Birthday party with Mom!

Mom and I celebrated my birthday today. She told me about the surprise party she had planned, how both my brothers were going to be there, and how Kris was going to fly in, and Sam and Jackson were going to be there, and how everyone was going to meet up at a sports bar where we were "waiting for Eric to come over after work." My nose flushed and I, once again, started crying at just what I had messed up by not flying out. Stupid stomach flu / food poisoning / sympathetic pains!

This evening, to celebrate, I made Mom (and Andy who came over - yay!) chocolate souffle, as I had, to my surprise, never made a souffle for her, and she was craving chocolate cake. I have to say that tonight's souffles were probably the best I'd ever made.

While various parts of dinner and dessert were cooking, Mom asked me if I wanted to celebrate my birthday exactly now, and open up the various gifts she brought with her. Gifties? Sure!

She handed me the first one from Eric, which was, I have to say, a little rumpled from the travel.

Before:

After:

To Kris' completely honest statement about his wife being a shaker, I shook the box. I noticed it looked smaller than its before picture from earlier this week. Wondering if I mis-remembered the picture she had sent earlier, I felt the box's shape, tested its indentations, sniffed it, and, just to make sure it was really mine, licked it. I then started to open it.

As soon as the box was exposed, I started laughing. Mom started to say something, but I was completely incapable of answering, as I was laughing so hard at the box. Yes, it was smaller than the before picture, because it was cut in half:

When I pulled out the gift, I noticed I had one of a pair of earrings. "It's a pearl earring," I said looking up at Mom, who was sitting there smiling ear to pearl-earring'd ear. She tilted her head and my new pearl earring's twin flashed on her ear. "Yes," she answered.

Eric had given Mom and me matching earrings. Mom often wears singleton earrings of matching styles, a single pearl possibly being a singleton. The earrings were different than any other set she has. I pulled out the alcohol to clean my ear lobe and the earring stem, received a lesson in pearl care, and popped the earring in.

I have to say, we are quite the matched set.

Mom and I may have to work out a timeshare on the full pair, but for the moment, when I wear my earring, I'm going to think of both the wonderful woman wearing its match, and Eric for the reminder of how amazing she is.

Thanks, Eric!