Mother's Day

Yes, I'm still a historical reporter...

Mother's Day should be one of the most celebrated days of the year. Obviously, we think of our own Moms and Grandmothers, but this year I was able to add a birth mother and foster mom to the mix of thoughts. And of course, celebrate ME!!! LOL

My mom taught me the importance of a clean house (especially when Grandma brings her white gloves over). I can usually say mine is clean with a touch of scattered stuff. I'm trying to rid my life of stuff, but hey, there's only so much time in the day and I do value sleep much more than she did I think. I will be happy when mail becomes obsolete.

She taught me to smile. I remember her relentless will to make me smile and stand up straight as a teen. We always smile! Standing up straight - eh - I'm still trying.

My mom was also at every, I mean, EVERY ballgame or important "thing" in my life. (so was my dad but it's not Father's Day)... And I will say I played A LOT of games. Year round and nearly every night. She's now teaching me about being a super grandparent.

She is now retracting her teaching on a clean house by telling me to just enjoy my life, happiness, health, and kids. They grow up too fast - you can clean later. I wish she'd learned that before she made me clean every Saturday morning but, at least, my kids get to benefit from her new found knowledge. I have been known to lock the guest bathroom on busy weeks too! Another thing I learned from her...

We love to vacation together. 2 peas in a pod - all we need is a beach and an umbrella drink. We can just sit and watch people all day. Then, laugh about them all week.

So much more but not enough time to write it all down.

I LOVE YOU MOM!!! You're the best!

We did not plant a tree, flower or garden for our Thai Moms this year. We show Mia her foster mom's picture every day (it's on the frig) and she calls her May. We say, "Hi May. Hi Baby Bai Tong, Baby Mia. Awe, what a pretty girl. Love you May." She definitely enjoys this moment - it does not make her sad. This year was one of our innocent years with Mia (might be the only one) where she can just be happy with life so we just celebrated it without bringing extra attention to what she cannot comprehend. She has no memory of her birth mother. She still remembers May so we want to attempt to preserve that memory. I don't know if that is possible but if nothing else, she will know the story we tell of May. And what a story that is - this woman is completely amazing. That story will have to be a separate post. Of course, we will also tell her the story of her birth mother - an incredible person & story as well. We love them both and keep them in our thoughts and hearts each day. We plan to celebrate both Thai mothers with Mia.

19 Years

Holy cow - when did we get this old???

19 years ago, I called in work to let them know my car wouldn't start and I was waiting for AAA. My car was fine but this lunch was kind of important to me. I went to lunch at Subway with Chris and he bought! He had on RayBans and that pretty much did it for me! LOL We had just completed our freshman year at Bellarmine University.

I think we just get better with time.

Flash Back -

KY Derby, well, Oaks Really

The first Saturday in May is the KY Derby - uh, that's the most famous horse race in the world for all yee non-horse racing people and it's pretty much the only thing KY is known for (KFC is the only other thing). It is marked by tons of parties, big hats and better than your Easter best duds - oh yeah - the best 3 year old thoroughbreds are there too.

But for me - it's all about the Day Before the First Saturday in May or OAKS DAY!!!! It is my Favorite Day of the Year - ok well, maybe besides Christmas/Easter.

I think I've been to Oaks for 13 years straight. I've had box tickets & dressed up, but the infield is where I return year after year. I've brought my lawn chair and smuggled in frozen margaritas dressed as a pregnant woman, I've sold my lawn chair for $50, I've carried booze in in my shorts, I've walked right in with it wrapped in a tarp... Every year it's a game to see if I can get away with it. Everybody tries it. Every year we have a boat load of fun with a bunch of friends, family and 100,000 total strangers. Sometimes it's sunny and sometimes it's rainy but it really doesn't matter - it's all about acting like you know how to bet, eating Oreos that have sat out all day in the sun and buying the pretzel that you know is going to taste like cardboard because it does every year, drinking whatever you smuggled in & chilling with your friends & fam all day while being SO thankful you didn't bring your children and laughing all day at the crazy sites around us!!!

So here are a couple pictures -

Marc - he's one of my favorite people - my DD
C, me, Susan and Marc - been through it all with these friends and love 'em to pieces even if they cheer for WVU...
My favorite Uncle Steve from Cali - he's a ton of fun, comes almost every year, brings a couple new friends (no friend ever repeats the trip LOL) and well, loses all his moo-latte.
My partner in crime with a California friend - I think I love C most on this day because he's not stressing about work, he's just having fun and you might not even realize he's a banker (even if he brought his blackberry.)