Today is my Mom’s Birthday (Happy Birthday, Gramamma!). And something about gifts and the preferences of Birthday celebrations really reveals the stark difference in my city-girl self and my country-girl Mom.
When I called her yesterday to ask if I could take her to lunch today, she told me that she was on a romantic outing with my Dad to buy her Birthday present.
“Oh really? What is he getting you?”
“Cinder blocks!!!”
“That’s … great, Mom.”
“It’s just what I wanted! Your Dad says that I’m so easy to buy for.”
“So…what are you going to do with your new cinder blocks?”
“He’s going to make me a new tomato garden with them.”
Well, at least she had reason to get the overly romantic birthday gift of cinder blocks.
At lunch today, Mom and Dad told me of their great and romantic plans for the evening to celebrate her birthday even further…
A lecture on beekeeping.
Yes, they’re off to cuddle in the candlelight and whisper sweet nothings to each other…in a beekeeping class.
My parents have an amazing marriage – they know just what to get each other to bring a smile to their face. So, to sum things up, if you’d like to take lessons in romance from my parents…
Don’t know what to get her for that romantic holiday or birthday?
Get your wife the gift that will be sure to bring a spark to her eyes: Cinder Blocks!
Because nothing says “I Love You” quite like gray slabs of cement.
Don’t know how to celebrate your romantic holiday or birthday?
Get dressed up in some matching outfits and agitate thousands of stinging creatures together!
Your love will be renewed when you get a rip in your bee suit and your wife has to beat the living daylights out of you with a wooden bee drawer in an attempt to kill all of the bees that have crawled into your shorts before they sting you past the point of recognition.
And as an added bonus, she will be completely overwhelmed at the utter hotness of your bee hat.
…at least Mom and Dad will be thinking about the birds and the bees tonight.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Awwww…I think it's sweet. They know each other and they are happy to be together.
And what a great gift they've given you and your brother and Ali–showing you what a sustained love looks like.
Hilarious! Hope you mom had a wonderful birthday!
Can't wait to hear what your mom gets for Valentine's Day!
Happy Birthday to Mrs. Zannis!!! My dad used to buy my mom similar romantics gifts like hammers, and saws. He still buys her gardening stuff now, not cinder blocks but he did buy her paving stones and some planters once.
It is sweet of our parents to buy such gifts even if we think it is unromantic if it makes the other happy then that is all that matters.
They sound like wonderful in-love parents. What more could a girl want?
Happy Birthday to your mom. She is the BEST!
That was too, too funny! Your parents crack me up. Hope the blocks and the bees gave her a year's worth of warm fuzzies!
That is too funny! Your mom is so sweet! I feel a little high maintenance after hearing that story:)
For the record, so you don't think I'm a horribly evil daughter, THEY are the ones that pointed out their own level of bloggability. Luckily, I was blessed with parents with a good sense of humor. It's quite a helpful thing for a blogger…
after 21 years of marriage my husband and I are just like your parents. except we get paving blocks and sheep. I hope that we are setting a good example for our six year old.
Ha Ha Ha! There is something to be said for getting exactly what you want. I have asked for (and gotten) for my birthdays past a stand mixer, a gas grill and a Dyson vacuum so I get where your mom is coming from.
Hope your mom has a great day!
How sweet! Happy Birthday to your Mama!
And I love the "birds and the bees" comment. Too funny!
That is too sweet! Happy Birthday to your Mom!
That is too funny
I suppose whatever makes each other happy is what matters!
I love it!!! That is so sweet that they know each other so well and don't have to conform to the world's standards for romance. So cute!
That is is great post, however, if Leo ever gives me cinder blocks, he may get one up side the head. We all know one man's trash is another man's treasure. Are they going into bee keeping?