Christmas Calendar

I have no memory of a Christmas without the Christmas Countdown Calendar that my Mom made back in the 70's, so this tradition must have begun around the time I was four. 1974 or so.

So..... Once upon a time, in 1974 my Mom made a calendar for her three sweet little children to use to count down the days until Christmas.  Twenty four is divisible by three, so we each had the same number of days.  That should have curtailed any fighting............. should have.

I'm sure the first year or so went alright, but then we got a little older, and if you wanted to put the star on you had to be in the third position.  That's where the fighting began.

Also, if  you forgot in the morning, some little bugger would put it on before you remembered.  So the fighting continued.

Then David came along.  Thankfully 24 is also divisible by 4.  However, now you had to figure out what the best position would be to get the coveted "star" turn.  Also, for a good two years someone had to help Davy with his turn, which in reality got you another turn, and the battle raged on.

I don't know how old I was when I caught my Mother tossing out some Christmas things, this calendar included.  I had some choice words for her, and snagged the lot of it.  For the last twenty years or so it has lived with me, in four separate homes.  I put it up every year, and the turns have been mine.  ALL MINE.  Well, I do share it with the Goovers when they are around, and don't you know there was a fight?  First it was who got to go first, then someone who had the first turn, took the second turn too.

The set has lost three pieces over the years, If I had felting skills I would fix that.  Oh well, at least it didn't end up in the trash.  Some day I will pass it down to one of the kids.  Although let me tell you, I will be watching to see if it's going to go to a home that will cherish and  take care of it.

My Aunt Pat has a very similar tree, made for her by her cousin Nancy.  I guess the big fight in their house was whose stocking was closer to the top of the tree.  I couldn't resist taking this picture when I stopped to visit with Auntie Pat one afternoon, and posting it on Jill's facebook page.  ;)

The best part about having this calendar, you know besides the part where every turn is MINE, is the memories that it brings of Christmas when I was a child.  I swear that each time I'm putting on an ornament I am not in my own home, but standing by the back door in my folks kitchen, the place where it hung every year.  I can see so very clearly the other Christmas decorations, hear my siblings getting ready for school, and smell the breakfast my Dad so lovingly created. (oh Lord, that just brought back the soft boiled egg horrors.)  We'll just focus on frozen waffles......

We are down to one more sleep til Christmas, so after breakfast this morning I put the star on top. I will enjoy the fully decorated tree for another week, and then back in the closet it goes until next year.  Oh the things it has seen, and the memories it holds after some 40 years.  I'm not heading down that rabbit hole, or I will need a box of Kleenex.  I think it's about time to crack into the apple cider and make up some boozy drinks for our traditional Christmas Eve bonfire.

Merry Christmas everyone!  I wish you the holiday of your choosing, and I hope that you all have a very blessed New Year.

Teacher Joanie

As you can tell, if you follow my blog, I haven't been writing a lot this past year.  Unfortunately it seems that it has been one of those years (or seasons) of "just get through it".  I toss it on auto pilot and keep moving forward.

When these periods enter my life, it usually takes something big to move me out of it, and that is just what has happened.  I'm excited, and happy to announce that I am no longer "receptionist" Joanie, that I have returned to being "teacher" Joanie!

It has always been in my long range plan to go back to working with children.  It's not what I do, it is who I am, down to my very core.  Period.  The how, and what, were the question.  I still had some debt things I wanted to work on, but suddenly that couldn't matter anymore.  A person has her limits, and I have gone above and beyond mine.

The Brown Eyed Man was a little nervous, then extremely impressed when I cast my line and popped up with a job immediately.  He didn't understand two things:

1. I am Teacher Joanie.
2. Childcare is ALWAYS hiring.

It was just a matter of where I wanted to cast that line.

Of course I know a lot of folks in this field, I know people I like, people I don't, centers that are alright, and centers I would never put a child in, let alone work for.  Of all of the above, I felt like I had three real options. (on my part anyway, like I said child care is always hiring)  I decided to give Superior Children's Center the first shot.  Anna is there, and Anna and I have worked together MANY times over the years.  Shes seemed to like it, and when I asked her if it was an o.k. place she thought that I would like it.  She knows me well, so she knows if I would fit.

I also have worked with the director before, in a different capacity, so she knows "teacher" Joanie. When we spoke on the phone she seemed excited to hear from me, so I went right in and got an application.  I can't tell you the depth of what I felt when I walked into the Preschool classroom, and immediately a child I have never seen before attached himself to my leg. Then the assistant director introduced herself, saying "You don't know me, but I know who you are, and you need to come and work here!" I asked if I could fill out the application right there, and I sat down at the little table, in the small blue chair, and I knew I was home.  Plain and simple.

I started work this past Monday, and it feels so good to be ME again!  There are no other words for it.

As God (and all of you) as my witness, I will NEVER make a money motivated decision again,  Life is too short.  My Dad used a phrase when we were growing up, that irritated me to no end "When the wolf is at the door.........." (insert whatever it is that you will have to do)   I lived my entire life, up until the age of 42, proving him wrong.  The wolf has never been far from my door, but I just got tired of him being around all the time, so I caved.  I took the opportunity to shut him up, and gave away who I am in the process.

I love you Dad, but you were wrong.  Maybe that's what you felt you had to do, and realizing that clears up a few things for me.  Maybe it's what I felt I had to do at the time, but it was the wrong choice.

I have been very blessed in this life, to have enough. (no matter the situation) I am proud to say that I have never taken a hand out, even when I could have, and I always pay my own way, There have been times where I have given away the last I had to help someone, because I knew that I would be o.k.  I have an amazing, supportive family and circle of friends, including the Brown Eyed Man who is everything to me.  There has always been a roof over my head, and food to eat.

