A Mind-Numbing Work of Maternal Devotion
Tomorrow is our dear Frances’ 22nd birthday.

I set a goofy sort of precedent on Bridget’s birthday by covering the lawn with about 75 plastic bumble bees, as a salute to her nickname “B” and her affinity for bees. The curious reader may wonder from whence these plastic bees came. Even if you’re not curious, I’m going to tell you. I like those commercial operations that show up on special events and decorate lawns with flamingoes, dinosaurs, penguins, etc. I don’t know if they do bees and how much it might cost - but if I have to ask how much, that means I can’t afford it. Around Easter last year, while putting away the plastic eggs, I had the inspiration to stock up on discount eggs, put black stripes on the yellow ones and give Bridget the Bee Salute that she deserved. Playing my cards right, I was able to purchase a lot of eggs for around $.20 a dozen. The downside was that the eggs come evenly color-distributed, so each bag contained only 2 yellow eggs. So I now own a lot of other colored eggs.

Fran has had her ‘thing’ about ladybugs, especially dating back to the few years at the old house when we were overrun by veritable plagues of the critters. (Some were actually shipped in to the house by my mother-in-law, where they were stored in the refrigerator awaiting repackaging and sale at the garden club’s annual spring garden market.) There was something apropos about the surly ladybug in A Bug’s Life being named Francis. Just close enough to truth.....

I have just completed putting spots and faces on about 60 pink plastic eggs.
And if we must have snow (and we sure do..........I slipped twice on my way out of church, leading Chuck to ask why the little old ladies were walking OK, but I was having trouble) please let it last just one more day. The pink bugs will show up so much better on a white background.

Although the children are getting older, I still want to do things to make their birthdays memorable. I remember my 22nd birthday. One of my gifts (sorry I can’t match this one, Fran) was $220. The memorable part was not the money - it was the fact that I received 11 twenty dollar bills hidden throughout the house. My mother wrote rhyming clues to follow through the house as I hunted for my cash. I wish I could do something really cute like put a $2 bill in each egg. Oh, well. I’m trying.

And I’m getting better at this. For the bees, I used a Magic Marker. The smell of Magic Marker is like a sweet perfume, transporting me back to the halcyon days of first grade. An afternoon locked in my bedroom with an open Magic Marker left me a bit woozy. Bridget likes Magic Markers too, I’m surprised the smell didn’t attract to my room to find out what was going on.
This time I used a Sharpie. Less odor and a less attractive odor, so when it became too much, I left the room.