I'm saying this as my own personal experience but I might not connect here, not sure. But being an older mother, especially Alice in her 50s, I would have thought (given all you are going through hormonally too) it must contradict the daughter relationship. I had most my children young, oldest for my youngest I was 31, nothing compared to the 40+ that Alice was. The changes you go through physically, emotionally, mentally as a woman are quite a shock. Or it might just be me! It's a new identity you are grasping with, together with being a mum to daughters. What was cute, and you were everything one time does now no longer apply. It's quite a process to navigate. I feel that, what I'm failing to say! Is..Alice has tried to keep hold of her youth and at the same time, keep a firm hold of her daughter's, because she is scared that soon they'll be seeking company they want- and it won't be her. She thinks her 'babies' are forever, but I'd put money on it that they will hate this pretty soon. They will crave their own friends and why shouldn't they, thus is the natural progression. Then what will Alice have.?
What a terrible ethos to try and teach your children (I'm being very serious here) that life must be fun. No room for upset, disappointment. How the hell does that help? Life is full of the negative and most people I'll dare to speculate, suffer every day in their own unique ways. And some people cope better than others. So many factors at play. To say to your girls, 'you must be happy'...'you are special and deserve anything' ok I'm elaborating on the latter but it's no good. To imagine life is going to be one juicy slice of melon is cruel. You have to disappoint your children, be their first experience that parents are not perfect, though in general most parents love their children, they duck up too. And life is going to let you down. Enjoy the highs, but prepare for the down times also. This mix shapes you, you learn from it, but life is a big bowl of cherries? Nothing gained here. Pain - as horrible as it is, reminds us to appreciate the good that comes our way. For a 50+ woman to express to her daughter's they must have fun and happiness only, is such an insane, immature and damaging concept. Totally unrealistic, and when they do have problems or internal battles they won't be able to vent in her presence because they won't feel safe to do so. I had an emotionally distant mother, she wasn't an Alice but she never allowed me to be me. It creates a person who learns to deceive, to hide, to lack confidence. I genuinely fear for the well-being of the girls. Apologies for waffling on and the over use of fruit analogies. It's been a very long working day, and silence or not, Alice still really irks me.
For what it’s worth, your post made me (and many others) laugh, and I hope you’re at least happy that you garnered smiles. Please don’t worry about it, she could steal anything from literally ANY of us.
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for your new hearing aid and mobility award and may they both happen sooner rather than later 
