Mother's day is coming up.  (And in case my husband is reading this, let me say it again in this subtle way:  MOTHER'S DAY IS MAY 10TH. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SHOP!)

Now where were we?  Ah yes, Mother’s Day.  I remember when I was little and wanted to get a present for my mother. She always made it so easy -- anything my sister or I got for her would be appreciated. "I need some stockings," she'd say, and we would hustle down to Woodward and Lothrop department store and buy Mom her favorite pair of Hanes Barely There panty hose in size A/B. We might even splurge on a Jean Nate gift set.

Me, I'm not so easy. Not that I don't appreciate any gifts I get, but this year I want a few things that might be hard to find, mostly because the concepts have yet to be invented. But as a mom, I think they would be extremely useful.

1. Tummy Thermometer: If your child tells you he doesn’t feel well, a thermometer can help you gauge the authenticity of his aching stomach claim. Not completely foolproof, but it does help you determine if this could be strep or the Sunday night blues.  

My clever children have discovered that it’s a little more difficult with tummy troubles.  A sad face and a complaint to a teacher warrant the dreaded 856 (the Wake County public school exchange) call home.  Just every once in awhile, a child of mine will experience a miraculous recovery once removed from school grounds.  A tummy thermometer might help me better determine if the little sweetie is about to throw up, or take me for a ride.

2. Powdered gasoline.  Picture this:  It’s Monday morning after a whirlwind of weekend activities.  As we dash to the car, backpacks, laptops, lunches and shoes in tow, we start the car, back slowly out of the driveway, make sure the garage is closed, and then realize—we need gas.  There may be enough to get the kids to school, but any backup on I-40 could have us sitting pitifully on the side of the road.  

How much better if we could buy powdered gas and stock it in our garage.  Just pour out that powdered gas in a special measuring cup, add some water, and off you go.  

3. Rent a ‘Rent: My husband and I — we are in zone defense.  With the third child, we went from man-to-man to regional coverage.  When the kids were little, I might patrol the upstairs, and he’d handle downstairs.  The handoff would take place when the kids went up or down the steps, with us carefully monitoring the progress from each end of the staircase.  

But with the kids’ busy schedules, sometimes two parents need to get to four different places.  That’s where Rent a ‘Rent comes in.  With this organization, one can rent a trustworthy, reliable and ever-available third or even fourth parent who can help baby sit or carpool our kids where they need to go.  Better than extended family, the ‘rents don’t ever criticize or correct our parenting skills, or gossip about us to other relatives later, and our children always love us best.

4. Volunteer house sitter.  Similar to renting a ‘rent, a house sitter is available on extremely short notice to wait at your house when a service technician is coming.  As a volunteer, he or she receives a credit for performing a useful community service.  Because, really, what parent with kids can be home during the typical service windows?  Both the 8–12 and the 12-4 service visit times cut into my school carpool time.

The house sitters would be screened by the FBI as well as by the local police, and as part of their service, would tidy up your house while they’re waiting.

5. Human Xerox machine.  So I could truly be in two or more places at the same time.  Enough said.

So while I encourage our scientists, entrepreneurs and other innovators to look into these opportunities, until then, for Mother’s Day, I’ll be happy to get a hug and kiss from my teenage boys, a snuggle from my baby girl, and a case of tennis balls.

Pamela appears Tuesdays on TriangleMom2Mom. Read more about Pamela on her blog Crazy is My Life.