Amanda Turns 22

It is hard to accept that it was 22 to years ago today that I gave birth to Manda—my beautiful, intelligent and, at times, frustrating daughter. I was not much older than she is now when I had her, yet I cannot for the life of me image her being a mother in three years time.

I had intended to call her at 3:30pm, the approximate time of her birth, to sing her “Happy Birthday,” a family tradition, but she beat me to it and left me a voicemail at 8:30am on her way to school to wish me a happy birthday (the way she firgures it, it’s my birthday too since it is the day I gave birth to her). So, I called her back and sang her a very, very off-key rendition of Happy Birthday.

While she was growing up, we always celebrated each of our birthday “week” in which you could have your choice of what to watch, what to eat, and other “wishes” (mine was always that she and her dad wouldn’t argue). Now that she no longer lives at home, we give her the choice of restaurant for her birthday celebration. The last few years its been Babette’s. This year she wanted to go to Chop’s as she has heard us rave about the fried lobster tails (they really are delicious). We had a great time! Rena couldn’t stop exclaiming that it was the best meal she has ever eaten, and Manda, she didn’t stop smiling all evening.