‘It’s all about laughter’: Moms look back on memories with their children in the OKC area

Lori Johnson-Vegas remembers the science experiment like it was yesterday.

She and her husband were living at Tinker Air Force Base at the time, it was freezing out and their son, Justin, was visiting. Johnson-Vegas and Justin went into the backyard at 2 a.m. with a container of hot water. They tossed the water in the air and burst into laughter as they watched it explode into a plume of ice.

Memories like that fuel Johnson-Vegas’ belief that laughable moments are sometimes a parent’s saving grace, especially when dealing with frustrating or complicated situations involving their children.

“We call it ‘#smilegigglelaugh’ moments,” she said. “There are often times where we’re challenged with difficult times and, when we approach those moments with #smilegigglelaugh opportunities, it completely changes the perspective on how we deal with it.”

A military spouse, life coach and former U.S. Air Force reservist, Johnson-Vegas was recently named National Mother of the Year by American Mothers, Inc., a nonprofit that is in its 88th year of recognizing mothers and the impact they have on their communities.

Though grown and out of the house, her children visit regularly, and they’ve developed a family tradition of attending Oklahoma City Thunder games together when visits do happen.

Moms reflect on family traditions this Mother’s Day

Traditions are also important to OKC mom Robyn Sunday-Allen, whose son is wrapping up his freshman year of college at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Sunday-Allen, CEO of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, was named Oklahoma Mother of the Year in 2022 by American Mothers, Inc. One tradition she’s formed with her son, Eli, is experiencing new dining spots during her visits to LA. When Eli is in town, the pair frequent their favorite haunt, The Sushi Bar in north OKC.

Sunday-Allen said it brings back fond memories of similar experiences with her mother.

“Food is kind of the center of our social network, so my son and I enjoy our time together just being alone over food,” she said. “It’s our time to catch up and share what’s going on with each other’s lives.”

It also reminds Sunday-Allen of just how fast life moves when you’re having fun and raising a family.

“It sounds so cliché, but time is going to go by so fast when you’re in the middle of everything,” she said. “Embrace every stage [of motherhood] because [children] change so much. Don’t rush anything because it’s going to rush itself.”

Sunday-Allen recalls one way she should attempt to slow things down a bit: She introduced her son to the stage performances at OKC’s Civic Center Music Hall. It all began with a “Dora the Explorer” show and turned into them catching as many Broadway productions as possible.

Even now, every Christmas, she and her son attend a showing of “A Christmas Carol” at Lyric Theatre.

Johnson-Vegas and her family keep meticulous notes of things they’ve done to embarrass themselves or the family, then they get together to rank them from most to least embarrassing.

She said it’s all done in good fun and is a way to remember funny moments.

She recalls a time when one of her sons locked himself in the bathroom of a hotel room they were staying in. Though the moment was filled with bouts of panic, anger and concern, they quickly learned to look back on it and laugh.

“Children are always going to do things that embarrass their parents or themselves,” Johnson-Vegas said. “When you sit back and think about how you got through it, [the situation] always ends up being hilarious.”

There’s no doubt she’s experienced plenty of those moments, especially since she’s devoted so much to Home Away From Home, a support group on TAFB where community members provide a literal home away from home for airmen and sailors in their first year at the base. She’s also spent years as a youth pastor.

“There are a lot of people who call me ‘Mama Lori,’” she said. “Even though I might only have two biological sons, I have a lot of children and grandchildren and godchildren.

“When I take a moment to close my eyes and think of something my children have done to make me smile, it’s the greatest feeling.”