In honor of Mother’s Day B&B faves dish about their most important off-screen role
I Hope That My Child/Children Thinks I Am:
Brown: “Proud of them.”
Gareis: “Loving and kind.”
Tom: “Proud of him.”
My Kid/Kids Would Describe Me As:
Brown: “Driven.”
Gareis: “Silly and goofy.”
Tom: “Embarrassing. I have a special magical talent for that. It’s really my super-power.”
Best Thing About Motherhood:
Brown: “Knowing a love like no other.”
Gareis: “All of it, but mostly those special moments at night.”
Tom: “The time we spend together.”
Most Challenging Thing About Motherhood:
Brown: “Watching mistakes that are avoidable but must be learned on one’s own.”
Gareis: “Trying to figure out the right thing to say.”
Tom: “That’s the flip side. Making sure I’m slowing down and enjoying every minute of it. We are all so busy that suddenly I’m like, ‘Where has the time gone?’ ”
Favorite Mother/Child Activity:
Brown: “Family game nights, skiing, fishing and cooking.”
Gareis: “Baking.”
Tom: “We have ‘Mommy and Zane’ days on the weekend, when we don’t have water polo, where we go on long hikes, like 10-mile hikes, and we’ve done it since he was a baby and I’d put him on my back. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
Ideal Mother’s Day itinerary:
Brown: “Sleep in, go on my morning walk/shuffle with my dog Milo, go out for breakfast, head out snow skiing or boating, pâté and champagne lunch, massage, nap and a beautiful steak dinner with family.”
Gareis: “Walk on the beach, dinner with the family and movie night!”
Tom: “I want to go on a day long hike and pack a lunch with just the three of us, me, [husband] James and Zane.”
Ideal Mother’s Day Gift:
Brown: “Hugs from my babies.”
Gareis: “Really only a card but if they have to get me something, it’s nice when daddy takes the kids to buy mommy a necklace and they pick it all together.”
Tom: “He always makes me something every year and honestly, it is my favorite thing. What I like most about it is how excited he is to give it to me. I eat that up because someday that will wane and he’ll buy me a sweater [laughs]. I love when he makes something that he is so proud of and can’t wait for me to open it up.”
Favorite TV Mom:
Brown: “Lucy Ricardo/Lucille Ball and Carol Brady/Florence Henderson.”
Gareis: “Betty White [ex-Ann] — not that she was a great mother to Steph and Pam, but I love her.”
Tom: “I have to choose Melody Thomas Scott [Nikki, Y&R]. She was my TV mom [when Tom played Y&R’s Victoria] and I definitely wanted to be her when I grew up.”
My Special Mom Skill:
Brown: “Always being there to listen, even if I don’t always like what I’m hearing.”
Gareis: “Back massages.”
Tom: “I multi-task really well. I’m able to keep things moving along and keep them calm.”
I Embarrass My Kid When I:
Brown: “Wear designer brands in Montana.”
Gareis: “Hug and kiss them endlessly in front of their friends.”
Tom: “Again, embarrassing him. ‘Do you mean I shouldn’t sing out your name or tell you how much I love you when I drop you off at school?’ ”
Word That Best Describes Motherhood:
Brown: “Blessing.”
Gareis: “Love.”
Tom: “Indescribable. It’s indescribable until you’ve done it. It’s the hardest, best thing I’ve ever done. It’s not easy but it’s the best thing you’ll ever do if you choose it.”
