Mommy, Mom, Ma....Mother - Happy 60th!

As soon as there was a slight chill in the air, the Christmas music would start playing.
Dean Martin (to be specific). 
It began in September.

There were days when she would wake up and say,
 'today looks like a good day to stay home from school to bake cookies' -
and then we would do just that.

She has a way of making an ordinary day feel special.

She knows how to capture a moment and hold onto it.
There is never a question of how much she loves you, because she shows you.

There were other days when I would wake up greeted by a note to 'go look inside the fridge'...and when I would, I would find another clue to send me on a morning scavenger hunt.
What a terrfic way to start a morning, huh?
It always ending with a toy for me.

Back then, I thought she was the coolest.
 Looking back now, I think she was the smartest.
It's a pretty genius way to extend a few precious sleeping minutes for her, right? ; )

My mother tends to be overly dramatic - either something was 'to die for' or the worse thing in her ennnnnntire life.

I was scared to walk out  my front door because she read me every horrible statistic she could find.
She wanted to scare the hell out of me.
It worked.
I was a very cautious kid because of it.
But only now, after I have had my children do I appreciate it.

 She thinks all us kids lie when we talk about our childhood and recount stories of her.
I secretly think she knows better - but is smart enough not to admit to anything.

She's a dreamer - who has always manifested her dreams.
She makes her wishes her reality.

I have never seen another person do this more effectively then her.

She is generous. To a fault.
Genuienly so.

Her advice is prevalent, even though sometimes you would rather not hear it.

She is always right.

When they say mothers know best, there is a reason for it.

My mother was not the 'Betty Crocker' type.

But the one or two things she did make were the BEST things you have EVER tasted.

To die for actually...
(I'm sooo my mother's child ; ) 

She's compassionate.
Always thinking about someone else.

I can't tell you how many Easter's, Thanksgivings and Christmas dinner's we have spend with less fortunate people, who didn't have a place to go and came to stay with us.

She has a huge heart.

She is enthusiastic, fair and a fantasic story teller. 

When she tells a story you don't just laugh - you cry because you can't breath. 

She's crazy (in a very good way), eclectic and dramatic.

I'm now raising three kids of my own and never really fully understood the sacrifices she had to make until my third one came along this year. 

I get it now why sometimes there was cereal for dinner or hot dogs and pasta all week.
(Sorry Ma, if I ever complained).

She has the best advice EVER.

The glass is always half full.

Always.

She can not have one of anything. She needs TEN.

She can't just decorate a tree, she can't see the tree after.
And while we are on the subject of Christmas trees, she has 14 of them.
14.
Yes...really.
And not the tacky kind. The beautiful, gorgeous, perfectly done kind.
The kind where our neighbors ask their family and friends to come to our house just for a peek.

She is notorious for making lemonade out of lemons.

She thinks if she makes it to 60, that every year after that will be icing on the cake.

Well, folks...we got to the icing this past Tuesday.
Mom turned 60 and we presented her with her own ipad.
I know...what were we thinking?!

. There is only so much though people can read to her about Facebook before she wants to stalk people too.

So I will apologize now if she bombards the blog or my fanpage with comments.
(That's if she can figure out how to get to them : )

But come to think of it - isn't that after all what mothers are for?
Giving comments, advice and suggestions...even though we think we really don't want to hear it.
The funny thing is...Mom's know that we secretly want and need to know.
Like I said...they're always right.


I'll leave you all with two great poems that was just sent to me recently.

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;

They don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils

Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,

Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough

Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what

The vacuum just sucked up...

Real Mothers know that a child's growth

Is not measured by height or years or grade...

It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother.....

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't know everything!

14 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother? She wouldn't have a clue.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mom? She's so five minutes ago.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.


The poem goes on - but this is where I will stop it. This is where I am in my life.

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I'm able to talk to my Mom eveyday, orrr,
actually several times a day.

After your done reading this blog post...go call your Mom, send her a letter or just whisper 'thank you'.

She had and still has the hardest job in the world.

Happy 60th birthday Ma!
*insert our secret hand signal*
Love you!