the conrado

Dear Mom,  It's your birthday.   Mother's Day and I'd like to say thank you for a few things. you're pretty For letting me say that my imaginary friend Jake was a real person and pretending not to know when I lied to your face about him cutting my bangs really short when I was 4 years old - yeah, that was me.  For letting me change my name to "Maria"  in 2nd grade because I thought Hannah was a dumb name  (and for basically saying the name you picked for me sucked.  ouch)   For not telling me that the optometrist knew I was lying when I tried to fake an eye test so I could get glasses like all the cool girls in my class.  That one really came back to bite me now that I'm 30 and can't see without my cool glasses or contacts.  For letting me be the only girl at my elementary school to try out for co-ed basketball and not being mad when I made it... and then decided I didn't want to do it.  For paying for y...

I like to imagine that I've always had the ability to make anyone believe anything I say and can often convince people to join me when I get a wild hair and want to do something "awesome" .  Life is never dull because I'm always on to the next adventure.  Some of my first memories are riding in the car with my mom to pick my brother up from school and telling her all about the "amazing day I had at school" and how "my friends and I had SO much fun in class" .  My mom knew full well that I had been at home with her all day long and that I hadn't been in school at all. I had been in my room setting up my stuffed animals and dolls in order of vocal part (sopranos on the left, tenors in the middle and altos on the right) and directing my gospel choir of animals, Barbies and Cabbage Patch Kids. She went along with everything I said and let me describe in detail the things my teacher said, how well I did on my test, how much fun recess was, etc. ...