As Mother’s day approaches, my thoughts focus (even more so than usual) on my own Mother and what she has done for so many people and in particular what she has put up with raising a small army of children.  She is a mother of 7 kids and 17 grand-kids.  She is nothing short of amazing.

On top of all of us, she puts up with this guy – The Albino Gyno aka The Silver Bullet and sometimes he is like her 8th kid.  Don’t get me wrong, my dad is AWESOME, sometimes way too awesome.  There is absolutely no one else that I would rather spend a Saturday night with.  No one.  He too is nothing short of amazing but we’ll save that one for Father’s day.  My dad does not mess around and I love it.

My mother has put up with her share of naughty kids and for this, I apologize.

That time you told me I could not drive the car to South Padre Island for Spring Break and I did anyway, I am sorry.  That time you sent me to High School with bottles of wine for all my teachers for Christmas gifts and they never made it to their rightful owners, I am sorry.  On a side note, thanks for a fancy Friday night in someone’s basement.  Everyone else was drinking Busch light and me and my pals were sipping on an 89 Cabernet.  What about that time I made my little sister poop in a crayon box?  Sorry for the smell.  Sorry for all the High School parties we threw right under your noses and all the watered down vodka.  Do you remember when Dad came home after a rough day at the office and poured himself a “water martini”?  Oops.  Sorry for all those nights where  I left you up waiting without calling.  Sorry for all those mornings that I walked out of the house without telling you, “thanks for the breakfast you just made and the lunch you just packed.”  I envied the kids who got to have hot lunch, I thought they were the lucky one’s.  I was wrong – you made my lunch, with lots of love…..stale chips and love.  I always pack my pals lunch now and always include a note that lets them know that Mommy is thinking of them.  I remember when you would jot a little note on my napkin and it made my day.

Now that I am a mother myself, it is amazing all of the tiny things you notice.  I notice every “I love you Mommy” and every sweet little kiss I get from my favorite people that call me “Mommy.”  Being a Mom is the most amazing thing ever and I have been beyond blessed to have learned from the best.  You taught me so much and still continue to do so.  You taught me that laughter really is the best medicine and that a shitty diaper is really not that bad.  13 shitty diapers in  one day is another story but one or two, not bad.

You helped me navigate through twins as a first time mother by letting me not become overwhelmed and to not take it so seriously.  You told me there will be tears and fighting and fevers and scraped knees, but that is ok.  It is part of life.  My pals and I laugh every day, because of you.  I like to think that I have done a lot of things in my life but being a mom is what I do best….because I learned from the best.

Not only are you an amazing mother to all of us, you are about the best Nonie a kid could ask for.  My kids are so blessed to have you in their lives.  The only thing better than me calling you, “Mom” is my pals getting to call you “Nonie”.  You have read my pals countless books, given them a zillion hugs, had hundreds of phone calls where you could not make out a word, painted and colored, changed trillions of diapers, applied nut cream to more balls than we care to remember and made dozens and dozens of cupcakes, cookies and scrambled eggs.

All of this and you still sleep in the top bunk with Eden EVERY time you come to visit.  That right there is about the most awesome thing ever…cramped quarters, 8 feet off of the ground with a child who tosses and turns more than a baby alligator on speed in her sleep.  I know you crawl up there and sleep about 12 minutes total but you still do it every time for her, because she will not have it any other way.  You are her everything.

So, thank you Mom.  Thanks for loving me as much as you do even when I make it tough.  Thanks for being so much more than just a mom – you are my best friend, my guidance counselor, my personal 5 star chef, my nanny, my cleaning lady, my personal comedian, my cheerleader and my biggest fan.

Happy Mother’s day to you.  I love you…..today, tomorrow and ALWAYS.