For years and years my father has taken us down to the mall, and had us buy a perfume set for my mother. For TWENTY YEARS.

I kinda felt like she was bored with it.

So last year, I decided to do something different for my mom and make it special for her. I called up my little brother and told him (hes 19) to come home around 4 so we could go do it. He said, okay, but then bitched later and decided not to come home. I F*ing lost it, he was being a spoiled brat and couldnt even be bothered to go help me pick out her gift from both of us that I was buying with my cash (god, forbid the little moocher put in any effort).

Finally the guilt kicked in (and by that I mean my father physically removed the keys to my brothers car from his hands), and we were off to the store. I know that my mom had wanted a firepit for her back yard since we had moved to San Antonio into a house with an amazing deck and trees. Then we picked up about 6-7 diffrent plants that I knew she really loved along with pots and a bunch of candles and tiki torches.

We took them home and hid it all in the garage. The next day, we all got up, said "Happy Mothers Day" and left it at that. Kinda let her sit and stew thinking we didnt do anything for her. Later that night, she was laying in bed reading, I snuck into the garage, pulled everything out and set it up in the backyard. Candles in the fire pit, the plants encircling it, tea lights on the ground, and tiki torches around the deck. It was so pretty in the early night. We brought her outside and for the first time ever, We suprised my mom. She just laughed and smiled and said,

"Oh my, I love it!! I'm so glad you didnt get me any damn perfume!"

Now I live 300 miles away.... I'm still trying to figure out how to top it.