Happy birthday to my dear, sweet mother. She is 22 years old today. Insert sarcastic smile here.

You would never know her age if you looked at her. She has no wrinkles. She will tell you she uses no fancy wrinkle creams. She smells of dove soap (you know, the pink bar) and she also uses Oil of DELAY cream. Religously. I have started with the same routine so I can have oh so smooth and botox free and wrinkle free face when I am her age. 22 years. Heehee.

She is the best mom. I know I NEVER mention it but she is. She is my kindred spirit best friend forever. She is finish my sentence because we know exactly what each other is thinking and feeling. Our likes and dislikes are very similar also. Get this. I work in the same office with my mother. It's alot of fun. Most people it would drive crazy. We have a great time and I cherish the extra time I get with her.

Happy birthday, Mom. I hope to grow up to be just like you.

And the dingbat is.......ME!

I think I am suffering from dingbat syndrome. Mama dingbat syndrome. Mama is so busy she can't think straight dingbat syndrome. Have you ever TYPED dingbat? It doesn't feel right. Doesn't feel correct. Maybe it's because I am a dingbat. But usually I'm a dingbat who can halfway spell.


So I call in a pizza recently. Go to pick it up. They asked me what the call in name was. What did I say? "Pizza." You should have seen his face. He gave me one of those your a weird one who shouldn't own a drivers license looks. I blushed and then gave him my name. I think I gave him my main alias. Dingbat Mama.

I think all busy moms can relate. Like I mentioned in a back to school post recently. Trying to pay for school supplies with my drivers license. I have given people my library card before as id. Dingbat.

I can recall once being so frazzled that I was juggling taking the kids to the grocery store and running errands and made a quick pit stop at McDonald's drive-thru. Pulling up to the speaker, going to order the oh-so usual for the kids and with everything else on my mind I need to do after I went completely blank. Total. brain. fart. So she welcomes me to McDonald's and offers to take my order and I say, "Uh............ I would like a........ uhhhhhhh.... actually.......I'll take uh.............2 of your uh.......you know, your uh..... smiley, kind of funny, kind of feel good kinda meals."

SILENCE, followed by chuckles, and more silence.

"Ma'am, do you mean you would like 2 HAPPY MEALS?"

"Yes, and for dessert I will stick my foot in my mouth, thank you.", I thought.

DINGBAT SYNDROME. I can't get rid of it! No, I am not going to reference blonde's or make any blonde jokes right now. I am so dark headed it's not funny. If it weren't for highlights my hair would be close to black. So hair color plays no part people!

I think I get my dingbat syndrome from my mom. She is a riot though. My mom can't remember people's names. So instead of NOT saying what she thinks their name might be, she guesses. SHE GUESSES! She thinks, what do they look like their name would be, and calls them by whatever pops in her cute little head! And she's so adorable nobody gets mad at her, she gets away with it!

She butchers every name. People's names, movies, foods. DO NOT EVER take that woman to a Mexican restaurant. You will choke on your chips when she orders. Not only will she butcher the Spanish pronunciation she will order it as though the person is deaf. Like if she yells it they will miraculously understand her.

My sister is very intelligent but she suffers from it also. Only it's through her vision. If you take that girl driving at night, she will mistaken a deer for a camel. IN THE MIDWEST, PEOPLE. If you see a camel in the road you don't just make an observation as in, "Oh look, a camel." You call 911. A circus train has derailed. She has mistaken a horse for a zebra and a dog for a horse. The girl shouldn't drive at night. She probably thinks a solar powered car is a UFO.

Dingbat syndrome must run in our family.

Oh look, I just put my foot in my mouth again. Sorry Mom and Sis!

Heehee.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents. Today is their 44th wedding anniversary. Years. 44. Godblessem. I love my parents so much. I know I have never mentioned that before on this blog (ahem, ok, maybe a coupla times) but I do. Since I was a little girl I have prayed every night thanking God for blessing me with them. In their card I gave them today I mentioned how every year they have given ME the gift on their anniversary. The gift of getting to grow up in a home that has two parents that truly love each other, accept each others flaws and loves each other unconditionally. How I get to witness it as they grow older and they are riding out the storms in the sea of life. There they are, hanging on. Together.

They are a delight to watch. They interact very comedically with each other but unintentionally. I just like to sit back and giggle under my breath sometimes.

So with tears in my eyes and love in my heart, Happy Anniversary, dear Parents. I love you.