Thank you Lord for dirty hands
That touch my stove and fridge;
For sticky little fingers that
Try to build a bridge.

For careless hands that go astray
In search of something new;
For hands to hold and show the way
As mothers often do.

For precious little hands in which
Great faith so abounds;
For silly little hands that reach
To touch a mother's frown.

And thank you for your guiding hand
That leads me to the light;
That lifts me when I stumble
And points me to the right.
Author Unknown

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As I Grow...

Please.. Understand that
I am growing up and changing very fast.
It must be difficult to keep pace with me,
but please try.

Listen to me and give me brief, clear answers to my questions.
Then I will keep sharing my thoughts and feelings.

Reward Me for telling the truth.
Then I'm not frightened into lying.

Tell Me when you make mistakes and what you learned from them.
Then I can accept that I am ok, even when I blunder.

Pay Attention to me, and spend time with me.
Then I can belive that I am important and worthwhile.

Do The Things you want me to do.
Then I can have a good positive model.

Trust and respect me.
Even though I am smaller than you,
I have feelings and needs just like you.

Compliment and appreciate me.
Then I'll feel good, and I'll want to continue to please you.

Help Me explore my unique interests, talents and potential.
In order for me to be happy,
I need to be me, and not you or someone you want me to be.

Be an Individual and create your own happiness.
Then you can teach me the same,
and I can live a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

Thank you for hearing me,
I love you.

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Mom, Remember When???????

I conned you into reading an extra bedtime story.

I thought little tiny people lived inside the TV.

I thought the moon was following us home.

I hid under the dining room table.

You gave me a silly nickname and it stuck for years.

We ran under the lawn sprinkler.

I liked to spin around and around and around.

I learned to count beyond my fingers.

I learned that "elemenopee" was five different letters.

You swore my baby fat wouldn't last forever.

I ate more syrup than pancakes.

I got carsick in the car.

I fell asleep on your lap.

I used to beg to help with household chores.

I thought I was rich if my piggy bank rattled.

You almost passed out blowing up the kiddie pool.

I began my prayers with "God bless Mommy and Daddy."

I was a preschooler and promised I'd always live with you.

I begged you to let me pierce my ears.

You used to secretly wait up for me.

You sweated out my first date.

I took baths with rubber duckies.

You braided my hair.

We had tea parties.

You noticed the tip of my first tooth coming in.

You taught me how to whistle.

You pretended knock-knock jokes were funny.

I didn't cry on the first day of school, but you did.

You made me my first Halloween costume.

You told me I was the prettiest girl in the whole world.

I corrected your grammar for the first time.

You told me you drove around for hours because I'd only nap in the car.

We munched our way through the supermarket.

We couldn't stop giggling.

I used to crawl into your bed in the middle of the night.

I used to weigh less than a sack of potatoes.

You used to count my age in months.

You use to count my toes for fun.

I used to ride on Dad's shoulders.

I refused to eat anything but macaroni and cheese.

I actually liked it when you took my picture.

I begged to go meet Santa.

You took me to meet Santa and I cried.

I asked more questions than the Spanish Inquisition.

You gave up and answered, "Just because.."

You finally learned the difference between a stegosaurus and a brontosaurus.

I asked you what a logarithm was… and you forgot.

We vacationed in Texas.

You found that library book that was four years overdue.

You took me to the dentist and I bit his fingers.

My favorite place in the whole world was right between you and Dad.

You had to turn back from a trip to get my stuffed animal.

I beat you at chess and you weren't even trying to lose.

We watched three-hanky movies together.

Someone asked if you and I were sisters.

I used to ask, "Are we there yet?"

You tried to explain where hamsters went when they died.

You tried to make my every wish come true.

You had to tell me life wasn't always fair.

I got my first puppy.

You had to take care of it.

My legs finally got long enough to reach the tricycle pedals.

You took me to the mall and I pretended I wasn't with you.

You tried to explain that money didn't grow on trees.

I noticed the Santa that came to our house looked an awful lot like Dad.

