Muddled Mind

I’m having random thoughts today.  Random thoughts from a muddled mind would be a good title for a blog!  There has been a lot of knitting going on but very little progress in terms of FO’s.  The lacy bonnet is going to be beautiful and comfortable but is taking a long time to get there.  It is a l-o-o-o-n-g way around each row!  I have, at least, reached the eyelet openings for the ribbon to be followed by the lace ruffle around the face.  And so it goes….

There has been nothing worth watching on TV lately so I am content to submerge myself in random thoughts while knitting.  I was thinking:

What a lucky mother-in-law I am!!  Not only do my DIL’s call me “Mom” but they often tell me they love me.  Our sons complain because they say I treat their wives better than I treat them.  Not true!!

My son-in-law and I are movie-going, breakfast-meeting buddies.  He buys me silly gifts:

and when I went crazy and knit Christmas “Jayne” hats for the whole family a few years back, he proved his love for me by actually wearing his.

He and I had a rocky start.  When he and our DD moved in together before they were even engaged I was silent and watchful.  DH and I never issued a word of warning to him until one New Year’s Eve at a party I introduced him to friends as “Our future son-in-law.”  Later he pulled me aside and said, “I wish you would not introduce me as your future son-in-law.  I have not even asked B to marry me yet.”  I pulled all of my 5 foot 10 inches up straight on my 3 ½ inch heels and finally tiptoes, made an effort to look this 6 foot 6 inch man in the eye and said, “Make no mistake, you WILL marry my daughter, and I WILL introduce you in any way I choose.”  To the credit of his Texas upbringing he said, “Yes Ma’am.”  Sometime later I overheard him introducing himself as K and B’s future son-in-law.  We choose our battles and we win some!

So anyway, that’s what is on my mind as I knit.  How lucky I am and how I wish the same for every mom who is a MIL or will become one.  Good relationships with our children’s spouses (spice? Heehee) can make a family a haven of love, especially for the grandchildren.  I believe there are three things you have to do to become the perfect MIL:  hold your tongue as long as you can, love them as much as you can, and when cornered--stand your ground no matter what!! 

Life is good.