Friday, December 26, 2008

Coffee with cream

I am sitting here in the livingroom trying to decide what I want and / or need to do today. I picked up the house, I STILL have a few wedding things to put away. I have some paperwork that I could catch up on.   I have thought I might re-work my lesson plans for the next few weeks .  So much to do and so little motivation to really do any of it.   I WILL get the will to do these thing before school starts . I am taking 9 hours next semester ( crazy, I know) and I dont want start already trying to play catch up!

While the house is still quiet , I want to reflect on a few of my favorite Christmas memories.

1.  Watching Addam walk Danielle down the aisle at her wedding.
2.  Watching Geneviette be a flower girl.. one petal at a time!
3.   Listening to Danielle laugh when she realized I had given her SPANISH monopoly .
4.  Watching Addams face as he opened the black and white picture of him and his dad.
5.  Realizing Geneviette is a shoeaholic.
6.  Playing " Cheap Santa" at my moms and dads.
7.  Taking a 3 hour nap with Randy on Christmas Day. 
8.  The Christmas eve service at church.

Raindrop on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens....
These are a few of my favorite things

Friday, December 19, 2008

The Wedding



I am sitting here trying to sit still... really still. I have a tummy ache. I have taken medicine and so far it hasnt helped. A couple people have suggested that it might be all the junk I ate at the wedding. That would be a great theory if I got to eat anything except a yummy piece of cake. owwwieee.....

The wedding was wonderful. I think it is everything that Danielle wanted and that is the point right.. to please the daughter. I would have loved to heard at least one live song or maybe a little prayer ... Actually, I would have given anything to have a prayer said for their marriage. There was one planned but it got vetoed by my son in law. Not sure why, he just said he had no preference so he preferred to leave it out. Yeah.. that bothers me. The funny thing is , I had secret prayers. Danielle and Justin weren't aware but there were prayers offered all over the building for their marriage. Exactly how does a person say " I prefer that no one pray for me?" At this point all I can do is continue to pray each day that my daughter who I love very much has made the right decision and God is already working to fulfill his plan.


Then there were the kids. The children that were having a hard time were Danielle and Addams little brother and sister. I couldnt help but think of Allen each time I heard them scream. Allen was a wonderful dad when Addam and Danielle were little. I wish he could have been here to see Danielle and hold his two new children that you could tell were confused and hurt.

I was so glad my mom and dad were there to see Danielle get married. There were times this year I wasnt sure if mom would still be here or not. Thank you Lord, for another blessing.

The house is still filled with boxes of stuff. I am not going to be in a hurry to get it all put away. As a matter of fact, I wont be in a hurry to do anything for a few days.

Except - run to the restroom..........

I actually could have done without this little complication today!

Miles put a picture of Danielle on his home page. www.mileswittboyer.com
I am sure they will all be beautiful!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

All Aboard the Wedding Train




Today is Polar Express Day at Preschool. This is Randy punching each child's ticket as we board the train. The kids LOVE this day. I do too ! Once a year, I get the opportunity to wear my PJ's all day at work and this is it. Everyone wears their PJ's and we watch the movie and do activities all day that go along with it. Like making reindeer ornaments when the train finds the carabou or ice skating on wax paper when the train hits the ice. And of course, their favorite activity is when Randy delivers their hot chocolate singing HOT HOT HOT HOT chocolate.




While we were having all this fun today....I was pressed back into the present
chaos of my life.








35 Calla Lilies and over 100 roses were delivered to the front door for the wedding. ... They are beautiful. It is hard to believe that the wedding is only 2 days away. 2 days. I better get busy.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful but the fire is so delightful
And since we have so much to do....
Let it snow , let it snow, let it snow!

Ok, I was one of those people that prayed for snow last night.  Danielle's wedding is Thursday and I need another day to get ready.  Just one extra day that I can spend doing little things that need to be done.    The phone rang at 5:30. It was my dad calling to say school was out.   I went back to bed and had the coolest dream.  You know those little exercise things that have wheels and you kneel and put your hands on the handles and go in and out to exercise your tummy?  I dreamed that I went upstairs and woke up Danielle and she and I got on that thing and rode down the alley saying " Wow...  I can't believe we have the day off ! Look, there's ice. Look Cindy's car  is gone,  Look...." I am not sure what the dream means but I am sure there is a significance!  

So today, I will make sure the house is spotless so I can put that stress to rest.
I will pick up the monogrammed robes for the bridesmaids. I will go through my list and check it twice of the small things that still need to be done.  I will get the foyer ready for the dozens of calla lilly's and roses that HOPEFULLY will still slide into town.  

