Happy Mothers Day

I woke up this morning to handmade cards and a new stainless steel mixing bowl and rubber spatulas, I also got a new whisk. This is exactly what I wanted. I've been a mother for 5 years now, and I think that for the most part I'm doing a pretty good job. But there is a reason for this, I had a really good teacher.

I was fortunate enough to have grown up with an amazing mother. I adore her, she is sweet, kind, loving and beautiful. When she was in high school, she was the sweet girl that everyone loved and admired. The goody goody (nerd). She met my dad when they were just kids, and she married him at 17. No doubt she did it so he would just stop nagging he about it. She survived dad's tour in Guam. Her first time off the dirt roads of Oklahoma, on the plane she drank her finger bowl. Hillbilly fo sho. She endured a ridiculously long pregnancy with me. I was due Jan 1 and came along on Feb 23rd, allegedly with long hair and fingernails. What can I say? It was warm in there. And she knew she was pregnant in April so there is no mistake on the dates. She was a cops wife, and all the fear that comes with that. She got us moved from place to place while dad climbed the corporate ladder. We survived the bust in the
80's! We were always together, and often the 4 of us were all we had. And we were ok with that because she was there, so wherever we lived, she made it home.

When she turned 40 she found out she was pregnant. I was 19, and ok with it even if I did find it a little bit gross. My sister was 15 and not okay with it at all. Mom looked at this as her second chance. As if she never felt she did good enough the first time. How she can think that is beyond me, she's a nerd. She worked while we were growing up, but all I remember is being with her. All of my memories are of her spending all her free time with us, being there when we needed her. If I didn't know better, I would say that she was a full time stay at home mom. Her time with us was quality time. And she made those times that we weren't with her few and far between.

My dad got sick in the mid 90's. For years we didn't know what was wrong, and at times it was frustrating and heartbreaking, but she manned up and did what she swore she would do the day she married him. He's better now, but there are still days that are tough. Most of it is crazy old man stuff, but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming. She once told me that I was like one of those blow up clowns that you punch down and they just keep popping back up. I could say the same thing about her.

She is now a grandma. And she's 100% grandma, the kids adore her. She is warm and soft and cuddly and will do whatever mom and dad won't do. She still smells like she just stepped out of a shower all the time. She is still beautiful, and she still makes us feel like we are the most important things in her life. She keeps going, when some would just lay down and cover their heads and give up. She's funny, ditzy, and cute as a button. Recently she has taken on a sort of "badass" persona. This is a bit bothersome to my sisters and father, I like it. Until she turned it on me, then I had to reel her in. But that's ok, she's reeled me in lots of times. I hope that in 25 years I'm as good a mom and wife as she is. I'm proud of her, and I love her. And I love her lemon pie and pumpkin bread.

Happy Muddah's Day Ma!