9 days before Christmas

It is 9 days before Christmas and my bloggy friend, Jojo's blog made me think of this special memory of my mother and my childhood.

When I was very small, I must have been early elementary at the time because I firmly that my dad was still here, one day after school, I came home with my younger and older brothers and our house was all lit up.  Someone had brought out the trees (we had two, 1 in the living room and the other in our indoor patio) and decorated the living room one.  Lights were up outside along the roof of the house and the trees.  Down in the indoor patio were the decorations all laid out for us to decorate the tree with hangers on them.  Our family room was fully decorated too.  Decorations were in the windows in the living room and dining room too.  Pretty much everywhere downstairs that could be decorated, was.  We asked Momma who did them and she sat us down.  She said that Santa thought we were very good children and sent his elves to decorate while we were in school.  The funny thing is, we believed her for years on this one!  It wasn't until we were in upper elementary that we learned momma did that.  Well one year my brother, Andrew and I decided to be the elves for Mom.  I don't remember if Richard was there or not, it was too long ago.  I remember Andrew and I decorating the big tree downstairs and leaving Mom to do "her" tree with ornaments complete with their hangers ready to go.  We put the decorations in the windows and started the family room.  Mom came home before we finished but she was really happy with what we had done.  Later that night we hung the outdoor lights.  I had never seen her hang them herself before and I had an unnatural fear of Mom on a ladder.  I, for some reason, always melted down when she was on a ladder.  I had a fear that she would fall and it would be a bad fall.  Eventually, she sent me inside to make some hot chocolate because I wouldn't stop crying.  She told me she wouldn't fall off the ladder because she wouldn't be so high, but still, I just clung to her and cry.  Mom and Andrew finished hanging the lights with me inside so I wouldn't have to see it and I thought she wouldn't get on the ladder.  After that year, she always did the lights when I wasn't around.  i think I was about 13 to 14 before I could handle her on a ladder.  I have never seen anyone fall off a ladder in person, just on TV in movies and shows but I was terrified of Mom on a ladder.  It didn't matter if it was inside or outside.  I have only seen her on the roof once and it sent me in the house in tears.  Anyways, I digress!  Mom really loved the Christmas Season and really made the most of it.  That is what I am thinking of this season.  Yes, there is a bit of sadness as she is in Heaven, but with Christmas and why we celebrate it, it is hard to be sad all the time.

Another thing Mom would do when we were small (this was after my dad was gone).  She would get a birthday cake with "happy birthday, Jesus" on it.  This wasn't done every year, but every few Christmas she would do this.  When I was in junior high, we started setting the table and adding a place setting for Jesus to join us.  I had read about this tradition and that it was so cool, that we did it a few years.  Remembering some of the traditions and things we used to do makes me smile and in a year where there were very few smiles, I need to focus on them, not the sad times.

After Acer and Calli's lessons, Bill brought KFC for dinner so the 5 of us sat down for dinner.  It was yummy.  Bill also took about 12 or so boxes of books that Julie and I put together and he is taking them to his library for donation.  He works at a library so he is the perfect person to take them too.  I have enjoyed them and now someone else can too.  It was really cute, Acer informed me where his seat is at the table and he was right!  It is where he sits every time we eat together.  Bill sits opposite from me, Acer on my right with Heather next to him and Calli is on my left.  She is such a good kid, both of them really.  I simply adore them both, then again, I have great kids for students and I adore them too.  Some are more cuddly than others, but all of them are awesome.  Three of my lovelies will be here tomorrow to help me decorate.  I will take pictures and post them.  Hannah, Natalie, and Lydia are wonderful girls. They only can have lessons once a month and I am thankful that they can have them at all.  I am not sure if Sarah, their little sister, will be coming or not.  I will find out after Camille's lesson tomorrow!  I have Brianne in the morning and then Camille in the afternoon with the girls after that.

It is has been a decent day and I am hopeful that yours was good too.