Sometime today, I want to just sit down with Addam and Danielle at the table and play a game and drink hot cocoa.

Thank you Lord for my extra day.  I know somehow you knew I was about to be the mom sitting in the corner thumbing my lips and humming a song that no one knows...  

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Funny....

Thanks for sharing Dana

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid3130509001

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Christmas Open House

 Today I was invited to hang out with an elite group of women.  Actually , I was asked a long tome ago, but today was the " event"  . Four of us after church loaded into Dana's car to head out for a fantastical journey of Christmas Open Houses in the Springdale, Fayetteville and Rogers area.  They all had to wait on me as I got stuck in the hallway with people trying to get my autograph after our annual Christmas Cantada.  Ok... that wasnt really true, I   was just talking but it sets the tone for this blog.  Some of it might be true... much of it and some may not. I thought about changing the names to protect the innocent but decided "what the heck " they all know I blog and we laughed all day about me blogging their funny moments. So here we go....

It  started out quite wonderful. Dana, being the perfect hostess had packed drinks and gourmet sandwiches  and sun chips for our enjoyment  as we raced to the first home in Harbor Meadows. Now.... I will be the first to say that I was a little leary leaving in Dana's car after she hijacked it from the shop BEFORE the repairs we made, but we made it ok.  It actually was a very nice riding car.  Dana is a little challenged when it comes to backing up but she always braved tight spots and parking conditions to get us as close to the front door as we could get.   Her car has a little dinger on it that warns her when she is getting too close to something as she backs. ( I think that is a result of  a few close encounters with cars. )  It goes ding ... ding....   She also has one that lets her know when she is pulling in to  far. It sounds a LOT like bumper rubbing on pavement....

The houses we saw were spectacular. The first home was my favorite. It kinda looked like Dr Suess resided there.  I LOVED IT!

Then there was the one home that was French Country.  That home was Dana's favorite.  It was a long walk to it and Dana complained a little as we trudged  down a long side walk to the humongous house.  Her feet were hurting.  In most of the houses you had to either take your shoes off or wear booties.  This is where Dana's problem started. She eyed  some pink ugg clogs that were lined with fuzzy stuff  .   The house was beautiful . This house had a bunk room for the grandkids.  I think there were 8 bunk beds built into the walls.   They also had a huge telescope on the 3rd level, a coy pond .... it was ... wow.   As the lady walked away in the pink uggs , Dana coveted her shoes.  A couple houses later as we left the same pink ugg shoes were on the steps as we entered. Dana was so smitten with the pink shoes that she started walking to the car with her cutesy blue surgery scrubb footies.  It was really a cute site. Almost as cute has when she left her..... in  her..... laptop.  ( sorry for the coded talk, but although funny ,that is her story to tell if she so chooses. ) 

Then there is Brenda.  After she washed her hands at the drink fountain in McDonalds we headed out to a home in Rogers.  We actually knew some of the people kin to the owners of this home and I  was showing the girls a picture. Brenda says.. I really cant see that well, do you think it would be bad to pick it up - as she had it in her hand. Within seconds of her putting it down the little Junior League volunteer walks toward her and says MAM..... as the three of us start to walk away and leave our friend hanging in the wind to face the sin of picking up the home owners private posession --- and Brenda slowly turned about to try to explain why she had felt the need to pick up the picture and how sorry she was.... the little girl says... can I ask you to take your shoes off?  OH.... the shoes? Not the picture?????  As we laughed and Brenda took off her shoes we enjoyed seeing the rest of the house.

We saw condos in Fayetteville near Dickson street and  condos on the square.  We saw houses that four or five kitchens. I am thinking, I cant keep ONE kitchen clean, how do they keep up with FIVE??   

The story wouldnt be complete without telling what Jeannie did to entertain us for the day.   First , she had us stop to get her a drink!  A DRINK! The pastors wife... can you believe that?  ( SHOULD you believe that?)  Then,  she insisted that our friend Dana park in a {No parking from here to corner} area.   

It really was a fun day.  We did a lot of talking and laughing and enjoying each other. I havent had a girls day in a long time and I needed it.   I cant think of a better way to have spent today than hanging out with these girls. Thanks yall , I had a blast!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Seven Random Facts About Me- I've Been Tagged

Kiri over at Elbows, Knees and Dreams tagged me, so here goes:

1.   I have never really like PIZZA!  Not American, I know.
2.   I met my husband at a casino, and I dont gamble.
3.  I am a magazine junkie!
4.  If I had to be in any other profession rather than Early Childhood, I would LOVE to be a waitress. Crazy, I know.. I would get to talk to people all day!
5.  I love 80's chick flicks!
6.  Most of my house is organized and clean but my bedroom stays a PIG STY!
7.  I hate my living room furniture but cant get rid of it - it is my deceased mother in laws
I am tagging:
Julie at The Kelly Family 

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people (if possible) at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

How should I feel?

