Day 24

Mom, thank you for marrying dad.

Days 22-23

My mom is completely obsessed with Cary Grant!  We used to buy a ton of candy at Larry's Market and have Cary Grant marathons (which is similar to, but not the same as "Sunday Night Candy", which was buying a ton of candy at Larry's Market and watching X-Files and That 70's Show on Sunday nights).  I loved every single movie we watched, but there are two that stand out in my mind as particularly hilarious - although I can't really say if it was because the movie itself was really funny, or just because we had so much fun watching them.  Although I do remember my dad turning to me during one of them and saying, "You're giggling more then your mom!"  Hehehehe.

Mom, thank you for "I Was A Male War Bride" and "Walk Don't Run".

Days 20-21

Most moms send their elementary schoolers off to school with little pearls of wisdom.  "Treat others as you wish to be treated", or maybe "It's nice to be important, but more important to be nice."  My mom's was "Don't take crap from anyone."  I really took this to heart.

My 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Carovano.  To say she was "mean" would be like saying Hitler was a "bully."  No, she was far more then mean.  She was the spawn of Satan.  Seriously, I think she might have been.  I truly believe it was her ultimate goal to make every student's life a living hell, and she succeeded on a regular basis.  I dreaded going to school, and I vividly remember my mom driving me to the front of Fairwood Elementary, telling me she loved me, and then "Don't take her crap."  It was easy for me, I knew my parents would never hold me responsible for telling her off (and I actually only did it once).  But what was really sad was watching all the other kids be bullied by her and them just take it.  One day she had us do an art project, turn them in, then she held ones up she thought were "bad" and asked everyone to tell her why they were ugly.  We weren't allowed to leave for recess until we had gone through them all.  After the 3rd one I just couldn't take it anymore, and I raised my hand.  She called on me and I told her (and I quote) "This is wrong!  You are EVIL!" (OK, so I told her off more then once if you can't that time.)  She looked quite flabbergasted, so I took it one step further: "I'm telling Dr. Fowler (the principal), and we're going to recess!"  And then we did.

Then there was the time in 1st grade when we had to earn "money" by being good, then use that money to pay to go to recess or to the bathroom (seriously, Fairwood Elementary is like a prison).  I, for obvious reasons, never had any money.  I always had to bum $2 to take a pee.  Well my friends got a little tired of it, and one day I really had to go, so I went to Mr. Nickels (also spawn of Satan) and told him I didn't have any money, but I really needed to go to the bathroom.  He got this really evil smile on his face and told me I should behave and then I could "earn the privilege" of going to the bathroom.  Yes folks, this was my 1st grade class.  Well a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, so I went to the corner of the classroom, pulled down my pants, and did my business.  I was sent to the principal's office, and as of that day no one had to "pay" to use the restroom anymore.

I may have been a huge pain in the ass for a majority of my teachers, but my mom's words of wisdom helped me stick up for other kids who didn't know how, or were too scared.  As I got older I calmed down a bit, and most of my junior high and high school teachers really liked me (although to be fair, none of them were spawns of Satan).  I still didn't take any crap - I was just slightly nicer about it.

Mom, thanks for teaching me to stick up for myself, and in turn, to stick up for others!

Day 19

My mom is one of the most non-judgmental people I know.  It does not matter your race, religion, age, sex, etc., my mom will treat you with the same respect that all human beings deserve.  The part I love the best about her is that it doesn't even occur to her that she should do anything else.

For many years my mom worked at the Bank of America tower in downtown Seattle and rode the bus to and from the Renton park and ride.  One day a young man got on the bus at one of the stops after my mom had already gotten on - he had bandages on his neck with blood coming out of them. My mom was engrossed in her book and didn't notice him at first, but when she looked up she immediately went to him and asked if he was OK.  She noticed that everyone else was trying to avoid him, but I can just picture my mom, completely oblivious to everyone else, shrieking, "Oh my goodness, are you OK?!?!?!"  The man told her he had been stabbed and had just come from the hospital.  It was gang related, and I'm sure this made everyone on the bus shy away even more.  But my mom just sat next to him and talked to him the whole way, then told me that evening of the "sweet young man" she met on the bus.  I love this so much about my mom.  This is the way Christ loves and has asked us to love - and it just comes naturally to her.

Thank you for this example, mom!

Day 18

Something that always makes me feel better when I'm feeling down is making people laugh.  I especially love to make my mom laugh, and she graciously obliges.  I love that.  I can call my mom crying and it usually doesn't take long until we are both laughing about something.

Thanks for laughing with me, mom!

Day 17

What goes around comes around!  When I was little I was kind of a terror - I threw tantrums and held my breath until I turned blue.  I screamed and kicked and raised hell.  The slightest thing would set me off - like bumps in my socks which would bother me so much I would stop in the middle of the street to try and fix them, then throw a tantrum when my parents tried to get me to get out of the middle of the street.  Thankfully I have since gotten a little more control over my emotions, and hopefully someday Nora will be able to say the same thing!!  This girl can kick and scream with the best of them.  She hasn't turned blue yet, but I'm thinking that's coming any day now.  I am trying to be as patient as my mom was with me.

Thanks for putting up with my tantrums....and I'm sorry for throwing them!

This sweet little smile is deceiving!!

Days 15-16

Thank you for making me go to the doctor, and for watching my kids while I went.