So...I broke my "No Christmas before Thanksgiving" rule this year. I went and bought a tree (okay...two trees) (okay...three trees). But in my defense, the third tree is just a little 4-footer for the game room upstairs. (And they were all on sale.) (And we have a bigger house that has more room for more Christmas joy.) But anyway, I bought trees, and I got so excited that I just had to get them decorated. But I refused to listen to Christmas music. Afterall, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, and I had to draw the line somewhere. Plus, I still have my fall decorations out, so I didn't really break my rule all that badly.
But it was in all of the excitement of decorating these trees that all of the bittersweetness came out.
First, the tree on the right. This one is a totally new addition to our family, and as such is mostly sweet. He lives in our entry way/front room/mud room. He is an omage to the first Christmas tree that Kevin and I ever had. That tree was smaller and less decorated, but no less special. For some reason, he wanted that tree to be blue and white/silver. Maybe it was his love of the Dallas Cowboys, maybe it wasn't. And even though it went against every "Christmas is red and green" fiber in my being, that's what we got. And it was a perfect first tree. It only lasted 3 years before I traded it in for a real tree in our first real house and a color scheme that suited my idea of Christmas, since he didn't really care anyway. But that's what this guy represents: Our sweet beginnings, made even sweeter by the fact that Hannah and I sang and danced to everything from AC/DC and Taylor Swift to Macklemore and George Straight while decorating it. It is now our Winter Tree, and it will be surrounded by snowmen, snowflakes, and other wintery delights. AFTER we get back from Thanksgiving.
Now, the tree on the left. While the tree itself is new (and artificial), the theme is the one I have stuck with since that first real tree in our first real house: red, white, and silver...and semi-homemade (and on a green tree to fulfill my "Christmas is red and green" requirements). And I think it is magical. I can't look at it without smiling...and occasionally getting teary eyed. Thus, the title of bittersweet. Hannah and Mason both helped me decorate this tree. We made quick work of the store-bought ornaments (going biggest to smallest to make sure they were evenly distributed), and when those were on it was a very pretty tree. But then the fun began as we got started with hanging memories, which turned it from a very pretty tree to a spectacularly beautiful and magical tree (at least in our eyes). These ornaments, we lingered over. We reminisced, and we laughed. We talked about (and oohed and aahed over) the ornaments we used to make and give out as gifts.
That is just a small sampling above. And we talked about how fun that used to be, but how their little fingerprints aren't so little anymore (sniff sniff), and how they've moved on to making their own crafts now:
Then we shared precious memories while hanging ornaments they made at school over the years (which they don't do anymore, either).
We talked about other ornaments, trying to remember who gave them to us: grandma and grandpa, former sweet students of mine, fabulous teacher friends, and Santa. Mason giggled uncomfortably as Santa was mentioned, and he came clean about not believing anymore. He has suspected since last year, no one ruined it for him or gave anything away, he just kind of realized, and he was OK with it. (NOWHERE NEARLY as heartbreakingly devastating as it was when I crushed Hannah with the truth 3 short years ago, but I still got teary-eyed and we hugged each other as we silently said goodbye to a little bit of innocence and hello to a little bit more maturity).
Hannah helped me hang my personal ornaments: detailed cross-stitched ones that my mom and her sisters made, plastic canvas ones I would help my mom make when I was a kid, and salt dough ornaments that were made for me when I was too young to be of any help.
As we hung them, my heart smiled. And just as I was about to gripe (only a little) at Hannah for not spreading them out, she says, "Just wait. Look! You two go together at the top, and then Mason and I can go together underneath. A happy little ornament family!" And my heart smiled a little bit more.
So, here's to childhood memories (my own as well as Hannah's and Mason's). Here's to growing up. And here's to the most perfect Prickett Family Christmas Tree yet.
If you weren't singing that song immediately upon reading the title of my post, I'm sure you are now. And you'll probably be lying in bed with it running through your mind..it sticks with you.
Anyhoo...in honor of Labor Day yesterday, this post is dedicated to just that. Work. I have been working full-time (really, more than full-time) since I was 17. Sure, I was not as young as some when I got my first job, but I think 17 is a decent age. And if you count babysitting, I've been working since I was 13. But in my 18 years of full-time employment, I've only had 3 jobs. It sure is easy to complain about work, and I've certainly done my fair share. But when I reflect on those jobs, I am ETERNALLY grateful. They have given me some of the best people and therefore some of the best moments in my life!
