Mom -

As today is your day for celebration, I thought it best for me to celebrate you by compiling a list of the little things you do that make this family love you so much. Although you often gift us with huge presents and make very large and visible sacrifices I decided it would be best to outline all the amazing little things that so often go overlooked and without thanks that make you the greatest mother ever.

1. You are very understanding and never hold grudges. For instance, throughout my life I have committed innumerable errors and made some very big mistakes, but you always help me work through them and never feel the need to hold hard feelings against me.
2. For almost every single family vacation we take you spend long extra hours at the office going over the tiniest details to make sure our trips our go as smoothly as possible.
3. Almost every night you deal with Dad, Asim, I's watching and (dare I say) obsessing over the Wizards, and never complain.
4. Whenever you go to the grocery store, regardless of how you are feeling that day, you bring us back special and or odd foods that we rarely remind you to get (i.e my lemonade, Ayla's naan).
5. You have a memory like a steel trap, and (for better or worse) remember everything we tell you, and you always know what to say or what to bring up in situations.
6. From your character to your proficiency in so many areas and to your work ethic as well, you have truly set the perfect example for us.
7. Throughout my application process for Ninth Grade and the beginning of Ayla's college application process, we have complained a whole lot about all that we have to do, but not once did you complain about all the work you put in and all the hours you spent crafting my applications.
8. You tirelessly work with us on our homework, edit our essays, and paint and draw and do all the little things for our projects.
9. You set up appointments, conferences and tutoring sessions for us with no complaints at all.
10. Whenever you go out on a business trip or visit another place without us, you always bring back some Toblerone for all of us.
11. In the time after I mentioned to you before the Spring Bazaar that sometimes you do not take my criticisms or opinions on what you do that needs changing very well, I noticed that you actually do now.
12. Every Friday, Ayla, Asim and I too often fail to communicate our afternoon to you, but you go with the flow and are very accommodating to our changing plans.
13. You take such great care of Max and Maya, and take their training very seriously. All you do with them comes with no complaints, and your hard work has *obviously* been rewarded by their behavior.
14. Lastly, you do all these little things for us, and expect little in return. What everybody else does collectively could never add up to what you do on a daily basis with no complaints. You remember and do the little things for and with us, often with no thank-you's or any reminders. You really are perfect.

Your son - Ali