Like Mother Like Daughter

This weeks Bad Mommy Rehab assignment is to write about how YOUR own Mom was a great Mamacita. There are so many things my Mom did while I was growing up that I thought was dumb or stupid or just didn't think about them at all. But now that I have my own children, I realize how important and special these things are.

If you know my Mom you know she is a clean freak............if you know me you know that I am a clean freak! Growing up we had to clean EVERY SUNDAY (gasp) and when you are a child this is pure torture. I remember one day, I was probably about 6, my Mom told me I couldn't come out of my room until it was clean, and don't you know I stayed in that room the entire day refusing to clean it! (Did I mention I get my stubborness from my Mom too?) I just could not understand why cleaning was so important.....until I had my own home and kids. Now I absolutely can't leave a bed unmade, a dish in the sink when I go to bed, toys on the floor when I leave the house in the morning or go to bed at night, and dust is my absolute enemy! I understand that I am borderline compulsive about it,but so was my Mom and I really don't think there is anything wrong with taking care of your home and making sure your house is clean. (Stop rolling your eyes at me)

Holiday traditions are a big part of my childhood. Eating chili and cinnamon rolls every Halloween night before we went trick or treating, having Cinnamon Rolls (Mrs.Powells to be precise) every Christmas morning, having our Easter baskets hid around the house, "Santa" not wrapping our presents but just laying them around the tree, listening to Christmas carols and driving around looking at lights (groan, we HATED this growing up), opening one present on Christmas Eve (always pajamas so we could wear them to bed). I never understood how important these traditions were and many times I would throw a fit, roll my eyes, and take for granted how special this was for my Mom and for us too. And now that I have my own family? I do ALL of these things too, because I just can't bear not to continue the tradition and I want my kids to groan, roll their eyes, whine and then one day appreciate me for doing them and hopefully carry some of them on as well.

We had so many good times growing up, we always sat down to dinner together and watched tv as one big family in the living room. Laying on the floor side by side, or snuggled on the couch. To me it was so normal to do this, I didn't realize that some kids ate dinner by themselves or some that went to bed lonely without even having been hugged once that day. I got hugs and kisses all the time, and there was never a dull moment in the house with 4 of us kids! Times may not have always been easy for us, we have had our shares of ups and downs, but one thing my Mom did for us is give us the best childhood a kid could ask for and more memories and traditions then I have time to recount.

I know I was a big pain in the butt growing up, I whined, I cried, I sulked, I yelled, and lets not even talk about my various obsessions that were borderline creepy (Michael Jackson, Princess Di, the list goes on) but my Mom loved me. Bad hair, glasses and awkward teenage phase and all :)