Saturday, July 11, 2009

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's 65th birthday. Doesn't she look awesome? This little chickie poo-poo is a pretty cool mom. I have run this one through the ringer through the years, and she never shook her head in despair or tisk-tisked me. (At least not to my face) What ever mess I had gotten myself into, she did what she could to get me out of it and never judged. She is a plethora of knowledge that ranges from cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, and photography to any trivia question you ever wanted to know. She is the lady you want to call if you climb into the Cash Cab. (A very fun game show on the Discovery Channel) She loves to use words like "titmouse" (it's a bird you sickos) and "Lake Titicaca." (pronounced just as it's spelled) She says these words with a completely straight, innocent face, and when we all laugh she looks at us blankly and says "what's so funny?" I know inside she is giggling hysterically and thinks no one is on to her. Well I am sister!
When I was divorced 11 years ago, the kids and I moved from Austin, Texas to Cleveland. My mom quit her job in order to stay home with my kids so that I could go to school during the day and work at night. The girls were thrown into a very traumatic situation. Their parents were no longer together, they moved away from their home and their friends, and I was no longer able to stay home all day to take care of them. My mom and dad created a sense of normalcy for all of us that most definitely attributed to the kids sense of well-being and confidence that they have today. Once I graduated from school and had a 40 hour per week job, my mom continued to watch the kids after school everyday, and all day during the summer. She picked them up from school everyday and made sure their homework was always done by the time I came home. She drove them to practices and in the summer had tons of activities planned for them. And many days, in return for this selfless act, she was rewarded with disrespectful and badly behaved kids. She punished them like they were hers and continued on. For that I am ever grateful.
3 years ago, when Isabella was born, I quit my job and have stayed home with the kids since then. I was finally able to relieve her from her "Nanny" responsibilities so that she could go back to being just "Nana". I am sure she likes that much better.
I love my mom - she truly is the greatest. Happy Birthday, Mom - Enjoy your day!

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