Plenty of Padelsky: My Mom's Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! My brother, sister, my cousin Candace and I took my mom out for breakfast this morning at Mimi's Cafe. We left my dad home because it is my mom's birthday and she deserves a break from him. He didn't even know it was her birthday. ): Now there's a shocker! Everything is all about my dad 24/7 (because he makes it that way). We just wanted to take her out and enjoy her day be it only an hour. I think she had a good time.

I just want to share some of my feelings and memories about my mom. She devoted (and still does) her whole life to us. If you were to ask me what my mom's passions or hobbies are I couldn't tell you. I guess the only thing I could say is "us". Now days it is my dad. Not that it is her hobby to cart my dad around where and when he wants to go, but she has given up so much of herself to serve our family. To give you an idea of her selflessness, when we were growing up I remember my mom wearing socks with holes in them and her underwear had them as well. The holes in her socks were not just little ones, but it was like the whole heel was a huge hole. She did this because she felt it was more important that her children had nice things to wear, so she did without. In someways she still does this. She is always bringing stuff over to share with me (like food items). She's always been this way towards everyone. Willing to share all that she has. She truly is an exemplary of service and charity.

We went out to dinner tonight for mom's birthday. This time my dad, Kirk, McCall, and Dawson came. We went to Imperial. When you go out to eat with my dad it's always an adventure (an embarrassing adventure). First of all he can't hear very well and neither can my mom so they are the deaf speaking to the deaf. Second, my dad gets up and wanders around the restaurant. Third, he chews his food but doesn't swallow it so then he spits it out (tonight he did spit it out in a napkin). Do you want me to stop now???? Because I could go on forever... So there's a guy sitting at a table nearby and he gets his food which was a sushi dinner. My dad gets up and walks over to his table and checks out his food. I thought he was going to touch it, because he was pointing his finger at the sushis. We are all yelling at him to come sit down. The guy was a good sport, but I mouthed to him, "I'm sorry!" Then he starts picking at Kirk's scab that he has on his elbow. Kirk's yelling at him to "Stop touching it!" Yes, and we do have to talk loudly because of the hearing problem. My dad asks the waitress for another napkin as he spits out his food in his current napkin. I look at him and can see that he has a mouthful of more food to spit out. Is this TMI??? Yeah, needless to say it is gross and embarrassing. It's sad, but my dad is like a two year old. Now here's the kicker... We are leaving and going to our vehicles. Kirk brought my dad to the restaurant, so he was going to take him home. Kirk and my dad get to the truck and Kirk's telling my dad, "It's right here grandpa, get in the truck." My dad says, "This isn't it were's the car?" then my dad says, "Did we come in this?" This is what my mom deals with every minute of the day. Now you see why we tried to give her a few "just me" hours away from dad.