Yesterday was my mother’s birthday, so today we did the family thing.

For a while I wasn’t sure that we were going to have any kind of get together at all, as my mother kept refusing to agree to a celebration of any kind. I finally had to pull the old, "You have two grandchildren, this is a family tradition, you don’t have a choice. Even though dad is no longer with us, we have to keep up the traditions."

It worked.

Our family things are always simple, and this was no exception. We ordered subs and ate on festive paper plates. I had stopped to get the tablecloth, napkins and plates at a local party place. I also picked up a cake at the bakery (I am a lousy cake baker, but I think that has to do with lack of practice more than anything else.)

I had picked up a few odds and ends for her as gifts. I got her a blank journal (she requested this), a Cat in the Hat style hat that is green and white and has shamrocks on it, socks with shamrocks on them, and a tape by Andrea Bocelli.

Lest you think I’ve lost my mind, she wanted the hat. She and a bunch of her friends are going to the Cape for St. Patrick’s day, and she wanted something goofy to wear. I had gotten her a very classy outfit for Christmas that will get her through the weekend. It’s a white wool blazer and green flannel slacks. Very classic in the look and cut.

It’s got my mother written all over it.

My brother had just gotten back from a business trip to Germany, and he got her a mantle clock. My other brother got candle toppers and candles.

I come from a family obsessed with candles.

The gathering was fine, although Matilda and Keith were both over-tired. This made Keith a bit wilder than usual, and Matilda got progressively more whiney and irritated when Keith came near her. It was one of those "Mom, he’s touching me!" kind of things.

Not that they were horrible to be around, they just weren’t their usual good-natured selves.

Keith had been to a sleep-over the night before, so he’d only gotten about four hours of sleep. Matilda had been at a kid’s party and was worn out.

The evening ended fairly early. I think, though, that my mother ended up being happy that we had gotten together.

I ended up spending about six hours at the house all together. I went early, and then stayed to clean up.

I did manage to get some of my laundry done while I was there, which is a good thing as I was starting to dip into the auxiliary underwear supply.

I know that I don’t spend enough time over there, but it’s so hard to do that and work full time. I feel as if my weekends just fly away and I manage to accomplish so little as it is. My disheveled apartment is a testament to this.

Although the carpets are all vacuumed, thanks to my again working vacuum cleaner.

I’m still behind in the finishing the Valentines department. I only have pieces of the ones I want to give the chorus finished, and I just can’t get the design I have in my head to transfer to the paper.

I hope I can get it all done tomorrow.

I may have to settle for one of those "well, they’ll all like it and never know what it was SUPPOSED to look like" designs.