My mom's birthday was on the 18th. For those of you who know my mom, it is kinda hard not to like her. And if for some reason you don't like her, she will try her hardest to change that. My mom has many positives about her, many traits that I have picked up. Let's start with coupons. When I was younger my mom would give me the job of cutting, sorting and filing her coupons. Now I sport my own coupon pouch. I remember when I first started shopping at Jerry's store we were just starting to date. I have to admit I questioned how sexy he would find me when I pulled out my coupons... but I am so obsessed, in the end I didn't care and used them. I knew my mom would have been proud.
My mom is frugal. Not cheap. There is a difference. I am like my mom that way. I hate to spend a lot of money on dinner, but if I do go out, I always tip at least 20%. If you want to do something special for my mom, take her to dinner or at least buy her a glass of wine, otherwise, if she is buying her own dinner, she'll just have water. I won't ever forget a few years ago my ex was gone for the weekend and my mom came to stay with me and the kids in Colorado. She took me to dinner, for Sushi! It was expensive, but we sat on the floor and had a wonderful evening eating to our hearts contents. My mom didn't even flinch when the bill came and strongly declined my offer to split the bill. I love my mom.
I still own a shirt from 1995 that I bought when I was at IU. I won't get rid of it. It is still good. I got this trait from my mom. She is a pack rat. But I am NOT complaining. She has attics and all sorts of nooks and cranny's filled with everything! I can call her at a moment's notice and ask her for a bathing suit for the girls or anything else the kids are lacking. She has it, it packed away, waiting for my request. I save all sorts of stuff, ticket stubs, kids art, any little thing to remind me of a special event. I have puppy teeth and umbilical stubs. Poor max already has a box of items I am collecting for him... just in case he cares what section, row and seat we sat in when we took him to his second Mariner's game, I have the ticket saved.
My mom doesn't know a stranger. Growing up I watched as my mom would spark a conversation with just about anyone. I remember being on a boat in Kiawah Island, SC. My mom became best friends with some unsuspecting soul in just thirty minutes. I have this trait. I once talked to a homeless man for two hours on a late night bus ride in L.A. He was phenomenal with this impressive perspective of life and family. If I didn't have the mom I did I probably wouldn't have had the balls to be on that bus by myself that night or the desire to make friends with everyone I meet. If I didn't have this trait, I wouldn't be where I am now. The night that Jerry and I met my sister and I were hanging out playing slots in Vegas and she invited him to have her machine, she was done playing. Five hours later, we had made a new friend.
My mom is fun. My mom is silly. My mom taught me how to pee in the woods. (which I did today by the way despite the danger of being caught on a busy path on GOOD FRIDAY!) One funny story happened years ago. Her and I were running and were miles from home in the middle of no where. We both had to go, so we hopped in the woods and went. Then we got a little nutty, we decided to moon the next car that passed. So we listened and dropped our shorts and mooned a cop! We screamed and ran into the woods, fugitives! I love my mom!
My mom taught me to breastfeed and now years later I am at it again with Max. I always joke that I have a bachelors degree in nursing, the breastfeeding type. I nursed my first four children a little over four years total. Now I am onto my Master's degree. Today's assignment, nurse while walking without my hooter hider. I decided it could be done, and after adjusting max in his pouch and providing him a dinner "boob" I realized if someone looked hard enough, they would catch a peek. Ah well, Max was hungry and that's what dinners are for and today is earth day after all and I was at one with mother nature.
My mom instilled in me a desire to get out there and go for a walk. When I was really little, like five or six, I remember my mom would sneak away at night and go for a walk. One night I asked her if I could go with and she took me along. It was dark and cold and there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. But I remember how peaceful it was and how beautiful everything looked at night. To this day I love to go for a walk. Today I headed back to Chamber's Bay, even though we were just there yesterday afternoon, and walked the entire trail. It was just lovely. There is a view of the Sound and today it was full of boats. There is a beautiful path that takes you through the woods and along a gorgeous golf course. It's a small bit of heaven. I sang to Max and cooed at him and smiled as the puppy greeted another puppy friend. Then I called my mom and told her I missed her and wished her here. I miss my mom.
This is a love letter to my mom that I intend to continue, but if I don't sign off now, I will be late for a little's soccer practice. One other trait my mom also passed on to me, the inability to be on time!
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