In honor of you, mom, I have a compiled a list of a few (random) memories.
I remember:
Waking up from a nap on the couch, in middle or high school, and smelling supper cooking and hearing all of the kitchen-related noises. I felt so safe and so at home.
You joining me on school field trips. I can specifically remember going to COSI and sharing a papaya juice with you in the cafeteria. I also can remember a field trip to see dinosaurs- so maybe the Natural History Museum and you bought me a dinosaur tracing/ stencil kit from the gift shop.
Bringing me a bag full of candy when I was in the hospital in high school.
Shopping for my wedding dress.ng
Handing Ella to you for the first time. But, I also remember so clearly that when I picked you up from the airport, I had Ella in her carseat, and you hugged me first, before even looking at her. (And, Dad did the same thing, when he picked me up at the airport). It made me realize that the love for your own children always comes first- no matter what.
Taking me to Friendly's for sundaes on Sundays.
Getting up to take me to work at The Anderson's on Saturday mornings.
You with red-stained hands, making decorative pies in the kitchen at our house on Atwood Terrace.
Going to Mexico my Senior year in HS, just you and me.
Shopping and browsing craft and home decorative stores.
Taking Ella to tea and wearing funny hats when she was 18 months old.
Painting your nails while you were in the bath tub.
Surprising us with little gifts during long car trips to Myrtle Beach.
Filling the best stockings at Christmas.
Going to Florida with Ash to visit Grandma and Papa.
Taking me to Dick Blick art store.
And, one more memory that doesn't show me in the greatest of lights....when you and I were in the car and I had a bit (a lot) too much to drink and we were lost and I was throwing up in a plastic shopping bag. You didn't know which way to go and I told you which way to turn, my face in the bad, not even looking up! LOL
Mom,
You were always so supportive of me. I always felt loved, safe and wanted. I always felt like your friend. And as I write these memories of you, I realize, it trully is the little things we remember- the little things that count with our children. So, I'd better stop telling Ella to stop following me and realize she just wants to be my shadow...just like I was yours. I love you!
Have a great day!
Ella's excitement at "winning: the ring toss. How fun is that?!
The object of this game was to carry the ball without using hands....yep, almost, girls. She was just as skillful at the carrying-the-baseball-on-the-spoon game.
Oh, thank goodness this little girl has one more year of pre-school ahead of her! I just can't imagine preparing myself to send her off to kindergarten next year. Today was the last day of school, which was "game day." They had 11 diffent games to go to- and I thought "Eleven?! This is going to be torture!" But, it was a ton of fun. We have a little athlete on our hands...and a competitive one, at that. She was quite skillfull at these field-day games....and quite quick to announce she was the winner! 
