70 Things I Learned From My Mom

My Mommy's birthday is today.  It isn't polite to mention a woman's age, but I did make this special list just for her.

70 Things I Learned From My Mom

1. Love
2. To be nice to my brothers
3. How to be a good mom
4. My faith
5. To go to Mass regularly
6. To "watch Father" during the consecration
7. To say my prayers
8. To give thanks for what I have
9. To appreciate the small things in life
10. Love
11. To be kind
12. To help others
13. To call twice in a row if it's an emergency
14. It's never too late to learn new things
15. Or quit a bad habit
16. To keep in touch with your family
17. How to bake salmon
18. How to gut and fillet a fish
19. How to keep wrinkles out of your clothes by throwing them back in the dryer
20. Love
21. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all
22. If something is missing, St. Anthony can help
23. That curbs jump out and attack your tires if you drive too close to them
24. Do as I say, not as I do
25. When a car is driving strangely, you can fix this by saying, "car,car,car" at them
26. To honor Mary
27. To always wear clean underwear
28. To respect everyone
29. To wear earrings everyday
30. And lipstick
31. Love
32. To take my vitamins
33. How to make pepper steak
34. To not eat like a Brainard 
35. To shut the door behind me because I wasn't raised in a barn
36. That I am beautiful
37. Colorful cereals are for special occasions only
38. To honor my elders and my family's heritage
39. To look both ways before crossing the street
40. To eat my vegetables
41. Love
42. To pray for peace in the world
43. To respect, value, and learn about other cultures
44. A smile always makes you look better
45. A smile also makes you feel better
46. A mom can work outside the home and still be a great mom
47. Not to light a fire with a lighter
48. Always say, "I love you."
49. Always keep Kleenex handy
50. That my face probably won't really stick that way
51. That it's important to eat dinner around a table at home, together as a family
52. The best thing to yell at a soccer game is, "kick the ball." It works in every situation
53. Love
54. Wear a hat when it's cold
55. Be patient
56. Be generous
57. That this will hurt me more than it hurts you.  
58. Willie Nelson makes us melt.
59. That sharing a bathroom with 5 people might be hard, but try sharing it with 8!
60. "Take some Tylenol and put some heat on it" will work in most situations
61. That people who call and ask for "Sugar" are family, people who ask for "Madeline" are friends, and people who ask for "Mrs. Barnard" are telemarketers
62. To put a sweater on when I am cold
63. Love
64. Waffles with peanut butter and syrup are delicious
65. If the weather is bad enough that the weather anchor suggests checking on the elderly, it is always funny to turn to mom and ask how she's doing.
66. The Weather Channel is not just for checking the weather for five minutes, it is an actual channel that you can watch all day long
67. That celebrating my birthday separately from my brother's was probably always more about me having my own special day than it was about making me wait for presents.
68. The bond between a mother and a daughter is a special gift
69. That "This is the day the Lord has made, we should rejoice and be glad in it."
70. That my brothers are I are the luckiest kids in the world to have been raised by such a wonderful mom

Chicken and Sugar

The Brainard family, circa 1984?

The Queen Mum at Frances' princess birthday party

Easter 2010 (Pre-Benjamin)

Birthday Bucks!

Bunny ears always appear in family photos!

 Happy birthday, Mommy!! I love you!!