On Monday, Danielle and Addams dad passed away. Allen and I were married for 16 years. He was the boy next door - the one that we played with all the time. We would run from one swimming pool to the next. Allen and my brother always picked on me and dunked me under the water. I would tattle tale... the rest as they say is history.

Allen was my first true love. He was a lot of my first. He was also my first huge heart break. When our marriage ended , I thought I would die. For weeks I couldnt sing in church, it hurt too bad. I have never had bad feelings against Allen for the way our life turned out. Not quite the fairy tale I had imagined or planned... at least not planned by me.

When I got the call that Allen was dead my initial reaction was pain for Addam and Danielle. Yeah, they are grown now but no matter how old you are it still hurts to lose your mom or dad. Here in the middle of the Christmas season and planning Danielle's wedding --- so much to think about.

The shock for the kids has eased and suits have been bought ...
Flowers have been ordered and schedules tightened a little.

How am I suppose to feel?

Like an idiot, I even googled ( exhusbands funeral) to see if anyone brighter than myself had any insight. No.... It is like a huge elephant in the room. Randy has been very supportive and understanding of my emotional rollercoaster right now. He has given me the time with Addam and Danielle that I need.

But seriously, how am I supposed to feel?

There is part of me that feels vindicated like... see, I did the right thing when I left. He did have a problem. There is another part of my that just yearns to see the "well Allen" that was such a great dad when the kids were smaller and that loved me unconditionally. There is part of me that is angry that our children have to hurt again. Couldnt he just get better? There is the servant part of me that wants to reach out and help his new wife ( Debbie also ) with her grief and guilt. She has no reason to feel guitly.. but I hear it in her voice. Then.. I am just sad.

Seriously.. how am I supposed to feel?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Thoughts to Ponder this morning

This time of year in a preschool  classroom are always tough for me.   Here is a scene from yesterday.

Big Bird:   This is December, Santa comes and brings us presents!
Bob The Builder: No, Santa isnt real.
Big Bird: Yes, he is .  I saw him.
Bod The Builder:  No he isnt. My mom says he isnt real.

Big Bird: Ms Debbie, Bob the Builder said Santa is real..isnt he?

I absolutely hate this.  We did have fun with Santa in my house  when the kids were little but brought the focus always back to the real reason we celebrate.  I think there is a way to both.

Some may say:  Well, that is a lie  and we teach not to lie.

It is also a lie when a child asks you to play a game and as a mom you say---- " Just a minute" knowing it will be a while if ever.. before you do it.   

My job is to protect the safety ( physical and emotional) of all children in my care.   It is my job also to respect the way a family has chosen to raise their children.  

Is there a good way to say both are right?  Is there a way to make Big Bird  feel like his mommy is right ( and in fact she really is)   and not crush the spirit of imagination that many families over generations have fostered?  I tell fairy tales all the time because they generally teach you something.  When Pinocchio would tell a lie, his nose would grow.  The kids all know in real life that doesnt happen, but it makes them " think".   I don't have to say - he isnt real.

During circle time today we did a Venn Diagram... What you know chart -  In the middle I wrote Christmas .  I asked the children to tell me what they know. We went on for quite a while but not one told me it was Jesus birthday.  I expected it atleast from Big Bird. Finally I said, who's birthday is it this month.  Two of the children that have birthdays this month proudly said " ME!"  Then I talked about Jesus birth.  

I am very confused ( every year ) on how to deal with this issue.  I guess you could say I am a fence straggler.  I wish I could profoundly be both ways but there is not denying that Santa is not real and to say he is is a lie.  But I also love the magic that Santa brings at Christmas and enjoyed  it with my own children and would never take that away from another family.

Does that make us less Christian than folks that don't celebrate Santa?

During all our discussion yesterday one little girl got so confused. She said " Ms Debbie , when Jesus comes at Christmas, I am going to teach him Spanish."  :)

Usually at the end of a blog I feel relieved or even work my own little problem out. I dont feel that today - still confusion.   

I guess I better get up and get ready, my 16 little elves will be coming in shortly and I will have to be on my toes to keep on top of this one today!