What more does anyone need?

Tater is TEN!

Well, it has finally happened.  Our baby is TEN!  All of the kids are in double digits now. :(

Got Cheerios?

We had a sleepover a couple of weeks back, but it wasn't a birthday sleepover, so we will have to have one before the school year starts!  It was hot out, so a lot of time was spent inside playing UNO, and we watched the Wizard Of Oz, because I finally got a turn to pick!  When we were outside in the cooler evening air, I taught the Goovers how to play jarts.  Once they got the hang of it, we chose teams (of course Tater went with The Brown Eyed Uncle) and it was ON.  Hannah and I lost, but just by a few points.  The impromptu victory dance that Tater and her Uncle created was epic.  I am sorry that I didn't get it on film, but I (and probably Hannah) will never forget it! :)

Concentration!

Tater was also in "The Little Mermaid Jr." a musical that the school district puts on through the summer school program.  She absolutely loved it, and was a Mermaid in the chorus.  We all had a great time at the performances, even though there is NO air conditioning in the auditorium.

Mermaid

Tater is also a real life mermaid!  She has spent half of this summer in the water.  Here's a pic of her swimming in Lake Ruth, at the same cabin we used to swim at as children.  She was one of the first in, and the absolute last out.  Everyone was packing up to leave and there she was, floating around.  It was the first opportunity I have ever had to swim with the Goovers!  Good times!

Mermaid

Happy birthday to our spitfire!  Even if I have to take the back seat to your "authentic", "cool", Uncle these days, I still love you with all of my heart!  (but I'm not buying you a pony..... lol)

XXOO  Aunt Joanie

May the Jarts Be With You

Growing up I loved to play Jarts, and I can not tell you how many hot summer afternoons Vicki and I  wasted away tossing spikes with plastic feathers into little yellow circles, for points, in her yard. Crank up the boom box with 80's tunes, and we were set.  Dangerous? I suppose so.  You can't buy the old kind in the stores anymore.  Some dumb bunnies probably took one to the head.  Worst thing that ever happened when we were playing was one stuck in the garage siding. (No Ma, it wasn't me.)

Jarts anyone?

I wanted to get a croquet set for our yard, but I'm going to have to order it online, because the local stores don't carry them on hand.  A few weeks ago Menards had a set in their Sunday ad, so I ran off gleefully to buy it.  Nope. Nothing. Nada.  BUT!  They had a set of lawn darts.  Hmmmm.... I wanted something to play with the kids, so I purchased a set.

This is what the new version look like.  Cheap plastic with a bean bag in the end.  No, they don't come with the nifty black stripe, that is electrical tape.  Every time one landed it burst apart. (eye roll)  Instead of taking them back (since we wanted to play) The Brown Eyed Man fixed them.

I came up with the idea of having a summer challenge, and the winner has to buy the loser Shamrock Pizza the Friday after Labor Day.  We had to discuss the rules, terms. etc. before we began.  There was a lot of discussing.  Then rules were modified (not by me) as we began the first game.  Then rules were changed back (that time it was me) during the second game.  So far we are 2-2.

These new "darts"are really a pain. They don't "stick" when you throw them, like the old kind.  They bounce all over creation.  You have to figure out where to bounce it to land it in, or near, the circle.  I was going to ask The Brown Eyed Man to just built us some real Jarts, but I can't.  (see pic on the left) The dang dog wont stay off the course.  He just lays wherever, and comes right up to us when we're throwing.  It is fun to be outside playing a game though.

Looking forward to the Goover Sleepover this weekend, time to teach the Goovs about lawn darts!  Oh, and there will be s'mores!  I believe I have hidden the chocolate well enough that it will make it that far. (If I don't get into it.........)

Love Mama (Happy Bday Cece!)

Instead of writing a blog (Yes, I know that I have been seriously remiss lately.) I am just going to share something that happened with Cierra last week, in her Mother's own words.

" I was sitting on a bench that I have out there and CeCe came up to me and gave me a big hug, when she was patting my back she said Love, I wasn't sure if that is what she said or not, so I said Mama loves you too Sugar and then she gave me another big hug and said Love Mama. Ok, anyone who knows me knows that my eyes immediately started tearing up when it happened just as they are as I am writing this now. Many people tell me that CeCe is so blessed to have me as her Mom, my friends this is not the truth at all. I am so blessed to have my precious baby girl, she honestly has made my life complete, she has brought so much happiness and joy to my life from the time we brought her home when she was 9 weeks old, believe it or not, she will be 10 years old one week from today. She took me and Tom Dorin from being a happily married couple to being a happy family!!! We are so proud of her for everything that she has learned how to do!!! God Bless!!!" 

CeCe has a hard time verbalizing things, although she is pretty good at communicating her wants and needs to those around her.  That was the first time in TEN years that my sister heard her child tell her that she loves her.  We all know that Cemonster loves her Mama, Papa, and family.  It's very obvious to anyone.  She just has never been able to say it, until now.  

I spent some time playing with CeCe last night, and while she was bossing me around I asked her if she could say "love".  "LOVE" same back clear as a bell.  I went to hug her and I said "I love you CeCe!" She gave me a dirty look, and made me play our patty cake game.  BUTT!  It's o.k. I know she loves me.  That was just payback for me getting to see a lot of the "first" things she did, instead of her mother.

Happy 10th birthday Cierra Ruthmarie!  Where has the time gone?!  I LOVE YOU, BUTT!smile emoticon