Happy Birthday, Mom!

This is my mother.

I'm not actually sure how old she is in this picture, but isn't she adorable? Can you see those tight curls in her hair? Her pretty eyes?

I just love this picture.








This is me, at the age of 5. Wearing a dress she made for me. Velvet, even! (I love velvet, fashionable or not. Shut up.)













Notice anything?
Like, how we don't look alike? At ALL?

.

Actually, we had the same gap between our front teeth, but you can't really see hers all that well here. But it's there. It's the only way you can tell we're related, and neither of us has the gap anymore. When we're together, people inevitably ask how we know each other.

(Click here to see who I really look like.)

She's always been tall, blonde, and willowy. And I am... well, not. Okay, tallish. But not blonde (duh) nor willowy, no matter my size. Yes, I grew up with a hot mom.

My mom's definitely not had the easiest life. She had a difficult childhood, was widowed at 32, then moved with my brother and me alllll the way across the country to start a new life in SoCal. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her.

Especially since one of her kids is me.

Now, she is far away, living on the frozen tundra that is Wisconsin, and my biggest birthday wish for her is that she doesn't have to spend another year there. And that we can toast her birthday together next year.