It's my birthday today and I got a strange card from my Mom

[FionaO]

A couple of days ago I visited my Mom and she gave me a sealed birthday card to be opened today for my birthday. The card says "don't panic" on the outside with a picture of a little kid panicking in front of a cake and "it's just your birthday" on the inside. By implication the little kid is supposed to be me and it's a little girl in a blue party dress with loads of frills and a short full skirt.
My mom knows nothing about my CDing but what a card. She's not confused, she's written on the front "I'm not losing my mind, I know you're a boy." I'm not reading anything into it but is sort of nice.
However there was another serendipidous moment. My Mom lives a fair distance from me and there is a discount chain store near her that I sometimes visit in drab, as it is far enough away that I will not meet anyone I know and I usually have spare time on my own. Remember at this time I hadn't seen my card but I decided to treat myself for my birthday and bought a blue party dress with loads of frills and a short full skirt. The dress cost me £39.99 and when I opened the card today my Mom had also given me £40.00. So basically she bought me a dress for my birthday similar to the one on my card.
I've attached a photo, do you think I should wear it the next time I visit Mom? I can always blame her card for putting me over the edge and imply that I thought she was trying to give a subtle hint. I can even show her the price label to demonstrate I spent all but one penny of her gift on my dress.

[HEART BROKEN]

I think that would be a great way to go.Looking just as you are in the pic above and holding the card in your hand when she see's you.If she seems to freak outjust say playng with you Moandchange your clothes.Just wondering when you where growing up if she often did little things like that?

[lacie]

Wow! All signs point to her knowing what's up. Or it's one hell of a major coincident. Maybe if you put some thought into it you could bait her into confirming your suspicion without giving up your secret. That's if you want to keep it a secret...

[Jamiegirl1]

You are very gorgeous!!!!

[Bobbi Lynn]

Great dress, great picture! Wear the dress and take the card and say "is this what you had in mind"? I guess that's one way to come out to her for sure. Did she ever "catch" you when you were younger?

[regina young]

Happy Birthday Fiona, Love the picture, and the dress. Moms always want us to think they know more than they actually do, dont they?......regina

[Being Paige]

Yes Happy Birthday and love the dress too!

[Persephone]

You look lovely, Fiona!

Personally, I think that a coincidence such as the one you just experienced, particularly a triple-coincidence, is nature's way of giving you a "teachable moment." How you choose to learn from it, and how you choose to use it is up to your own interpretation.

BTW, I don't know if you get a U.S. program called "Burn Notice" where you are, but the leading woman on the show is one of my heroines and her name is Fiona.

[Ashleythenewgirl]

Fiona, I love the dress! You look fab. I wish I could do the same!
Happy Birthday.
Ashley

[Connie D50]

You look Great in the dress Connie

[FionaO]

My Mom never caught me when I was young and I haven't lived at home for 37 years since I started college. I do occasionally stay over and would normally wear a nightdress to bed but again never was caught.
Once and only once about 5 years ago when the pink fog was on me, I held a major photo dress up session in her living room while she was asleep upstairs. She is a pretty heavy sleeper and didn't hear me going up and down the stairs in my different outfits. A pretty foolish thing to do but we all know what the pink fog is like. I'm just going to show one photo from that session to illustrate how deep I was into it, you definitely couldn't mistake my outfit for a nightshirt.

[Jilmac]

Fiona, If it had been my mom who sent me a card like you described and the exact amount to purchase the dress (which by the way, is gorgeous), I would gladly model it for her. I think the subtlety of the card is enough to show her your appreciation of the message, it may turn out to be a mother daughter bonding session.

[Christie ann]

Very pretty dress with a pretty girl inside. Did your mom mean anything by a girl on the card? I doubt it, especially with the comment "I know you are a boy" I think she just liked the card. I often buy a card that isn't quite aimed at the person I give it to. I think it would be pretty cool to giver your mom a picture of you in the dress holding the card. You could certainly gauge her reaction to CDing that way.

Happy Birthday and please tell us what you did.

[Chari]

Your Mom may know your "inner secret", or suspect you are enjoying your feminine side, and she is trying to find a way to open up to you! You know her best and can guess what her re-action would be if she saw Fiona in her birthday dress. BTW, you look very confident and comfortable in all your pics! Belated Birthday Wishes - and thanx for sharing.

[SamanthaS]

Lovely dress hon

[AKAMichelle]

I think leave the dress at home but bring the picture. Then have a talk.

[NicoleScott]

I agree with the others: you look great in the dress.
I also agree with Michelle. You suspect she may know about your cd-ing, but you can't be sure. It is usually unwise to inform a significant person in your life that you are a cd by suddenly appearing in a dress and makeup. As Michelle said: leave the dress, bring the pic, have a talk. You may want to start the conversation with "Why did you pick out that card for me?"

[maggiecdva]

That's wonderful! Happy Birthday and Enjoy!
hugs - maggie

[AmiFL]

simply ask her the significance of the card.................

[anonymousinmaryland]

Nice photo. Real nice dress. Happy Birthday. Oh, BTW, moms know EVERYTHING!

[Daphne Renee]

It could just be a coincidence I suppose . Although a fairly big one. I will agree with the others who said to send her a picture of you in that dress with the card. You know your mother best so you will have to decide if its worth it.
Happy Birthday BTW hope its a good one.

[Inna]

happy birthday, and there are no coincidences. Weather she knows of your desires or not such events point to one conclusion, it is time! I have lived my life recently by obeying the road shown to me by The source, intuition, universe, you name it. Every time the direction is shown I will follow blindly and be overwhelmed by its beauty and eventual sense. Such Bday card and gift money, all I can say is that if your mother doesn't know I think it is time she does, but I should withhold my opinion because you are the only one who knows the next step. I am so happy for you that you get the signs and wish for you the wise and joyful road to walk and embrace real you, isn't that what we all want for our birthdays!

[FionaO]

Thank you for all the advice girls, it has been really helpful. As Christie ann says I think Mom just thought it was a nice card but it was a rather strange choice. As I said before, she has never caught me crossdressed but now that I think about it there could be other ways she knows. I could have left something feminine at her house for example which she found while cleaning my room. I used to use her house as a base while she was on holiday and have left it fully dressed to go shopping and socialising and maybe a neighbour seen me and told her something. Although back then I was very passable and a neighbour would have thought a strange woman was using my car.
If Mom does suspect something and this card is a way of getting me to open up then all I really have to do is mention the card and let her take it from there. I know my Mom and it would be unusual for her to do something like this, however my elder sister returned from abroad a few years ago and spends a lot of time at my Mom's. This would be the sort of thing that she would do through my Mom although I don't think she would have any malicious motive.
Ok so I'll discuss the card with her and if she doesn't want to take it any further that is fine with me. If she does then I can tell her I bought the dress and let her see the picture if she wants. I can then show her some more pics if she wants (but not the ones taken in her house). If she wants to meet Fiona I'll let her, if not no problem. If my sister wants to meet her as well, that would be great as I think she would probably want to go shopping with her. I look extremely like her in my photo with the blonde wig.
I'll keep you posted.

[joanna marie]

nice dress
you look ,great in it

[Brendastevens47]

What a wonderful story. The dress looks lovely on you Fiona, so feminine and pretty. Your mom I think knows....but it is up to you if you feel comfortable wearing the dress to see her...but girl...that might be Just OK.