My team lost and you wept.

You used to day, "Stand up straight!"

You had to explain who Paul McCartney was.

You had to explain who Jackie Onassis was.

You had to explain who Neil Armstrong was.

I couldn't believe you were once a kid yourself.

You got to play with me and my Barbie dolls.

We cooked Thanksgiving dinner together.

You stayed up all night wrapping Christmas presents.

You stood in the rain while I marched in a parade.

I ate Play-Doh.

You told me about the guys you dated -- before you met Dad.

I cried during haircuts.

Everyone in the emergency room knew you by name.

You said something was "cool" and I groaned.

I'd only bear a Band-Aid with Snoopy on it.

I threatened to run away and you packed me a lunch.

I outgrew my first car seat.

I refused to get into the bathtub.

I refused to get out of the bathtub.

You brought me my own TV to keep the peace.

You took me on a first picnic and I tried to eat ants.

I told you I wanted to join a rock band named Black List.

I idolized someone you thought was a moron.

I discovered Mad magazine.

You left me home along for the first time and I actually didn't burn the house down.

I convinced the babysitter we always ate ice cream for supper.

I made you a gift at school and you had no idea what it was.
(You thanked me profusely anyway.)

You bought me my own phone.

You got the phone bill.

You tried to explain why the sky was blue.

You showed me a rotary phone and I had no idea what it was.

I could never get enough tickling.

You tried to teach me not to fear bugs (though you do).

My balloon flew away and you had to explain you couldn't get it back.

I used to pout.

You used to shout.

You thought I'd make you pull your hair out.

I got vaccinated and you said "Ouch."

I had my first broken heart.

My snowman melted.

We chased lightening bugs.

We made cupcakes together.

I thought you knew everything.

I decided you didn't know anything.

I stuck my face in my first birthday cake.

Everyone said I looked just like you.

Everyone said I looked just like Dad.

You tried to keep from boasting -- and it failed.

I lost my front tooth in an apple.

I pitched a fit in the supermarket.

You had to buy a hundred raffle tickets.

You had to buy eight dozen boxes of cookies.

I slept at a friend's house for the first time.

We had pillow fights.

You taught me to blow bubbles.

We fed the swans.

I finger-painted your bedroom wall.

You had to explain why I couldn't sleep with my goldfish.

You took me back-to-school shopping.

We jumped in the autumn leaves.

We survived that winter with 29 snow days.

I went through my "awkward" phase.

I got stung by a bee.

I got spooked by a monster under the bed.

You tried setting curfews.

You lectured me and my eyes glazed over.

All I needed to have fun was imagination.

I made plans to live in my tree-house full time.

You knew by heart where every bathroom in town was.

I ate gummy worms.

I started to prefer my friends to you.

All I wanted from you was a hug.

I buried you in the sand.

I bit off the bottom of the ice cream cone.

I discovered the salt and pepper shakers.

You took us all to the county fair.

I first discovered peer pressure.

I first rode without a car seat.

You always sent my photo in the Christmas card.

You put up all the homemade Christmas ornaments.

I thought pennies were valuable.

I broke the 1,000 point SAT barrier.

You couldn't figure out my homework assignment.

I discovered Dr. Seuss.

I discovered Lord of the Rings.

I wanted to paint my bedroom black.

I realized you weren't fearless.

All the phone calls started to be for me.

I had to pee as soon as we left the rest stop.

Watching Bambi scared me silly.

You helped me carve jack-o-lanterns.

I wanted every single thing I saw on TV.
(You said, "We'll see.")

I had to have exactly the right sneakers.

I went through my heavy metal phase.

You thought my artwork rivaled Picasso's.

I'd only eat six things, and four of them were desserts.

I used to take "time out" seriously.

You wished my Fisher-Price mower really cut the grass.

You told me it was okay to be different.

The only place I really felt safe was in your arms.


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This page is dedicated
to my 3 wonderful kids!
I Love You More!!!
from your mom... 1999


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You are mom's Friend number