Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday ... and if you ask her how old she is she will say she doesn't know.  The story goes that when she was born, they didn't expect her to live ... and months later when she was well, they somehow never issued her a birth certificate.  Of course, this was back when they delivered babies at home and had midwives, so it could easily happen that getting a birth certificate could somehow have gotten lost in the shuffle.  Here's a pic of my mom with my older brother, John ... at least I'm assuming it's him and not me with the giveaway being the football.

This was back in the day when mothers wore dresses ... every single day ... and I even remember my mom vacuuming and ironing in high heels ... can you imagine??!!

And here's my mom with my Grandma Elly ... bathing beauties!!!

And when I was growing up there were many things my mother told me . . . lots of words of wisdom and sound advice. Most times I paid attention. However, that there were other times that I rolled my eyes and thought to myself ... what does she know?  This mental faux pas is what is known as the teenage years. One day many years later I heard myself spouting off these same pearls of wisdom to my own children, and I realized my mother was wise beyond compare!  Here's a few phrases that might sound familiar ...

Don’t ever leave the house without clean underwear.

Touching frogs causes warts.
Eating carrots will give you good eyesight.

Fish is brainfood.  [I like fish and I'm smart . . . point proven!] 
If you keep crossing your eyes, they're going to stay that way.
Don't talk with your mouth full.

Don't sit so close to the television, you'll go blind. 

Eat everything on your plate ... there are starving children in Europe. To this day I'm not sure how cleaning my plate off made a difference.

How do you know you don't like it if you don't taste it?  [I don't think my mother ever tasted sushi !!]

Don't get your Sunday school clothes dirty. [she should have told my brother!]

These years are the best years of your life.

What goes around comes around. 

Always carry kleenex in your pocket!  (which she would use to "spit" wash our faces if we got dirty in public)
You just wait til your father gets home. (no explanation needed) ... usually followed with my dad saying "I'm getting my belt ..."

If you don't go to sleep, Santa won't come.  This was one I never took a chance on.

Go play outside, you need the fresh air. (Not to mention mom needs some peace and quiet.)

Don't slam the door!   [oops . . . sorry . . .]

Because I told you so!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!