My Best Friend

So my old man gave me a lot of grief last year for not writing anything about my mom for Mother's Day. I tried to tell him that I had a lot on my mind this time last year: moving to D.C., trying to learn how to walk, visiting Nana and Pops, and adjusting to sleeping in a closet (Trust me, it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds.). But as is so often the case, my dad was right. I really blew it last year and decided to try to make up for it this year.

So even though this is not nearly as poetic as my "Ode to My Dad" for Father's Day last year, I wrote this post so you all can know how awesome my mom really is. Most of you may already know this but I thought I'd provide a little proof from the past year of my mom's coolness:

So basically my mom is the coolest, funniest, kindest, smartest, most fun, and most beautiful person in the whole wide world. This got me thinking. For those of you who know my dad, you understand what I mean when I say he is kind of a nerd. I'm just being honest here. Over the past little bit I've caught myself looking at my parents and wondering how in the peck my dad tricked my mom into marrying him. I realize my dad can be pretty tricky--especially when we are playing hide-and-go-seek--but he's not tricky enough to dupe my mom into spending the rest of her life with him.

I thought he might have used magic like Elmo's friend Abby Cadabby. So I searched our whole house looking for a magic wand and couldn't find one, although I did find some old Cheerios under the couch. I can now assure you my dad is not a sorcerer, so there had to be another explanation.

Next I thought perhaps my dad was just really good at bribing my mom. He is a master briber. I should know, he bribes me all the time when he takes me shopping. Don't tell my mom but sometimes he takes me to this amazing place called 7-11 where he buys me chocolate. But after thinking about it more I realized this wasn't the answer. My mom is probably smart like me and would take a bribe from my dad and not be manipulated.

I haven't figured it out yet and am still stumped. But I guess what is most important is that my dad realizes that he really does have it made. And when it comes down to it, I have to admit that I too am really lucky to have my mom in my life. My dad and I get to spend everyday with the most amazing person in the world. And we both can be quite a handful. Mom, I want to thank you for:

• always reading one more book;
• giving me the best hugs and moving your hair out of the way when I want to put my head on your shoulder;
• jogging with me daily and always ending our jogs by playing in the park;
• hosting the best dance parties this side of the Mississippi;
• singing me my favorite songs over and over again;
• kissing my boo boos and comforting me when I'm sad or cranky;
• putting up with Dad, especially when he gets me hyper right before bed time;
• teaching me all kinds of new words and phrases like "shoot," "nut," and "ya and shoy";
• laughing with me and tickling me like crazy; and
• letting me know that you love me every single day.

These are just some of my favorite things that you do for me, and I could thank you for so many more. But most of all I want to thank you for being my very best friend in the whole wide world.

Happy Mother's Day and I love you!