Forever Young

Dear Children,

Last night I came home to a dark house. I knew you were home, but all the lights were out. That's when you jumped out from behind the island with your daddy and yelled surprise! And I was. I was very surprised. You ran to me and each of you gave me a card. My card from Gwen had a little girl wearing a crown swinging on a swing in the stars. Gabs card said 'Happy Birthday, Princess' with a white cat on it wearing a crown. I love the cards you pick out for me. They always make me smile. After the candles were lit on my birthday cake, you sang Happy Birthday to me. But before I could blow out the candles, Gabs told me I had to wait. You ran to your room yelling at me to "wait just a minute. Just wait. Don't blow out the candles. Wait. Wait. Wait." I stood there smiling at your daddy as I waited. I heard you rummaging through toys looking for something. When you reappeared you were running towards me with a Cinderella crown in your hands. You had me bend down so you could put it on my head, because I was the "birthday princess." Gwen, you then quickly disappeared only to return with the glowing Ariel wand for me to hold when I blew out the candles. I felt so loved and special. Thank you girls for giving me the best birthday party ever.

I have been thinking about how you won't remember that day. You won't remember me at 29. You won't remember the kind of mom I was or the things we do together. I know this, because in my minds eye, my own mom is always 40. I don't have a whole lot of memories of her from when I was little-little. And I still think of her as the same person she was when she was 40. I've had conversations with her and she'll tell me how she use to take me to the bay, or have a picnic with me under a table tent. I don't remember those things. I was just too young to remember. Just as you're too young to remember how special you made my night last tonight.

I want you to remember me as I am now. Your mom at 29. What we did and how much fun we have. So, in memory of my birthday I thought I would write this letter to help you remember me, your momma at 29. Here are 29 things about me as your mother-29 things about us.

1. I say "abso-TOOT-ly" to get you to laugh when I answer a question.

2. I let you eat a Pop-Tart every morning so I can get a few extra minutes of sleep.

3. I call "roll" when we get in the car and you answer "hear". You crack up laughing when I call Henry's name and he doesn't answer and I start yelling for him acting like I forgot or lost him.

4. When you play dress up, I am always told to be the mean queen.

5. I let you put on lip gloss and blush on Sunday mornings when I am doing your hair in the bathroom. I always put you on the counter with your feet in the sink so you can see in the mirror.

6. I do your hair in braids or buns almost everyday. You prefer braids, I prefer buns.

7. I can get you to do or eat almost anything if I bribe you with dessert.

8. I make you chocolate milk on occasion even though I can't stand the stuff.

9. I make sure your room is perfectly in order before you go to bed. It has to look the exact same way every night without one thing being out of place.

10. I call you my "little Indians" when we are in a store so you will follow right behind me.

11. I give you gum only once a week...after the sacrament. You get to chew it until primary starts.

12. When I ask you what you want for lunch, you almost always say, "chicken with ranch." And most the time, that's what you get.

13. I let you (Henry) chew on my necklaces until there is drool running down to your elbows and dripping off onto my arm.

14. I sing you the same song every night. It's Pajama Time.

15. I love playing Dora Candyland with you on Sunday afternoons.

16. I have you help me make pizza and you love to eat two pepperoni for every one pepperoni that goes on the pizza.

17. I let you (Gwen) run around in just your undies because you love not wearing clothes.

18. I listen to the Beach Boys in the car because you love them so much, but honestly, I've heard enough Beach Boys to last me 10 lifetimes. Especially Sloop John B, that's your favorite.

19. I allow you to lick the cake mix, brownie mix, or cookie mix from the bowl because I know that's what kids do and you love it, but secretly it's a pet peeve that drives me bananas.

20. I make your scramble eggs green because that's the only way you like them. Yellow just won't do.

21. I love telling each of you about the day you were born in fairytale fashion. You love to hear how daddy and I fell in love and how we had you.

22. I play Polly Pockets with you endlessly.

23. If one of you has fallen asleep at bed time, I love to let the other one out of bed to spend some alone snuggle time with me on the couch.

24. I love (Gabs) doing puzzles with you for time. Sometimes we each do a puzzle and we race. You no longer cry if you lose.

25. When you get bored with your own dress-ups, I let you wear my shirts as dresses and you love it.

26. Every night I ask you to brush your teeth, and every night after you've brushed you ask, "are they shiny?" while showing me as many teeth as possible.

27. I sit down and play play-doh with you when we get it out, because I can't resist good quality play-doh pretending.

28. I pack you sack lunches and picnic with you on the floor when daddy isn't coming home for dinner or it's a rainy day.

29. I brush the hair out of your face every night to kiss you one last time before I go to bed.

I know these are simple, everyday things. But they are important to me because they are my everyday things. And your everyday things. I love being a mom to you kids. I will hold each of these memories near and dear to my heart forever. I hope that one day, you can look back on this list and smile because you remember. I hope that you remember a little of me at 29. Because I will never forget you just as you are now. I love you.

Love, Mom

XOXO