OK folks, it is Mom's b-day. Happy b-day Mom! Tammy is officially excused from her normal duties of starting the birthday blog. She had some lame excuse like having kidney stones. Big W. Anyway, to mom. Over the years, I have thought so many times about how underrated mom is. She is seriously a rock star. And I'm not talking about her energy drink addiction - as in you are what you drink. Though that may be true, she is a rock star in so many other ways. So, I thought maybe this year we could start a running list of cool things about mom. Even better if they are cool things not everyone may know about. So, let 'em fly...
1. Totally self-sacrificing - for starters she gave up at least 7 years of her life (as in full years) pregnant. She gave up many more in child care.
2. Great taxi driver - seriously, how many ball games, practices, auditions, etc. did she take us to?
3. Amazing listener
4. Disturbingly in tune - can I say iron pills, Franco puking on me, etc.
5. Great missionary, even though she's never been on a mission - yet
6. Ridiculously smart - 9 years old in 9th grade. Seriously???
7. Supportive - she thinks we can do anything we set our minds to. Let's not disabuse her of that notion.
8. Awesome grandma - she loves the grandkids like nobody's business.
9. So good at cooking/baking that she makes Dolly Madison jealous
10. Runs interference really well - you know what I'm talking about. We all did things we knew dad would kill us for. Thankfully, he didn't find out about all of them. (Dad, don't read this item.)
11. Energetic - did I mention 9 kids, a bunch of grandkids, (maybe a rock star or two)?
12. Never needs to be the center of attention. Some of us our loud mouths and clamor for it. She is always content to let us have it and to enjoy seeing us get the attention.
(Back to work. List to be continued.)
5 comments:
We love mom from here to California. I always remember being able to trade any homemade food item for anything in elementary school. Plus, I will never forget the night she came over and got Aurora to sleep when she was a baby. Carrie was exhausted and Aurora wouldn't stop crying and I had a huge nursing exam the next morning. She has taken the girls countless times so Carrie could work and she allowed us to invade their home after we sold ours. Plus, she was the best nurse ever to deliver your children and care for your wife. We love and miss her and are actively working on a plan to make her an official Texan. Oh, dad I guess you can come too.
Thanks Mark for the sweet thoughts but I now wonder WHICH HOMEMADE FOODS you traded and for what. I learn so much when you kids grow up.
We miss you too and look forward to seeing you the end of August.
*Mom will fly out at a minutes notice when u need her.
*Mackenzie loves her to death, I often get called Nana. I am so glad my kids get to see their grandparents often and get to see how wonderful they are. I think Mackenzie would rather hang out with her nana than me... can you blame her?
*Mom has endless skills that she would love to teach you, if you'd just let her. I'm going to let her teach me to can this week, and maybe we'll try out some bread and cinnamon rolls too. And some jam. I'm tired already.
*Mom would give you the shirt off her back, literally.
*After school snack- need I say more. Trust me, my kids aren't getting homemade bread with honey or fresh donuts after school. They're lucky if I bake them a cookie every once in a while. And I don't have 9 kids- I feel like it, but I don't.
*We love you mom
I want in on this too:
* there is no bigger cheerleader than mom. If you don't believe you can do it, she's already so convinced you can that she's got a plan worked out for the specifics of how you can make it happen.
* She is infailingly supportive. I don't remember mom ever missing a game I cheered at or even a track meet I ran at. I once looked up while running the hurdles to find she'd been covering her eyes the whole race. She couldn't even bear to watch me run it but she wanted me to know she supported me so she came anyway. Now if that isn't love...
* She is amazingly forgiving. I still shudder at some of my lower moments as a teenager and she pretends that she doesn't remember what a horrible person I was, nor does she hold it against me. In fact, I remember her telling me during a particularly ornary time in my teens that she knew just how hard I was trying and that it didn't matter that I wasn't being nice because she knew I was trying. Who says that? Mom. No one else but mom.
* I'll never forget the night she got Elizabeth to sleep over 6 hours when shewas just days old so I could sleep. When I asked how she did it, she said "did what?" as if it were nothing at all.
* How about how I would be followed home by neighborhood children on rainy days because they knew the good snacks were at our house after school and mom was so put together she never minded one extra kiddo around.
* I couldn 't have asked and never will want another nurse as long as I live than mom when I have my babies. She was incredible at explaining what was happening with the last time and I can't wait until she comes out to help this time. What would I do without you?
* She raised 9 of us. 9. N.I.N.E!!! Do any of us have any idea how ridiculous that had to be? Putting up with the most juvenile form of all 9 of us. AT ONCE? And she has the decency to not remind us what a nightmare we were! Holy sainthood, Batman. Here comes Mom.
I miss you, Mom. I'm with Mark. We're gonna wear you down till you decide to crumble and move on out here. We love you! Thanks for being such a good example and giving us something to live up to.
1. She loves a good party and good food. (I appreciate this because it's just like me:)
2. She is so gracious about welcoming one and all into her home. She is always willing to share whatever she has.
3. Her heart is soft and touched by the slightest need. Her empathy is unconditional and extended to all.
4. How can you not love someone who cries when you go away and beams when you come back? I always feel loved around Dee.
5. So thoughtful, has she ever forgotten a birthday? Each of my kids get cards on their birthdays. Sometimes I forget to get one for Justin and she manages to remember and postmark them all in time. Amazing!
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