The intricate detail

It's hard on birthdays, Mother's Day, holidays in general, when you're a single parent.  Especially in a case where you don't have extended family to help.  There's no one to remind the kids it's supposed to be a special day for You too and you can't be selfish...that's just bad parenting.

Until....they get old enough to gain a little insight.  It doesn't hurt if they have their own jobs either.  I have very thoughtful girls, fortunately.  They always try to do something, make something and so forth.  One year my middle daughter spent hours making me a whole bouquet of cupcake flowers.

This year my youngest has a job.  Mind you, she had a job long enough to get her first paycheck right before Mother's day.  The rule in the house, half your paycheck goes in savings for college, the others is yours to budget what you need to make it through the week.  (gas, necessities, going out with friends, etc)

That girl spent her entire spending money on flowers and a beautiful necklace for me.  I was so very humbled and honored.  (yes, *sigh*, I cried)


A week later was my birthday.  MY BIRTHDAY!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY - TO ME!  What does she do?  She's on a mission.  She tells my son and I to get in the van and away we go.  She has not driving in the town we were heading in but she managed 5pm Friday traffic, rain and round-abouts like a pro.  I was impressed.

I'm doing my best with my little legs to keep up with her, she definitely has something in mind.  What is it?  Oh my sweet word....it was a massage.  People, it was so wonderful, I think that little guy worked the swear words out of me.  Ahhhhhh.......the world was right again.  How have I not thought of this on my own????

My girls know me so well

All week long my middle daughter has been telling me "Do NOT make plans Sat night!  You have a Date.  With ME!"  Yes Ma'am!

I'm telling you now, that girl would make a good guy.  She came flying into the drive at Mach 5 (as usual), bounced through the door and says, 'get dressed'.

After insisting I wear something comfy, she holds her brother back and says, "Mom first."  I get to the car and in the passenger seat are chocolates, a mini red velvet cake and flowers.  Say it together with me, "awwwwww....." And down the road we go!

My toes have Bling on them!!!

She's telling me about her day, we're chit-chatting along when she pulls up to this nail salon.  We walk in and she tells the woman "She needs a pedi".

Mouth drops open.  A pedicure?  Really?  Oh....I have heard of such things.

Into the seat I went.  Feet in the water and ahhhh.....now I know why she told me to wear sandals.

New Bellyring

The little guy is rubbing my feet when he reaches over and pushes a button.  The seat starts to hum and then knead my back.  Oooooh yes......

From there, down the road we went to dinner.  I'm sitting in the seat of her car grinning like the Cheshire Cat.  This was just so much fun.

I - was the Pampered Princess (as stated by the ribbon pinned to me).  My daughter was beaming with pride.  She should be.  She had planned and plotted for the past week. Well done, M'lady, well done.

Just can't take him anywhere

Winter Playmates

She had no trouble snuggling down in the blanket I made her

Let's face it, this past winter was brutally difficult for all of us.  Alaska had warmer weather than we did!  The kids spent more time out of school for snow and cold to the point my daughter related to the scene in Tangled:  "We are never going back!"

No one can stay cooped up inside forever so out we go to play in the snow....er...ice.



I find it ironic that I have photos of all but my mini me, who's birthday it was this day.  The irony lay in the fact she's the drama queen with the most extroverted personality.  How in the world did she miss photo ops?

I was out with a friend during this day.  It was a rare day, I had no responsibilities.  Shock!  We're driving around and when spotted are all these people out in the middle of the frozen lake!  Wow......here?  In MI, yeah...sure...but here?  Awesome!

Of course I have to go wandering out on it.  Tip toeing, rubbing the snow away.  Am I really walking on water??  Is it cracking?  What are the chances I'll slip and bust my personality??

This was just so much fun.....

The absolutely most fun of all?  Skiing.  Wow.  This has been something on my bucket list for a while.  It's just 45 min from my house.  How is it I've lived here all this time and not??

Granted, we live in the 'hills', not the Mt's so this is perfect for the beginner skier.  What do I do?  Well of course I grab a friend who has done this and whichever child wants to learn and off we go!

Let me break it down for you.  Dawn - never skied.  Daughter - never skied.  Daughter takes tips from friend and down the hill she goes.  Dawn, puts on the second ski and promptly falls over.   (not even joking)

I take the ski lesson and then proceed to fall down all over the hill all day long.  It's a learn process right?  I'm not one to give up easily so I keep at it.

Next, I find other family members, friends and so forth and drag them out.  That was season 1.  Season 2, my daughter and I cover this hill.  She speeds, I yard sale.  In fact, I yard sale so much, people on the lift above actually came down to help gather.  Pride in pocket, I keep at it.

That same year, I brought my son out. I put him in the lessons.  What's he do?  Only go through 2 of the 6 portions and down the biggest hill he went.  O M W!!!  Not that I knew, I went over to check on him and he's gone!

Gone, how can he be gone?  I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to tell his father I lost him on the ski slopes when he goes whizzing right past yelling out, "This is awesome!"  Worried Mom instantly turns into bear.  Why you.......

Fast forward to Season 3.  This year.  Put that boy BACK into the ski lessons and this time he did all 6 portions.  I come over to check, the kid is skiing backwards down the bunny hill.  Are you kidding me?

Mom actually got to bump her beginner skis to Intermediate and what a blast we had.

Oldest and youngest daughter

St. Louis, MO

I have been waiting two decades to see this.

We all know I'm just a little bit crazy, right?  We're all on the same page with that?  Good.  There comes a time when the responsible *cough* adult needs to recognize that everyone in her household is under just a tiny bit of stress.  No kidding, each one of us had our own challenges.  

Sat my crew down with a calendar, a marker, an idea and made a plan.  

We ran to the boarder.  Seriously.   All the way to the IL boarder, stopped at a truck stop in the lanes the semi's park in.  Every one inside and outside my truck are giving me weird looks.    (I'm used to that)  I put the truck in park and informed everyone, "We are throwing all stressors, aggravations, irritations and annoyances out the doors.  They stay here.  Then we are going to run around this truck three times to make sure they don't stick to us before we get back in."  

Woke them all with the first line of "Would you like to build