Friday Fifty Six

As many of you know, a Chelsea Morning is my mom. Well, today is her birthday. In honor of this day, I have decided to tell the world 56 things I love about her. Just so you know, this was a totally random number I chose because it sounded good with "Friday." Really. Mom is turning 30 today. Again.

56 Things I Love About My Mom...

1.She is one of the most creative people I know. She says she isn't, but you should see the things she's made.

2.She is a great teacher. She has taught me cross-stitch, crochet, sewing, and soon cooking.

3.She has always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

4.She has supported me in everything I have ever done. She spent a great deal of my childhood sitting on bleachers watching gymnastics meets, softball games, volleyball, basketball...She even spent four days in California with a particularly terrible group of teenage girls so that my cheerleading squad could be in a parade.

5.She shares her computer with me. This is seriously a big deal, because this time of year, the amount of school stuff I need to get done is insane.

6.She humors me when I get excited about something. She is always listening to me talk about my students, and even reads their papers if I insist she just has to see how cute or how good it is.

7.She is an excellent helper, and always willing. Last year, she spent an entire day with me shopping for school stuff and then setting up my classroom.

8.She never hesitates to loan me her couch when I get homesick on the weekends.

9.She also never hesitates to let me use her washer and dryer (and laundry soap) on those homesick weekends.

10.She always knows exactly what you need to feel better. Right after I moved out, she gave me my favorite blanket of hers that I always cuddled under. It helped a lot with the homesickness and still does.

11.She pulls off the absolute best Christmases ever! As a child and as an adult, my Christmases have always been extra special, even when times were tough for all of us.

12.She pretty much gives the best parties, period. Anybody who has never attended a holiday, shower, or bunko party at her house is truly missing out.

13.She is a great nana. I don't have kids right now, but watching her with my sister's son, I know she will be a great nana to my kids too some day.

14.She has an incredible love of reading, which she has passed down to me. She began reading to me before I could even sit up on my own, and to this day I still love to curl up with a good book. I will never forget this gift.

15.She is really smart. She grew up at a time where schools emphasized home economics and secretarial classes more than academics for girls, but she is still really smart when it comes to the bookish stuff. (Like kicking my butt at scrabble).

16.Education has always been important to her, especially that of her daughters. She was always there to help with homework and projects, and was our biggest encourager when it came time to make decisions about college.

17.She is addicted to TV shows, you know the "reality" kind. This sounds like a silly thing to love about someone, but I can't tell you how great it is to have someone to watch these with, and get as wrapped up in them as I do.

18.I can talk to her about anything. I never hidden anything from my mom.

19.She taught me how to play Rummy. Again, this sounds silly, but as a female in this family, this is a highly important skill to have.

20.She plays other games with me, too. Even as a little kid. I still have very fond memories of Mom playing Sorry or Monopoly with my sister and me. Most get-togethers don't end until Mom has gotten out at least one, sometimes two, games.

21.My mom is fun! She loves to have girls day out, and go to lunch or a movie or shopping. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is a margarita afternoon with Mom.

22.She would do just about anything for someone she cares about. Last year, she spent hours and hours making tons of beaded spider Christmas tree ornaments for me to take to school and give to the staff.

23.She is a fabulous cook. There is absolutely nothing in the world better than a meal made by my mom. I'd prefer dinner at Mom's house to a night out any time.

24.She always makes me feel at home. Even though I have my own place now, when I stay at her house, I never feel like a guest. I feel like I never left. This is probably why at 25, I still refer to my Mom's house as "going home."

25.She is the only person who will humor me when I start going on and on about this or that in teaching. I am pretty sure that many times she is zoned out, but she lets me get excited and ramble, and that is enough for me.

26.She took care of my Grandma when she was so sick. This act of love says a lot about her patience and her heart, and when you look at all she did, you can't help but be in awe of her.

27.She still has a friend from years and years ago (long before I even existed to her). This says a lot about her loyalty.

28.She has never stopped being a Mom. My sister and I are both grown up and (kind of) out on our own, but my mom is just as involved now as she was when we were toddlers. Just because we grew up didn't mean she stopped taking care of us.

29.She is sentimental. She appreciates the smallest of things, and always knows exactly what to do or say or give to make you feel just the right way. I still have little trinkets and treasures that I found in my stocking or Easter basket over the years that are even more special today than they were then.

30.She is one of the most caring people I know. I have seen her cry and fervently pray for people she has never even met - soldiers, hurricane Katrina and Sept. 11 victims, people in Bloggersville who are hurting. She cares so much that her heart aches for people she doesn't even know.

31.She laughs out loud when she reads. I know, another silly thing, but there is nothing more comforting on a "lazy day" than Mom reading her book and laughing out loud, completely clueless to the fact that everyone is watching her.

