Ten Things I Forgot to Thank My Mother For

As the saying goes,

"You don't know what you've got until you're the one having to do it all yourself."

Well, something like that anyway. Over the past few weeks, the holidays have kept us pretty busy here in the Sunshine household. Despite all the extra hubbing and bubbing, there are certain tasks that continue to be done regardless of how crazy life gets. Most of the time, those tasks fall to me. Which got me to thinking...

Who did this before I came along?

Me and Mom.  If I manage to do half as good a job
as she did, I'd count myself blessed.

My mother. Of course.

To start the new year off right, I'm going to send out a shout of thanks for some of the tasks she performed tirelessly. Although if I'm any indication, maybe "tirelessly" is not the word... maybe more like "exhaustedly but out of love" is more appropriate.

Oh - and just to be clear - this isn't the whole Hallmark, mushy, I love you because you're wonderful and taught me that going out in my pajamas is not okay, even if it is just Walmart. No, this list is for the things that are forgotten. Overlooked because I was either too young to notice, or because they are taken for granted every day. So here goes:

Mother, thank you from the bottom of my heart for:

1) Potty Training. Wow. I cannot imagine what my life would be if you had chosen to simply skip this step. Or not clean up any accidents I may have had. (Although I didn't, right? Have accidents? 'Cause I was the perfect child. Right? Mom??)

2) Wrapping all the Christmas gifts. Especially the funky shaped ones - since gift bags had yet to be invented. I still remember some pretty awesome squishy gifts wrapped rather creatively in paper. Kudos for the effort. There's nothing quite as fun as shredding up paper and ending with a toy.

3) Clipping my fingernails. And toenails. For YEARS. I actually remember you clipping my fingernails as a child. I just had no idea you'd done it every week since the day I was born...

"Hey mom! This sure is fun, isn't it?"

4) Pushing me on the swingset. Incessantly. I now realize that it was not quite as much fun for you as it was for me.

5) Washing my sheets. Magically, fresh linens would appear on my bed regularly throughout my childhood, with no one around to witness the incredible feat. Unlike the doctor's office, where they simply grab the tissue paper covering, roll a fresh sheet over the table and toss the used section, my sheets were made of fabric. You actually washed, dryed and replaced my sheets. Endlessly.

6) Brushing my hair. Oh, and not chopping it off when I got gum stuck in it. Twice. Also for letting it grow long even though I would end up with "rat's nests" at the nape of my neck every morning. I loved my long hair and pigtails, even if they were a little lopsided from time to time because of all my wiggling while you were attempting to wrangle that little elastic band over my tresses.

"I'm going to be a smashingly good cook, thanks
to DeeDee." (Good thing mommy has backup!)

7) Teaching me the difference between 2 T. and 2 t. of salt. And not being mad when I ruined our chicken dinner so badly even the dog wouldn't eat it.

8) Letting me ride under the grocery cart. Let's face it, there's a seriously limited window in which you're allowed to lay flat on your belly with your arms out like Superman as your mother shops for bananas. Letting me be that kid while ignoring the looks you got from strangers makes you Superwoman.

Aw, Grandma, I didn't wake mom up THAT much!

9) Letting me wake you up. At 3 am, 6 am, even 2 pm because some days I refused to nap. I don't remember doing it, but I know I did. I also know you gave me medicine, gave me water, and gave me a stern talking to sometimes. Thanks for always being there, even when you'd have rather used earplugs, turned off the monitor and pretended weekends were for sleeping in.

Making "Christmas Trees" with sugar cones and green icing.
The icing sometimes jumps straight to your mouth.
Can't be helped.

10) Believing memories were more important than messes. Remember how Kim and I used to love to play in the tub until our fingers turned to prunes, and all the water we splashed out of the tub magically dried up before we even had our pajamas on?

Remember all the toys you let us play with that would clean themselves up every night so we could rediscover them again the next day?

Remember when you would let us "help" you do things so they could get done faster and better than if you'd just done them on your own?

Remember teaching us how to make Christmas trees with bright green frosting? A family tradition that we now celebrate with our own kids...

Mark makes sure even Auntie gets in on the clean up
action. The icing bowl attacked him.
Couldn't be helped.

Thanks mom. For everything.