2003-04-19

So I decided that instead of my usual I like her a lot... but rant I would write 10 things I like about MIL so that maybe I can paint a more realistic piture of her.

1) She is genuinely a kind person. No really, she is. She knew I was depressed with husband going ouut of town and me not being able to do all the things I usually do while he's gone (stay out late with my friends, eat ice cream for dinner, paint my toenails) because of the babies so when she went shopping she bought me spearmint leaves and green olives, just because. She told me this week that when she was younger she and her next oldest sister used to fight something awful. I asked if they hit each other and she told me the older sister hit her but she just would say "cutting things i knew would hurt her." I was surprised because I've only ever once heard her say anything "cutting."
2) She is an artist. i don't know if any of you noticed inthe baby picture I posted, but she made the quilt. She has a way with color that astounds and amazes me, and she is very generous about sharing her talent.
3) Which reminds me that she is a very generous person. She shares her vast sewing knowledge with anyone who needs it, or asks. She spent three weeks up here in part because she knew we needed her last week. can you imagine leaving your house for three weeks to stay with your ungrateful daughter in law? I can't.
4)She is very friendly. Every where she goes she meets people and some of them become fast friends. Within two weeks of her volunteer stint at the hospital she had a group she went out to dinner with. She has 6 ladies that quilt with her and quite frankly she's the glue that holds them together.
5)She raised great kids. I'm not just talking about my husband here, his brother is also a great person. I almost wish husband had more siblings because i know I'd like them. Also he might have a single brother I could fix up with Kymm.
6) She's a great cook. Ok, she doesn't use many seasonings besides salt, but I absolutely love her apple pie, her choclate chip cookies, her chicken and noodles and no one makes dressing like she does.
7) she's a really caring person. Sometimes this trait annoys me the most because of the way it manifests itself. In other words she seems to worry obsessively. But really it is because she honestly cares if the babies are too cold, or that husband and I sleep or that BIL and SIL get their stove fixed.
8)She's self reliant and she's got a ton of energy. I can't keep up with her at all. Also when she comes to my house she doesn't wait to be asked to help out, she has always dug right in. My dishes always are clean when she's here, as is my kitchen floor. If she doesn't know where to find something and you are sleeping or whatever, she doesn't bother you--she makes do. Usually too she finds something I've forgotten we had, which can be fun. This time she showed me some tricks my vaccum cleaner can do--I honestly had no idea that the attachment thingy telescoped.
9)She's very gentle. I thought I would die when I saw the way she burped the babies, I doubted they could feel her patting their backs. She's just like this with everyone though, very very gentle.
10)She's a lot of fun to be around. She always has a funny story about something and I usually spend at least some time with her laughing so hard I almost pee my pants. This time it was when EGG let out this giant poop noise and I looked at her and she looked at me and we just both lost it. But even before babies, we would go quilt shopping or just hang out and it is always fun.

So there you go, she really is a great person. I think that sometimes when she annoys me it is because that these traits sometimes manifest themselves in ways that can be overbearing, or that I inerpret them wrong. I mean I shouldn't assume that because she's constantly asking if the babies are cold that she's bashing my mothering skills--honestly she's concerned about them. Ditto my kitchen floor--she isn't calling me a slob when she says--today I will mop your floor--she's helping out. I just forget these things sometimes.

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