Twinkle, Twinkle Momma Star

I wish my mom had taken pictures of all the birthday cakes she made for us over the years.

My Aunt, Mom, Grandmother

The most memorable was the guitar cake she made for my brother, Gary, for his 17th(?) birthday. That one there is a photo of, but I'm pretty sure he has the only copy. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a cowboy hat on, trying to look like hot stuff, seeming uncomfortable at having his picture taken. The cake was great.

We would put in our request, and mom would do her best to comply. There were kitty cats and dogs. I used to like snakes, so I remember one year she did something with a snake and basket.

Mom made our birthdays special. There may not have been a ton of expensive gifts, but birthdays were always something to look forward to. Like being queen (or king) for a day. I think we got to pick out the dinner for our natal night, too.  

Today is Mom's birthday. And I'm sitting here wishing I could bake her a cake. I did one year, and I put "Twinkle, Twinkle, Momma Star" on the top. It wasn't decorated in any fancy way, but  my heart was in the right place. I'm not the creative genius my mom was.

"Little Boo" Cake for My 17th

It's funny to think that 91 years ago my grandmother was giving birth to her second daughter (and last child, her fifth). You don't think of your mom as a baby, as the one who was swaddled and cradled and such. My mom only had her mother for a few short years before she died of tuberculosis, right around my mom's fourth birthday. In fact, one of her relatives told her they were going to a party, and mom thought it was a birthday surprise for her. It was her mom's funeral.

Maybe that's part of the reason why mom tried to make our birthdays happy and special.

Wherever you are today, momma, thanks. I hope I was a good enough daughter. Because you were and are the best mom ever.

Happy Birthday!