32.She is a great decorator. Every time I move into a new little apartment or house, I call Mom, and she comes and arranges the furniture, and hangs things and gets the decorations set out just the right way. Once, I left her in my apartment for an afternoon while I went to work. When I got home, it was like walking into a new place.

33.She finds humor in just about everything. No matter how bad I think a situation is, she can always figure out a way to make me laugh about it.

34.She gave me a past I can be proud of. I know a lot of people who don't talk about their past or their family, because of embarassment or shame. I love telling people about my family and my past. My mom has given me wonderful memories to share.

35.I had a fabulous childhood, and blame it on my Mom.

36.She laughs until she cries. Anyone who has never seen my mom really get to laughing might not understand, but when she laughs, it is the most infectious thing. Even if the thing she is laughing at isn't even remotely funny, if she laughs, you will laugh. We're talking tears and snorting. Really, you need to witness it. I love it when my mom laughs.

37.She always did what she had to to make sure my sister and I had what we needed. I don't remember having a lot of money growing up, but I also don't remember ever having needed or wanted anything. No matter what the circumstances, she somehow always made sure we had enough.

38.She knows me inside out- probably better than anybody. She never follows a Christmas or Birthday list, even if she asks for it - she already knows exactly what to get. She always knows what to do or say to make me feel better.

39.She loves everything living. People. Animals. Humming birds. If it breathes and moves, she gets extremely excited over it. (unless it slithers, I think she draws the line at slithers).

40.She is wise. Not only was she concerned about our academic achievements and success, she was worried about our success as people. She taught us the really important stuff - you know the stuff you don't learn in school. Manners, caring, how to treat other people, what to do when other people don't treat us well, empathy...She taught us this through words and her own actions.

41.She is okay with who she is. I have never known my mom to be too overly concerned with her image, or what other people have to say about her. She is who she is, and she is okay with that.

42.She is capable of finding beauty anywhere, any time. I can't tell you how many times she has made me drop what I am doing and come outside. Then she says "look!" and points at the night sky. You would think she has never seen the stars before.

43.She is capable of unreal levels of excitement. I have never met anybody who gets more excited than her over weddings, new babies, a new hobby, a puppy, a humming bird in the yard. It is like everything is new and different, even if she has seen it a hundred times.

44.She is more dedicated and devoted that anyone I know. When she takes on a new challenge, hobby, or task, she puts her whole self into it, yet still manages to hold down all her other forts.

45.She is the queen of clean. We kind of give her a hard time about this, but I have seen some kids come from really awful homes. I don't think she knows how much my sister and I appreciate having had a clean home to grow up in.

46.She wants to be a part of my life. Not just in the "oh, that's nice" motherly sort of way. She really cares what is going on and wants to be a part of it. I have seven and eight year olds come to me daily whose parents aren't in the least bit concerned about their lives. What a difference it makes.

47.She lets me be a part of her life. She tells me things and has real conversations with me. She doesn't hide things that are going on in her life, which to me is the ultimate relationship to have with your mother as an adult.

48.She still takes care of me when I am sick. If I have to get a sub at school, I drive straight "home" to Mom's house. I heal faster there.

49.She has unbelievable family values. I can't think of anything that is more important to her than her family. Her own parents, her siblings (esp. her sister), her neices and nephews, her husband and kids, her grandson. There is no one in this family that is not at the top of her priority list.

50.She is a born caregiver. She takes care of grandbabies, pets, daughters, hubby, plants, fish. It's like she can't help but take care of things.

51.She can fix anything. A tear, a stain, a spill... if there is something that is broken or needs fixing, you can bet she will figure out how to fix it. (And, she only uses four products to do it!) This is truly a gift!

52.She is forgiving. I have given her some not-so-nice looks and said some not-so-nice things in moments of high anxiety and low levels of sleep. (I do not handle stress well.) She has always forgiven me for these moments.

53.She can be a big mean mama if she needs to. She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, but if someone wrongs her family, you better watch out. I have seen her go from zero to mean in about 2 seconds flat. She stands up for me like no one else (except my sister, who clearly learned it from her).

54.She is lovable. Every one of my friends who has ever met my mom loves her.

55.She is beautiful. My friends are always telling my how pretty she is, and how young she looks despite being a whopping 30. I get so proud you would think they were telling me I was a knockout, or that I was somehow responsible for this beauty. Yes, it's a little shallow, but my mom is pretty, and I am proud of having a pretty mom.

56.I am who I am, and where I am, today because of my mom.

Happy Birthday Mom!!! I love you to pieces, and I am so happy that I get to come "home" today and spent at least part of your day with you.