Job #1 = Pizza Hut: August 1998-January 2001
I was 17 and a senior in High School. I had been turning in applications all summer long (Albertson's, McDonald's, Sears, Golden Corral, etc.) with no luck. Then finally, one Monday evening after marching band practice I went to turn in my 30th (yes, 30th) application at Pizza Hut on my way home. I was just planning on running in and out to drop it off really quickly, as I was sweaty and gross after practice. But when do things ever go as planned? I go in to turn in my application and the manager on duty was a man named Jamie. He takes the application and tells me to go have a seat in a booth. We have a brief interview (more of a conversation, really), and he hired me there on the spot. WHEW! I was stoked! I started a few days later as a CSR (customer service rep, AKA phone girl). I answered those phones like a BOSS and was quickly promoted to waitress. This is where I had the most fun. It was just Pizza Hut, so it wasn't as chaotic as I'm sure being a waitress at a full-service restaurant is, but I still got really good at multitasking. They had a jukebox that I could play the most awesome of songs on (my favorites were Here I Go Again, I Will Survive, and Janet Jackson's IF). I made pretty decent tips, had some "regulars", and even got to flirt a little while I was at it. But most importantly, this is where I met Cakes. I was waiting tables when he came in to interview for a job as a delivery driver. He got the job and we instantly clicked. I thought he was hilarious and maybe a little wild. And while I put him off for a while because I was having so much fun being friends, he wore me down, got me to say yes, and they rest (as they say) is history. So, not only was this a great first job that taught me a lot about dealing with difficult people, time management, and that the harder you work the bigger the payoff is. But it is also the place that set the rest of my life in motion.
Job #2 = US Vision (JC Penney Optical): January 2001-April 2003
I was 19 years old and had just moved to Denton in order to go to UNT. Again, I had turned in many applications with no luck. Luckily Kevin's brother, Joel, happened to know someone who lived here. He talked to her and while they weren't hiring at the JC Penney Optical that she worked at here in Denton, they were hiring at the one 20 minutes down the road in Lewisville. So she (Becky was her name) hooked me up with an interview. And thankfully, I got the job. I was SO glad! Classes were about to start, and I had been running out of options. Well, not long after I started there was a big US Vision meeting that all of the employees needed to go to. There was me and one other guy at the JC Penney location, but there were a couple of other people from the Royal Optical (also owned by US Vision) in the mall that needed to go. We were going to carpool, and this girl named Ashley from the Royal Optical volunteered to drive. I can't pinpoint what it was exactly; maybe it was her no filter/over sharing/honesty/sense of humor, or my quiet/no judgment/good listening/sense of humor, or some perfect combination. But in some opposites attract sort of way, we found something in each other that we each needed, and we've been friends ever since. She was in my wedding. Our boys have been friends since they were babies (yeah, sure maybe it was forced at first, but it's actually really genuine now). Our daughters love hanging out, too (even though they're 10 years apart). So, not only was this a job that taught me how to match people's faces to glasses and put on contacts, but it is also the place that gave us an extension of our family.
Job #3 = Denton ISD: August 2004-Present
I was 23 years old, and I had been applying for and interviewing for jobs all summer long. I was also 3 months pregnant with Mason. School was starting tomorrow, and I still didn't have a job. I was pregnant with baby number two, unemployed, had no prospects in sight, and was panicked. That afternoon, I got a call from a school here in Denton offering me a 2nd grade teaching position. Of course, I accepted, but with school starting the next day I had a whole new kind of panic. They were giving me the first 4 days of the school year to set up my classroom in the former teacher's lounge, and I would be receiving my students the second week of school. It was a baptism by fire, and I had a challenging group, but I had a good team of teachers to help me through it. Towards the end of the year, we found out that some of us teachers would have to be transferred to the the new school that was opening up. And since I was the last one hired, I was the first to go. I was not super excited about it. I had just gotten used to things at this place. I had just set up my classroom, and was not looking forward to having to tear it all down and set it up again someplace else. But at least it was closer to home. This transfer to this place that I was kind of bummed about having to go to turned out to be a huge blessing! This is the place that has helped me (emotionally, prayerfully, and even financially) through my life with Leukemia. This is the place that has given me opportunities: to be patient, to grow, to learn, to improve, to be challenged, to be frustrated, to be meaningful, to care, to both fail and succeed. This is the place that has brought me an amazing group of friends (while only 3 of us are still at the school and none of us teach the same grade anymore) that have given me a plethora of amazing memories: Karen, Tosha, Katie, Kristin, Angela, and Melanie. In the words of Alan on The Hangover: "We're the 3 7 best friends that anybody could have."
So those are the three jobs that I've had. Now, technically, I did spend a few months working part-time at Sylvan, but Since is was just a few months and it wasn't full-time, I didn't feel the need to include it.
