The best birthday present ever

My sister Anne was always a good present giver. She seemed to know what to buy people for Christmas, birthdays, etc. It wasn't that she spent a lot of money or time on the gift, she just had a knack. One of the last presents she bought for me was a brown purse. I think it was my 26th birthday and when I lived with she and Kyle (that was the same year I ate my Pepperidge Farm coconut cake in her bed for breakfast).

Well, many years later . . . a new career, new husband, and baby on the way . . . I received one last gift from her (at least that is how I like to see it). My first daughter, Anne Christopher, was born on my 32nd birthday. She was one week early and born perfectly. It was shortly after she was born that it occured to me that it was my birthday. As weird as it sounds, I feel like she "helped" me have a girl for my birthday.

I always said that Anne gave the best presents.

Remote controls have changed signigicantly in my lifetime. Plus there are remote controls for practically everything; tv's, dvd players, music players, my car radio! to name a few. My children will never know what it's like to not have a remote for everything electronic (by the way, one of Anne's first 10 words was "mote". I think maybe we use it quite a bit and she saw it as an extension to my right hand).
While talking to my sister Gretchen today, she reminded me what it was like growing up in the early 70's without a remote. Imagine the scene: I'm playing in the living room (either I was playing my Olivia Newton John record or my hand - held asteroids game) when I would hear my mother call out,
"Becca" . . ."Baby Bec."
"Yes" I would answer.
"Could you come here?"
"Sure".
I walk into the room to see my mom lounging on our black pleather couch (another story about napping on that couch at a different time). "Could you please change the channel to NBC?"
"Okay" I change it, but before I'm out of the room, she changes her mind for CBS then ABC (not sure if cable had made it to the country yet).
Awhile later, still dancing to Olivia Newton John, "Bec, could you come here for a minute?"
"Do you want me to change the channel AGAIN?"
Hesitation in the family room, then "I'll get you a surprise "
"Oh, I know what that means, it's a kiss" (what I wouldn't do for one of those everyday).
More hesitation from the family room.
"No, not a kiss. I'll get you a push-up" This is before the dollar store existed and she couldn't bribe us like she bribes our children.
I always would give in and stop dancing to change the channel for my mom. But, was very happy that I could dance to O.N.J. without interruption after the arrival of the first remote.

FYI - the push up was also used to bribe us to go to the dump with her as well.

As I'm writing this, I'm mentally counting how many remotes we have in the house, hmmm??? ...9. This is one reason I dread having a babysitter come over, the explanation is tiring.

Growing up, I was the youngest of three girls and we were commonly referred to as "The Girls." Sometimes it was "The Boyd Girls" by our parents' friends and at other times it was simply "GIRLS!" The latter was a favorite of our mother, who is now known as Presh. More on Presh later.

Now that I am married with girls of my own, I am calling Anne (6) and Sarah-Kate (4) The Girls. Girls, time for dinner. Girls, time for a bath. Girls, time for bed. At the instant the words come out of my mouth, I suddenly realize how much I sound like my mother. (Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am my mother after all). I would lie in bed and hear "Girls", and I would get further under the covers because what usually followed those words was something unsatisfactory to me. Although I was tired of hearing it, I loved being one of the girls. It felt special to be known as "The Boyd Girls."

I can't help but wonder what my two daughters think when they hear it. Do they also like being one of the girls? Or are they hearing, blah, blah, blah? Tonight when it was time for Anne to leave with Presh and Granddaddy because she gets to spend the night, I yelled up the stairs, "Come on girls, time for Anne to leave." There was no response. After a few minutes (and a couple more yells), I went up to investigate. I found the two of them hugging good-bye and Anne said "I was just telling Sarah-Kate good-bye because we will miss each other." Sarah-Kate had a look like she wasn't going to see Anne for quite awhile. She pouted as Anne left and it took about 10 seconds for her to cheer up because she was getting to take a bath and use the foamy soap all by herself without having to share.