stress about it. I wonder who they get that from?

And because they are intelligent and logical, the fact that the world is neither sensible or logical exasperates them- at high volume. At any given time, I am listening to rants and complaints about the work-place, the significant other, those in authority, and the general wrong-headedness of most people to whom they must report. I have been there- it IS hard to take direction or work directly for someone who does not share your smarts- so I sympathize with my cherubs. But it sometimes gives me an ulcer to listen to their rants, well-reasoned and sensible as they may be.

Be that as it may, the blessings far outweigh the curses. My daughter pampers me lavishly when I visit San Diego, which is why I am bummed when I don't get to go. She keeps the apartment in top-notch condition, and cooks extraordinary meals for us (or for Dave, when he is there without me). She is good company and my good friend.

Jake spoils me too. Today he installed two ceiling fans, new faucets in the kitchen and my bath, a new lighting fixture in my bath, and cleaned out the gutters. (He also sprayed me with the hose from the roof- and then drenched me when he cannon-balled into the pool).

Both my kids tease me, and rough joking is par for the course. Unfortunately, I was one of those mothers who gave their children freedom to express themselves, which they do without mercy, expressing their strong opinions on their mother- who, by the way, I find to be a completely delightful woman- at every opportunity.

Taken all in all, though, I am pretty lucky in my children. They may be libidinous, they may be all over the place with their interests, they may even be a little bit mouthier that I would like, but they are good kids, good people.

This Mother's Day I realize that no gift could ever surpass the gift of my children. A superlative gift, a gift of great price. Sunday will be my day because these two are my children. I have loved them every moment of their lives, and think I have ample love to last out the next 100 years or so. No gift can be greater than my daughter and my son.

That doesn't meant they shouldn't try to find one.