I'm going to end the post by talking, briefly, about 2 of Kevin's jobs that have also brought some important people into our lives:
Pizza Hut and Arby's
We've already discussed how Pizza Hut in Abilene brought Cakes and me together, Well, when we moved here to Denton and I was working at JC Penney, Kevin was working at Pizza Hut (first in Lewisville and then in Corinth). It was his time at the Corinth location that brought us Micah. And because of Micah, it brought us Elliott. I cannot even begin to count all of the fun and laughs that these two have given us. Sure, maybe the three of them have caused a bit of trouble here and there, but I guess they're worth it. :) And after Pizza Hut, came Arby's. Arby's brought us Matthew and his family. His family included a boy Mason's age who became a close friend to him and another godson for Cakes and me. We spend every Easter with his family, share birthdays together, and even recently shared a graduation!
So, here's a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of the work that has brought us so many blessings along the way!!
In the seven years since I've had this blog, I've written several other decade related posts. I blogged about Kevin's and my 10 year anniversary. I wrote about Hannah turning 10, and a couple years after that I wrote about Mason turning 10. When I turned 30, I wrote letters to my 20 year-old self and my 40 year-old self (a decade younger and a decade older). I thought about blogging for my 10 year teaching anniversary, but I didn't actually.
This time I'm writing about another decade in my life. A decade of a very serious love/hate relationship with insurance. A decade of developing scarred tissue over the vein in my left elbow. A decade of fatigue and joint aches. A decade of bone pain that can kind of be described as a throbbing toothache in bones I was never concious of even having before. A decade of having random illnesses/conditions that I get to laugh/brag about having.
But it's also been a decade of developing a relationship with a doctor who asks about my parents and siblings that he only met once every time I see him. A decade of incredible friendships with people who have shown their love and loyalty over and over again. A decade of advancements in medicine and medical treatment. A decade of nurses who remember to ask about my kids (both Hannah & Mason and my students) every time I see them. A decade of working at a place with people that care and support like family. A decade of "enough".
10 years ago today I was diagnosed with Leukemia (CML). I've blogged about this day several times, most in-depth here. But that day isn't what this post is about. This post is about TEN YEARS! And although I'm still technically only in partial remission, I have been that way for approximately 7 of those years. So I am both stable and consistent, which is something to be thankful for. And when I think of everything this last decade has brought me, I can't help but smile. 10 years is a wonderful thing!
School of Rock = greatness. Jack Black = greatness. 2016-2017 school year = greatness.
That's right. This weekend is our final weekend of summer. It has been an unusually long and stressful prep week, but I am confident that this is going to be an amazing year. Mason is joining Hannah at the middle school this year, so this will be the first time I haven't had kids in the same building as me in 8 years. It's bitter sweet, but the fact that Mason is so ready is making it a lot easier for me.
And now, seeing as how I am exhausted, I am just going to leave you with some of my favorite "teacher memes". Most of them you've probably seen before, but maybe there's a couple that you haven't. Either way...enjoy.
As I was perusing Pinterest the other day, I cam across something called "Your Life in Just 6 Words". They talk about it being a way to get those who might feel like they can't write to write. You can do it as a journaling activity: come up with a mantra, or a joke, or describe your day in just 6 words. You can even see if you can sum up your life in just 6 words. I mean it's only 6 words...anybody can write 6 words. However, for someone (like me) who tends to be a bit wordy, it can be a bit of a challenge. This article got the idea from Smith Magazine that has a whole website dedicated to the 6 Word Memoirs: http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/ . And apparently they got the idea from a legend that when Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story in only 6 words, he came up with this: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." I mean, wow!
If you google the 6 word idea (which I encourage you to do), or go to the Smith Magazine website (they even have a book and an app), a lot of what you see will be tragic and heartbreaking like the one Ernest Hemingway wrote. Which, while brilliant story-telling, is a bit of a downer. I'm going to try to be more positive with my 6 word post here today.
Here goes nothing:
Some of my favorites that I found online:
* If only my "if only's" happened.
* "Happy girls are the prettiest girls." - Audrey Hepburn
* Happiness is only real when shared.
* "I've made all the best mistakes." - Jessica McKeen-Grabell
* You are entirely up to you.
* "Every problem has a creative solution." - Donna Karan
* Dreams don't work unless you do.
* "It's weird not to be weird." - John Lennon
* Be the good in the world.
* "Think and wonder. Wonder and think." - Dr. Seuss
Some oldies, but goodies:
* "With God, all things are possible." - Matthew 19: 26
* Be careful what you wish for.
* "Nobody puts baby in a corner." - Johnny Castle
* Mistakes are proof you are trying.
* "May the force be with you." - Han Solo
* "You can go your own way." - Fleetwood Mac
* There is no success like failure.
