Thinking that the Thought Counts

My mom has never been one for details, and growing up with a typical type A personality this used to bug me to no end. I'd request Boston Creme Pie flavored yogurt during her supermarket run and she'd come back with the Key Lime. I'd inform her that gymnastics practice was over at 7:30 and I wouldn't see the headlights of her Celebrity wagon until 10 of 8.

As I got older my frustration turned to acceptance, and then slowly morphed into a source of amusement. It's not that my mom goes out of her way to ignore the details. In fact, from her doing of view she generally thinks that she's doing something good by picking up the wrong flavor yogurt (she wanted some type of pie flavored, right?). Hanukkah rolled around this year and since I genuinely have everything that I need and tons of stuff I don't, I had to rack my brain to come up with a gift. Conversely, the Troll and Pee Wee have been making their lists and checking it twice since Labor Day. When mom asked me what I wanted I had to think about it for about a couple of days and then announced that I wanted an 8" omelet pan and a dust buster. Sure they aren't the most exciting gifts but I had been meaning to pick up those items anyhow and with Bed, Bath, and Beyond within a mile of my parents compound I figured it was an easy, low-maintenance request.

Obviously I wasn't surprised when I went to my parents last night and mom presented me with a set of 10" and 12" frying pans (sans the dust buster). While cracking up with laughter (on the inside of course) I thanked her, ate dinner, and then went to BB & B to exchange it. Best of all I already have the exact same pans she bought me, so I can make a big production over them the next time she comes over for dinner.

Living with my mom for 25 years taught me a lot of valuable lessons that have shaped my personality, such as being annoyingly on-time and sweating the small stuff. As I grow older I've come to realize that my mom is who she is and while mildly irritating at times, it's pretty damn funny if you think about the fights we've had over it (notably the Great Alliance of 1995 when my sisters and dad became a united front when mom dared to bring home generic diet soda because she thought we honest-to-god preferred it over Diet Coke). It makes me realize how lucky I was to have a mom that was always around, and most of all, how badly I never, ever want to have teenaged daughters.

Happy Hanukkah pahkcah02 blog readers. If I have your address you can expect a culturally neutral winter greeting card shortly.