Nov 3rd- Mom

So I read it over today and thought that yesterday's entry was less than well written.. Sorry about that. I shall attempt to do better from here on out!

Nov. 3rd- Mom

Mom's senior picture. She's so cute!

Today I am thankful for my Mom. I have a really supportive mother... It's odd because it's actually ridiculously hard to get an opinion out of her. Seriously, ask the woman about your hairstyle or politics or what she wants to do when she visits and ya get nothin'. Ask her opinion on chocolate, though and it's another matter. But because she doesn't always speak her mind, it also means that I've never heard her say that there is anything I can't do. Well, besides touch a hot stove, but it was really more of a shouldn't and I kinda think she was right on that one. My mom believes in me, and because of that I work hard to live up to her expectations. She came to every play, every concert, every event, all through elementary and highschool and when I decided to go to college for Musical Theatre (a perhaps less than practical major, dare I say?) she supported that just as she did everything else. Mom loves to brag about her kids. She loves showing off our accomplishments and that has always made me feel very special. I remember in kindergarten overhearing Mom discussing my "grades" with someone. She made a huge deal out of the fact that I had recieved all "E's" on my report card. I'm pretty sure that most kindergarteners get all E's but she sounded so proud of me that I thought I was really something special. I'm pretty sure I became an honor's student as a direct result and I hope to repeat that when I have children someday.

My mom is kinda quirky, like me. She likes to collects things- for instance she collects magnets. and when I say "collects" I mean that she had my dad install painted metal sheeting above the wainscotting in their kitchen so that she could cover all the available space with them. (Before she had to use cookie sheets and there was wasted space!) She also loves to craft, and if you ever come to my apartment you will see a gorgeous counted cross-stitch picture she made for me that took her 3 years (off and on) to make. She carries a bag with her wherever she goes that has her current projects, and I'm pretty sure that every member of my extended family has a picture somewhere of something she made. Mom made Rhonda and I a Barbie RV out of plastic canvas.

It was epic. She furnished several Barbie rooms with plastic canvas furniture, too. Oh, and did I mention that she used to tape Jeopardy? I don't know if she still does or not, but I wouldn't be surprised.

My mother is the person who introduced me to musicals. She is the reason I fell in love with theatre, but that's not all I got from her. We share a love of television (though Mom is more TLC and I'm more Bravo), a love of reading (Agatha Christie- her, Mercedes Lackey- me), a sense of determination that more than nudges up against the line between it and stubbornness, and a love of brain teasers and logic problems. The most important thing I think I learned from my mom (and a few other ladies I will be mentioning later this month, I am sure) is a sense of self confidence. I know I'm not perfect, but I also know that I'm a pretty good person. I'm not thin, but I think I'm still beautiful. I'm not Einstein, but I'm still smart. I'm not Rembrandt, Cezanne, or Monet, but I have artistic talent. I'm ridiculously shy and I make horrible first impressions, but I'm definitely worth knowing. And the reason I know all that is that I have a mom who knew all that and taught it to me.

Nathan asked my parents permission to ask me to marry him. And after he proposed to me at sunrise that July morning in Arkansas, I started calling a lot of different people. Mom was the first on the list- if for no other reason, because I knew she would be up that early! So I called her, and said, "Mom, I'm engaged!" and she said, happily, but matter of factly, "I know." I'm not quite sure why but I feel like that story encompasses so much of my mom. Well, that story and this picture...

Ok, mainly just the story, I just think this accidental picture I took is hilarious... and yes, she made that latch-hook in the background... it's part of her nativity collection which you can see on the shelves that are right next to it.