* "Do not be anxious about anything." - Philippians 4:6
Some of my favorite quotes that I turned into 6 word quotes:
* Days without laughter are days wasted. = inspired by Charlie Chaplin
* Loved ones never really leave us. = inspired by Sirius Black (JK Rowling)
* Time you enjoyed wasting wasn't wasted. = inspired by John Lennon
* Our choices show what we are. = inspired by Dumbledore (JK Rowling)
* Believe in laughing, kissing, and miracles. = inspired by Audrey Hepburn
* Loving your family promotes world peace. = inspired by Mother Teresa
* Integrity: what's right over what's easy. = inspired by CS Lewis
...But I'm as good once, as I ever was. Have you heard that song by Toby Keith? Well, if not, here you go:
Even if you're not a fan of country music, you have to admit it's really kind of clever. And kind of true. We may not be able to do all of the things we used to or have the same energy/stamina levels, but we can still be pretty awesome every once in a while.
I would like to think it holds true for my little blog here. Looking back, I used to crank out 3-4, sometimes even 5 posts a month. And most of them were really pretty good. But after a year-long hiatus and a couple few-and-far-between posts, hopefully I've managed to stay just as good as all those others ever were. :)
What are some other areas in life where that might be true?
*Girls' Night Out = Now, this one doesn't really apply to me (I never really went out and partied with girl friends in college, I was too busy hanging out with Cakes). But I think that a lot of ladies probably spent a lot of nights staying out super late, perhaps having a beverage or two...or 4...or more, etc. I know now when I have my grown up girls' nights out that they don't happen very often, but we still know how to have a pretty great time!
*Jumping on a Trampoline/Swinging on a Swing Set = I remember being able to swing for what felt like hours at a time when I was a kid! And now, I can watch my kids jump in the backyard forever. But thanks to sweet Hannah and Mason, jumping and swinging just aren't what they used to be for me. I can count the number of jumps/swings I can do without peeing my pants on 1 hand! But man, those few turns are awesome! :)
*Watching TV Shows = Now, don't get me wrong...we still watch what most people would consider to be too much TV. However, there was a time just a few years ago that Cakes and I watched and DVR'd what seemed like thousands of awesome TV shows. Some of them actually were awesome. So awesome, in fact, that they have made watching other things more challenging, because they just can't compare (ahem, Lost, Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, etc.). But some of them really weren't...we just didn't really have anything better to do. But now we're just so busy with the kids and their sports that we've cut back. And haven't really missed much. :) There are certain shows that we look forward to or will binge-watch, but not a ton that we watch during the week anymore...except for some good family comedies that we watch with the kids. LOTS of family laughs!
*Amusement Parks = We never went very often when I was a kid, but when we did go, I loved everything about it! I was a bit of a weenie when I was younger, but when I went on school trips in High School, I put on my big girl pants and rode the big roller coasters, and I loved everything about it even more! But gradually, as I've gotten older, my love for theme parks has changed a bit: I don't like the crowds, I don't like waiting in the long lines, and I get a bit of motion sickness on the rides. So while I might not be able to ride and ride and ride anymore, I can still pick my top few rides, take some Tylenol, and use the wait time in the lines to recuperate in between (the Titan and Batman rides at Six Flags are still worth it!).
*Remembering Things = Maybe it's just because I wasn't nearly as busy before kids, or even when the kids were younger. Or maybe it's actually because you lose brain cells with every kid you have (and probably a few more for every kid you work with...in which case, I'm in big trouble). But either way, I know that at one point in my life I was able to just remember things and get them done. No big deal. But now, if it's not on a sticky-note on my computer at work, or on a reminder on my phone and/or calendar, it's just not going to happen. Every once in a while I'll remember to do something that I didn't have written down somewhere, and I actually celebrate a little in my head: "Sweet! I didn't forget! I am such a bad-ass! Man, it feels good to be a gangsta'!" (OK, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea...)
I'm sure there are more, but as I've just admitted to some memory loss, I can't think of any others right now. :)
I'm not going to get political or preachy. I'm not going to get on a soapbox. I'm just going to spread some joy...I think we could all use some right about now. So here are a just a few things that bring joy to my heart. I dare you not to smile at least once. EnJOY!!
I mean, seriously...
the beautiful Ritchie girls...
the best 2nd grade team there ever was or will be...
those incredible Peavy boys...
summer, beach, family, JOY...
life-long friends...
What's your favorite fruit?
those Georgia Roths...
Uncle Joel time...
the world's best parents...
my great nieces and nephews...
my baby brother's babies...
my fridge...I can't look at it without smiling...
she was a wise, wise woman...
some of my favorite pictures of when my babies were just babies...
if this isn't joy, I don't know what is...
the fact that we have a gallery wall featuring abstract art, surrealism, and Ron Burgundy...
I have been "Cakes" for 22 years. Kevin and I have been married for 19 of those years. Hannah is a Freshman in college and Mason is a Junior in high school! I taught 2nd grade for 8 years. This will be my 10th year teaching 3rd. I was diagnosed with Leukemia 15 years ago and have been in and out of remission several times. Right now, I'm stable with medication, but always I am blessed. My life is busy, fun, chaotic, boring, stressful, simple, tiring, and exciting...but whatever it is, it's always SO full of joy!
