My Junie B Experience: Learning to Lighten Up

I'll admit that as a parent I've become a bit of a slacker with the third child.  Blame it on years of parenting experience, reality or age.  I allow her to "do" things that I never allowed her elder siblings to do. Now I'm not talking here about big things or dangerous things nor have I slacked off on moral or value issues.  I'm still tough as nails on TV, movies, clothing etc.

I've given in on Junie B Jones.  Miss M was never allowed to read those books.  The grammar it is atrocious!  A few years back you would have thought that I was evil mother for not allowing Miss M to get all the books she circled in the Scholastic Book Order.  We read real fiction books. Classics.  Little House, Maddie Books, Beverly Clearly and the like where the grammar was real, the kids were cleaver but not sassy, and the overriding theme was wholesome.

The problem is that Junie B Jones books are just the perfect length for Miss A to read on her own and she loves them. A few months ago, Miss A and I read out loud the Junie B Jones book Handsome Warren and lets just say everyone else in the house wondered what was so funny.  Miss A and I were laughing so loud as we laid on her bed.  Miss M ran up the stairs to see if everything was alright.

Now I'll admit when I read out loud the JBJ books, I correct the grammar. I read the "right words" when there are words that Junie makes up.  We use the sassy attitude and sometimes the mean spirit that Junie has towards her friends/parents as teaching moments.  Miss A lives in the real world and she knows how kids can be, so she's not learning anything new.  We realize that Junie B often does things that aren't the best, that she tricks others, or laughs at them behind their backs. 

Which leads me to the final thing we did on Thanksgiving Break; Miss A and a I and a bunch of her friends went to see the play Junie B Jones Jingle Bells Batman Smells.  We had a great time. The actress who played Junie B was hilarious and the girls all had a great time laughing at the antics of Junie B.

Of course, we've now read the Jingle Bell Batman Smells book and laughed again.  But my favorite of all times is seeing that, by reading these silly books, Miss A is even more interested in reading the books that I love so much.  Having the joy of reading sparked by these books has been worth giving up the rules just a little.

I'm thinking that Miss A will find a stack of classic children's literature under the Christmas tree this year to keep that spark alive!

Tree Lighting, Santa Visit and Almost Famous....

Our Friday of Thanksgiving Tradition never goes out of style.  Seeing a huge Christmas Tree lit up for the first time just gets you in the mood for Christmas.  The sparkle of the lights and the big wide eyes of my children gets me every time.  Watching Mr. J experience this event for the first time made it even more special.  The wonder and joy.

The boys were thrilled to find that their school was actually part of a big map of the city in the train station.  Small world.  There were cookies to decorate or more accurately overdose with sugar and frosting with a dose of chocolate milk to wash it all down.  Ymmmm

Bestemor and Bestefar found us a fabulous spot to see the big event, and we were thrilled to be the scouts.  My only complaint while I held our place in the Santa line was that I had left my book at home.  It was a long line and I'm not one for waiting patiently unless I have something to read!  I might just have to learn how to use P's Nook so I can "take it with me anywhere."

Mr C's only request was that we not take pictures of him on Santa's lap.  He planned on asking Santa for a laptop and all rights to the photos.  Mr J on the other hand asked for a Ferrari.  Amazingly, at the same time C asked for no photos, a camera crew showed up from a local TV station and started filming Santa.  When I told them that Mr J was from South Korea and this was his first visit to the Train Station (or downtown in anyway), they wanted to interview him.

Sadly, the footage of the interview must have ended up on the cutting room floor.  Thankfully, we have photographic evidence ourselves to prove that we were "almost famous."

We ended the day with a pizza party at the hotel swimming pool room and enjoyed watching the kids "swim off some steam." A perfect start to the Christmas season and a great "new" twist on an old tradition.

Puzzles and Bingo and Turkey Oh My!

Thanksgiving Crew: This fun group of kids, tweens, and teens made for a great day of game playing, football watching, puzzle creating and feast eating.  Our guest Mr J and the cousins' guest Mr D fit into the family perfectly. 

Nana loves to have puzzles ready for us to put together.  This years' selection was a little challenging, but thankfully we brought along a puzzle expert; Mr J .  Miss A had spent a little time helping Nana get ready for the feast and had her Nemo puzzle all finished and ready for us to admire.  Of course, we had to get a picture of this great accomplishment.  I'm not sure Mr J was as convinced he needed to pose for a picture with his 2nd completed puzzle of the day, but I twisted his arm.

The newest addition to the Thanksgiving frivolity was the Bingo Game that Nana had all ready.  Once the kids heard there were prizes involved, they were all in.  I'm thinking a few of these kids must sneak out on Friday nights for Bingo Games at the Catholic Church.  They had some "hot cards" and were winning snacks and candy right and left.

I, of course, was busy knitting away as I have a few Christmas projects I'm working on and that calendar keeps slipping away from me.  It was fun to observe all the hustle and bustle and know that my kids are storing away memories of fun family times.  What a blessing it is to have both sides of the family gathering together once again. 

For my husband, the best gift that this Thanksgiving brought was a victory over A& M.  Too bad the 118 year tradition of these two teams meeting has to end, but he would say at least the Horns pulled out a win.

Thanksgiving: Zoo Trip

By the time Tuesday rolled around, we were all ready for a little break from reality.  It was time to create some new memories and enjoy some holiday traditions.  In other words, Thanksgiving Break was a godsend.

Mr C and Mr J were game for anything over the weekend and Mr J said that sharing a bedroom with just one guy after months of bunking with forty was a treat.  In fact, by the end of the weekend, he might have said that sleeping on our trundle bed was like heaven!

