Happy Birthday, Ma!

Well, well, well... look who's caught the shutterbug: Mama Active Spirit.

Every seven years, her birthday and Mother's Day fall on the same day. It's kinda like when a kid's birthday falls on/near December 25th, and all the cards and gifts get lumped together in one big presentation. She's always been adamant about getting two separate presents since they're two separate occasions, so every year I buy a Mother's Day card and a birthday card at the same time, and I struggle to pick out two unique things to buy in celebration. Shopping for Mom is difficult. She's got sensitive skin so jewelry and fancy lotions/creams are out the window. She also has a sensitive nose and is very particular about scents, and she has every gadget she could possibly need. Small and unique trinkets typically go over well, but after a while, they start to look like a bunch of clutter. Every year I wonder "what in the world should I get this woman?" She used to drop hints about what she'd like, and by hints I mean she'd flat out give me a handwritten list of appropriate gifts.

That didn't happen this year, so after checking out a few shops I picked out a lace scarf from a boutique near my place. It was a hit. When I asked where she wanted to go for dinner that evening, I expected her to choose some fine dining restaurant. She had no clue where she wanted to go, so I chose Fresh2Order. It's not exactly your ideal birthday dinner spot, but the food is fresh, healthy and right up her alley. It was her first time eating there, but I'm sure it won't be the last. She loved every last bite of her meal [and some bites of mine, too] - almond crusted chicken for me and coconut curry salmon for her.

After our early dinner we caught a movie and called it a night. All in all, it turned out to be a nice, laid-back birthday, and that's exactly what she deserved. Now it's on to deciding how to make Mother's Day a success. I'm on the hunt for something different, and I've got a few ideas brewing so fingers crossed it turns out like I'm hoping. I bought this little booklet the other day and spent a couple hours filling in all the blanks with meaningful responses. I'm aiming for tears. I want her to tear up while reading though it, and that sounds kinda bad now that I'm typing it out, but I mean it in the best way.

Happy Birthday, Ma! I Love you.

♥