A pretty good day

We celebrated Mama's 77th birthday yesterday. Mary Irene (Lakowski) Lapczynski Richards was born in 1928 in Detroit, the seventh of eight children. She had five brothers and two sisters and has outlived them all. She was two when her father died, and has outlived two husbands, one daughter and a granddaughter. She has endured 38 operations, most for the replacement of the joints of her hands and toes destroyed by arthritis, and has survived several microstrokes that have left her mentally impaired. She can no longer manage her own money, run her own household, drive a car, or remember to take her medications. She lives with us but mourns the loss of her apartment and the remnants of her independence. Most days, she is pretty melancholy but yesterday... well, let's just say she was really looking forward to her birthday, even if she can't always remember how old she is.

Because of the strokes, Mama is very childlike. So we kept that in mind planning her birthday. Knowing that kids don't like to wait for presents, we started the day with gifts from Dave and I right after breakfast- lots of them. Four pairs of shorts, five tops, two housecoats and lots of new undies; a new summer wardrobe she wanted, and other things she needed. She had a ball pulling each tissue paper wrapped gift out of the three gifts bags. She carried everything to her bedroom cackling with delight.

Dave had the day off, so she got to spend the day with her son. She and her "baby" sat on the porch swing and watched westerns together. In the early afternoon, the Rose Cottage delivered a bouquet of helium balloons and a small flower arrangement in a teacup from George and Stephanie. Mama LOVES getting flowers and was as excited about the balloons as a kid.

At 4:30, Jake, Becca, Kendall, Haley, Delaney and Emily rolled in. Mama had requested meat loaf and mashed potatoes for her birthday meal, so I made that and all her favorites- corn, salad, cottage cheese, crescent rolls. I bought bright "Happy Birthday" paper plates, cups and napkins for the table, made her a cake and bought her favorite ice cream, Purity strawberry. We decorated her chair with her balloons, and had a nice supper together. We sang "Happy Birthday" and the goonies helped her blow out the candles. They helped her eat the cake and ice cream as well. Everyone was in a good mood, and the goonies were especially attentive to their Busha (Polish for grandmother.)

Before she went to bed, she toddled into the livingroom in her big pink bathrobe to give Dave and I a kiss and to thank us for the party. She looked adorable. Before I sat down to type this, I looked in on her. She was all curled on her little bed. She looks so sweet when she's asleep- just like a child.