Since our weekend guest had not seen much of our fine city, we decided to try to show him some of the best. First stop was the Zoo. In all honesty, first stop was a Mexican Catana with some of the best tacos in town, but I'm not sure that it constituted the best the city had to offer as it was only tacos.

Mr J told us that his last visit to a zoo was when he was five years old so he was in for a real treat.  The weather was a little chilly; but thankfully most of the animals we wanted to visit were part of inside exhibits.  It can't get any better than walking through a Jungle when its cold outside.  J told us that he was really impressed with the Sand Dunes in the Desert Dome, the orangutan house, and the fact that the Zoo was so large.

It was so much fun to see the Zoo through J's eyes and experience the exhibits and animals for the first time all over again.  It was amazing to watch the lions, tigers and bears with eyes of wonder.  Miss A said that she wishes we could go to the Zoo every week.  She loves the animals and would spend hours just "hanging" around the jungle or climbing on the "apes."  Miss M thought it was so much fun to be the tour guide and show Mr J her favorite spots to watch the monkeys or where her mother always makes the kids take a picture.

We had a fabulous first day of Thanksgiving Break and know that the fun was only beginning.

Balcony Girls: Come On Ring Those Bells!

Bell Ringing Take One.  Our family loves to "Ring Those Bells" during the Christmas season and we already have the date set on our December calendar, but the Balcony Girls really wanted to ring bells too.  Of course on the date we chose, a few were unable to attend, but our small but mighty enthusiastic crew covered two sets of doors at a grocery store on one of the busiest days of the year; the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Did I mention that it was "Free Turkey Day!" It is the day when if you buy a ham you get a free turkey.  Lets just say the crowd was bustling.  During our three hour shift, the girls were enthusiastic, crazy silly, and very festive.  There was singing; Gobble Gobble Turkey Song, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and some form of Turkey Blessings.
 
When another mom showed up to lend support and brought extra kids along, the competition between the two Red Kettles grew intense.  I was just thrilled that all it took to "wind" this crew up was Hot Chocolate and Cookies!  I'm sure the Kettles were getting more action due to the cute factor of these girls.  Charm might be deceiving, but when you use it support a good cause it can't be all that bad can it?

Nothing brings you greater joy than giving back and, to see the faces of the balcony girls that afternoon, you could tell they were catching that spirit of giving. 

My takeaway from the day is that next month when I ring bells - I'm wearing my snow boots!  My tootsies were cold even if my heart ands spirit were overflowing with warmth and joy.

Of course it was freezing.  Windy. Cold. 

We Gather Together? It's All the Same.

We are counting down the days until Thanksgiving around these parts. We are beyond excited for our houseguests and have been marking down the days on the kitchen chalkboard.  Not only are we looking forward to Bestemor and Bestefar's arrival for a visit, but this year we will be having a new guest in our home.  Mr C is bringing home a classmate from Korea for the long weekend.

I'm not sure that Jin Seo has any idea what he's getting himself into.  As Mr C told him when he found out that he was an only child; "I'm sorry I have two sisters, hope you survive."  In reality, we can hardly wait not only to have Jin Seo share in our Thanksgiving traditions, but to get a glimpse into a different culture for a few days.  As Miss M pointed out, we already have the German, English and Norwegian traditions at Thanksgiving, now we'll get a little Korean on the side.

Today, when I needed a little encouragement in the midst of a trying week, I had posted on the bulletin a little verse along with the countdown.  I love the song "We Gather Together" and had written the following "We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing; 7 Days."

A little while ago, I noticed that Miss A had decided to write her own message (above) her only change "I switched Lord to God, its easier to write."  I love how she taken the liberty of changing "ask the Lord's Blessing" to "celebrate God's blessings."  Her version is right; we are celebrating the blessings He's already given us. 

She's also chosen to take a day of the countdown, it's day six now in her mind.  Gotta love her enthusiasm.

Bringing Home the Trophy: Dance Season Begins

On Saturday, Miss M's Dance Team won 1st Place at their first competition of the year.  M was thrilled to have returned to the world of competitive dance. I was happy for M and pleased that while I still cringed at many of the dances, costumes and suggestive moves, Miss M's studio did not "play that way."  Thank you Miss K and Miss A for again showing that it is all about the dance technique and choreography and not about shaking your booty on the dance floor.

Miss M was out of bed early on Saturday morning.  She was unable to sleep because she was so excited.  This girl loves to dance.  All the time.  She loves hanging out backstage and being with her friends, practicing and practicing, and being part of the team.  There is no doubt when you see this girl's face light up on the stage that she belongs there.

I'll admit that I am far from a Dance Mom.  In fact, while I enjoy watching M and her studio dance a lot of the time, I was busy knitting away.  I texted my husband a few times that I was shocked with the dance moves, the costumes, and the music selections of some of the dance teams.  No sixteen year old girl should be on the stage in Lingerie "dancing" to the song Life of the Party. I averted my eyes and thanked God that M was backstage and Mr C and my husband were at home. 

The funny thing is that Miss M and her friends saw some of the costumes and were amazed at how little material was involved in the making. 

I could go on and on about this part of competitive dance which is the part I despise, but this post is about Miss M and I how proud I am of her and her team.  They danced their hearts out and they loved every minute of it. So did this Mom.

Oh, and trust me Miss M was told to "wash that gunk of your face the minute you get home, you are 11 years old and there is no need for makeup."  Then we went with Miss A and Dad to see the movie Puss and Boots. You are only a kid once and I like to keep that way!