Well,it's that time of year again....mother's annual visit! Every nerve in my being is getting a workout,lol.

My latest adventure began 5 days ago as soon as I saw the SuperShuttle pull up and mom getting out of the van. Already I could see her lips moving...chatting to the driver as he helped her out. My eyes rolled upwards. I knew I was in for a blow by blow account of the drive from the airport to my house. Oh,and naturally,the entire flight. THAT was my dessert!

I opened the garage door to give her plenty of room to pull her wheely luggage in. She's chatting but I can't hear exactly what she's saying and then she's looking up at me and saying "HELLLLLLOOOO!" while rolling through my dirty laundry next to the washer. I watch my unmentionables being dragged along behind her as she's still announcing herself.

"I'm here!"

Yes,mom. I can see,lol.

She stands inside the dining room now and waits stiffly. I know she wants to "hug" me. Her hugs are a little different then most people's. They are more of a "patting on the back" that you give an aquaintance. So we "pat" and then it's the blow by blow of the drive from the airport....how she was the only one on the van....blah blah blah. For some reason,this is all very exciting to her. But,then again,she can make a trip to the grocery store sound like she was just back from Paris.

Mom always gets her hair done before visiting. Don't know why but she always shows up with some pixie-like doo that looks good on a 10 year old. She is the eternal school girl, I always call her. I admit, she does exude a lot of energy (she's always been high strung) and walks faster then me and can out-eat me for sure even though I'm about 3 inches taller.

She is a "tornado" and I mean this literally.  A 5 foot 4 inch dynamo.

She can be in your house for about 5 minutes before everything starts getting stirred up and destroyed,lol.

I never know what I'll wake up to.

There is always a handle to something or a screw with a note left next to it.

"I don't know how this happened...it just fell off".

The other morning walking into the bathroom I found the toilet lid down with "THE NOTE" and the plunger next to it.

"Dear,the toilet's flushing slow".

Well,no mother. The toilet's not flushing at all...you plugged it up with paper!

She loves to play my casino games on my laptop. After a few minutes,the screen usually gets minimized. I really don't know how she does it.

"How come the screen got small?"

She asked me how to turn the computer off. Something looked askew and then I notice that my task bar is now at the top of the screen instead of the bottom. 

I didn't even know you could do that! Now I do.

There are 3 things my mother will never admit to:

#1--She can't hear

#2--She can't see

#3--Needing sleep

While in the kitchen cooking I was telling her that I need to get some new Pyrex storage containers because I'm running out.

"What's that? You're running out of projects to do?"

Not with you around,I wanted to say,lol.

I'm always telling her to put on her glasses. Don't know if it's a vanity thing or not but she absolutely refuses to wear her glasses even though she goes around squinting.

One time I got so angry about this while we were driving... I said..."Alright then....What does that street sign say?!" And darned if she didn't read it back to me.

According to my mother she is never tired. I know at her own house she stays awake most nights and sleeps in the early morning. Well,not around here. We go to bed at a normal time and she follows suit. When watching a little television in the evening it's not long before I hear..."Uhhhhh.." and look over at my mother's head rolling around and snoring.

But she's never tired,right? She'll wake up and immediately does a laugh like she's been watching the program all along. I sit and snicker to myself. Who does she think she's fooling? And,why does she even have to fool me at all that she doesn't need sleep?

Mothers! Can you ever really figure them out?

I gave up years ago.

Bless her heart...it's difficult watching your parents age and the roles reversing. I am the parent now. She reminds me more and more of my grandmother (her mother) each and every day.

Oh,but that's another blog entry.

Grandma was another piece of work! Runs in the family,I suppose.

Well...back to mom. 

We're only 5 days into the visit with 9 to go.

Gotta go batten down the hatches....never know when the next storm will hit :)=