I Am Thankful For My Mother & Kids

Tis the Season to Be Thankful. This post could run on for pages…..I will attempt to keep this short & sweet. My life wouldn’t be what it is if I didn’t have the following people in it:

Lucy, my mother
Lindsey, my 22-year old daughter
Alexis, my 19-year old daughter
Cayla, my 17-year old niece
Jeffrey, my 13-year old nephew

I am thankful for each one in so many ways. If I didn’t have each of them in my life, it certainly wouldn’t be complete.
mom-me I am Thankful for my mother, first & foremost for giving me this life. If it weren’t for her blood, sweat & tears – I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this. When I was growing up, I didn’t understand why she did the things that she did; but now that I am a parent & an aunt – I completely understand and am thankful for her. As anyone reading this knows, one parent is usually have to be perceived as the “bad” guy; and for good reason. My mother was nowhere near the bad guy, but she was the disciplinary parent, and the disciplinary parent that my sister and I would laugh at each time she would slam her wooden paddle on the counter while yelling at us. Our punishment was much deserved….we didn’t know when to shut our mouths. Dad was always called to the rescue.

When Ang was 13 & I was 16; our mother had to take on the burden of being BOTH parents as my dad ‘decided’ he no longer wanted to be a part of life as we knew it. Not only did she have to take on the role of father, she had to also learn how to deal with a traumatized, damaged 16 year old daddy’s girl and a rebellious 13 year old without a care in the world. She did amazing, for that I am so very thankful.

I am thankful for hundreds of other things, but the two most important are that I’m thankful for the relationship that we have. I am blessed to have her in my life and in my corner. Lastly, I am thankful that my kids can call her Grandma. She loves each one of her grandchildren and will do anything that she can for them.

lindsey

Lindsey – I am thankful for being blessed with being Lindsey’s mommy. She taught me how to be a mother. She showed me that it was okay to care for such a small human being and that it was okay to make mistakes. From day one she was calm, and quiet (with a tad of a hot streak – sorry honey) with a beautiful smile on her face. I am thankful for the unconditional love that she continues to give and for the daughter, granddaughter, big sister & cousin that she is. Lindsey, I am thankful for your passion and your tender heart. The selflessness that you continue to show is a true reminder of your grandpa and I know he’d be proud. Lastly, I’m thankful that I’m not only your mom, but you’ve allowed me to be one of your best friends. We gave the mom/friend relationship a try; and we nailed it. We proved the people that told me that I shouldn’t be my kids friend while raising them wrong! Thank you for respecting the fine line we had to walk at times. We make a great team. Don’t ever think that you’re not worthy. I’ll always be your number one fan.

m-and-alexis Alexis – I am thankful that the guy upstairs taught me that having babies isn’t all about sunshine, unicorns & rainbows. The moment this spunk of a mini-me entered this place called earth, she has let us know she’s here and where she stands. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am thankful for Baby Alexis being a challenge, teaching me patience and I’m much more thankful for her sweet smile and beautiful blues. Those saved her many times 🙂 (ex. when she got up in the middle of the night and at her sisters classroom cupcakes (ALL) & we found the wrappers in bed with her, when she got on top of the refridg in the middle of the night to eat hersheys kisses, oh, and the time she cooked her mac n cheese for 30 minutes in the microwave when everyone was sleeping) – that’s when her innocent smile & eyes saved her! In all seriousness; we call Alexis “The Protector”. I’m thankful for her strong personality and sense of being and her loyalty to her family and friends. She is not one to hesitate to let someone know if they’ve hurt her loved one. Alexis could be furious with either Lindsey or myself; but if someone says or does something to hurt either of us – she’s right there in our corner. I’m thankful for her soft heart, and that she has allowed me to not only be her mom, but one of her best friends too. Lastly, as everyone tells me that she is my clone, I disagree; as every time I look into her eyes; I am thankful that I see my father. She has brought more of her grandfather to life than I’ll ever be able to explain to her.

cayla Cayla – I am thankful to have been blessed with a niece so close in age to my daughters. I remember when Cayla was younger, I would visit her every weekend, she had a “rbf” even had it as two year old; her cousins were afraid to play with her – they would say “Cayla won’t talk, she looks mean”. As adults, Ang & I would laugh about it; but Cayla did stare at anyone that would attempt to talk to her. As the years went on, Cayla and I grew closer; I’m thankful for that. I do believe that Cayla knows that she can come to Aunt Michelle at anytime.The simple things that I do with Cayla are what I am truly thankful for; hanging out at my house, doing absolutely nothing; shopping, making handmade presents for grandma, and watching Jeffrey & I golf. The little things – knowing that we have each other. So thankful. One memory that I’ll never forget with Cayla was when she was around 6 or 7; she frequently stayed with me on a weekend night. One Sunday morning we were getting ready for church and Cayla came into the bathroom and asked me if she could live with me. Being in a hurry, I told her to ask Uncle Gregg (honestly didn’t think she would) – well, she did. Uncle Gregg told her that she could as long as she asked her mom…..big mistake. I had my head down blow drying my hair (clueless to the convo); Cayla taps on my arm and hands me the phone….my sister was screaming at me; I could make out but a few words, You, she’s, living, crazy……Well, Cayla asked mom, and mom was not thrilled. Aunt Michelle took one for the team that day. I’m thankful that Cayla and I have a full life ahead to make fun memories.

bud Jeffrey – Oh Jeffrey, I am thankful for everything about Jeffrey. First boy in the family, first child that would mess his diaper at the site of me —-with a big smile on his face (and yes–mom shoved him into my arms to change), first little boy that EVER had me wrapped around his finger (and he still does). I am so very thankful that my sister loved and trusted me as much as she did to allow me to be such a big part of Jeffrey’s life. Without Jeffrey, my life would be boring and I wouldn’t be picked on enough. I am thankful for baseball games, him wanting Aunt Ma-tell on his field trips, basketball games, hockey and golf. Please sense the sarcasm when I give this thanks…..I am thankful for Jeffrey’s colorful array of music. I have Apple Music and when he’s with me, he has control of the playlist; and he does a good job adding some pretty colorful songs. I was on a work trip in San Diego a month back and 8 of us were in a 15 passenger van on the way to a dinner and we wanted music, I offered my playlist (it’s pretty bipolar as I LOVE music) — my Recruiter says “play your Fetti Wap”. I got the most confused look and said “I don’t have that Fetti Wap bullshit”……well, my recruiter and I argued for a minute as I scrolled through my playlist….low and behold….there it was a Fetti Wap Song (rolling my eyes; I’m cursing & quietly thanking Jeffrey for that one!). With that said, I am so very thankful for everything about you, Jeffrey.