Memories of the Plinko Jesus

I took a deep breath and called my brother.

"Scott...I have some news....they put a HOUSE on Plinko Jesus."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment and then he simply said, "It is the end of an era."

Childhood.  Does everyone else have such a strong drive to feel like a kid again as often as I do?  I seem, particularly more lately, to CRAVE my childhood.  Don't get me wrong - my life is great.  I love my kids, my husband and what I do, but I so miss the days of "kid Amy" and the fun that went along with it.

So, I suppose I should explain "Plinko Jesus" before I lose readers ... Each Christmas, there were certain things of which my brother and I could be certain.  We WOULD have ham on Christmas day, there WOULD be a tangerine in the toe of our stocking and our granddad, at least once in the season, WOULD take us to look at the Christmas lights at the house on Hill St.

To say that this homeowner put up Christmas lights would be akin to saying that Jennifer Lopez has a few dresses.  This house was not big - probably only 1 or 2 bedrooms - but he had a vacant lot next door that he decorated to the HILT!  He had wooden figures painted like Muppets, Peanuts characters and superheroes.  He had built dollhouses with light up interiors.  He had illuminated Santas, sleighs, reindeer, ice skaters and giant Christmas candies - all lit up - and encouraged people to get out and walk around the lot.

And then- at the back - soaring high above the trees, he had created a Jesus out of lights, not the baby in the manger Jesus that we all associate with Christmas, but a lifesize Jesus, if Jesus were about the height of Danny Devito.    Below Jesus' feet, the homeowner had added strings of lights streaming out at angles in each downward direction.  It resembled, as my brother was quick to point out, the famous Plinko board on the long running 'The Price is Right.'

NOW - I feel it necessary to add that I am a Christian and LOVE Jesus, but my brother and I just found it....creative....that the homeowner would choose to honor our risen savior in this way.  It became 'our thing' to go and see Plinko Jesus each year and run around looking at the different light displays that our unseen friend had added.  

When I graduated high school and came home from college, we made a point to drive over and see Plinko Jesus.  When we both moved away from our hometown and would come back to visit as adults, we'd go see Plinko Jesus.  It was one of the things we could cling to that reminded us of "the good old days."

Until this year.

I came to visit my extended family and decided on a whim, to go by and see if Plinko Jesus was still there.  Lo and behold, as I drove up, I could see that there is now another house on the vacant lot.  The homeowner, I learned, had passed away and his family decided not to continue the light display any longer.

How is this possible?  They didn't ask me!  They didn't consult with me on whether or not it was ok to CHANGE something in my life that should not change.  I needed to feel like some things are just the way they always were.  I needed to feel 10 years old and show my own kids the wonders of Plinko Jesus and the wooden Peanuts gang (hey - that sounds like a great name for a band!).  I needed, for just a minute, to be a kid again with no worries about bills and finances, violence and mass shootings, tornados, ugly politics and all the other sadness that the world shows us on a daily basis.  I needed to feel my granddad's hand in mine and know that I'll wake up to a tangerine in the toe of my stocking again one day.

As I called my brother to share the news of Plinko Jesus' departure, I could hear in his voice, the same nostalgia.  For just a moment, we paused, remembering a cherished time long past.

Before I bring us all to a low point only solved by a box of Kleenex and a pint of Rocky Road, there is good news!

I am building new memories and new traditions.  My own kids may not get to experience Plinko Jesus, but every year, they get new pjs on Christmas eve and set out both cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.  We have the tradition of the Christmas Trout (a story for another day) and beautiful memories of Christmas eve services together.

While I want, desparately, to cling to the traditions and "rules" of the past, I have accepted that we are now building our own memories with me as the parent and them in the coveted "Kid at Christmas" role.  I've learned I can love my Parent at Christmas job and still elebrate the fact that I have such cherished meories of Christmases past.

Maybe I'm just a big sap.  Maybe I'm the only one who misses getting Barbie campers and Pac-Man and knowing that when I go to sleep, my parents are just in the next room.

Or maybe you've felt a little nostalgic this holiday season and can relate?

Either way, I pray you have a blessed new year of building WONDERFUL new memories with those around you.   Seek out and seek to be the love and positive voices in a sea of negativity.  Surround yourself with people that build you up and celebrate life and make every crazy memory a good one.

Happy New Year!
A

Copyright 2015

Permission to use any portion

of this blog should be obtained 

from the author. 

A Weird Mother's Day Gift?

Hey Mom - You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

(And I dangled that preposition on purpose! #RebelMom)

My mom lives 14 hours away, and it's mother's day.  I wanted to give her a smile and I don't have a ton of money, but she loves to hear about the little crazy things that happen and in my life and there are a lot of them!  I have a plaque in my living room that says "Our family must be God's favorite sitcom."  When you're a bit left of center like we are, you just own it. 

So here's a story from God's sitcom for my mom.  Hope you enjoy it, too.

The chicken and dumplings at Market Street are wonderful.    Consider this me raving about them, as I'm not sure I have enough energy to truly "rave" at this point.  I better back up a bit and explain.  Let's just look at this in terms of a "Day in the Life" of this busy mom - maybe you can relate?

It's Saturday.  Ah, Saturday.  The day that, growing up, was always the most relaxing....the most fun.  As a kid, Saturday meant no homework due the next day, no after school activities, good cartoons in the morning and possibly something fun to look forward to in the evening.

But, I'm a grown-up now.  Saturdays are different.  They are usually filled with a variety of things from work to soccer games to dance activities to housecleaning.  Yay.

* Wake up at 8:30 to get ready for dress rehearsal at the high school.  I choreographed for the pop show and am looking forward to seeing their work.

* Arrive at the high school and look at the large, golf umbrella in the van, trying to decide whether to take it in or not, as the sky is a bit gray.  (Side note: None of my family plays golf, so to us, it's a "big" umbrella. Catchy name, huh?)  I decide it's too cumbersome and leave it in the car.  This is called foreshadowing, kids.

* During 10:00 rehearsal, I receive a text at 10:53 that my daughter wants to know what time jazz is at the studio and that she can't find one jazz shoe.  I text back "11:00" and disregard the jazz shoe challenge entirely.

* We release for lunch at 11:35 and are to be back at 12:30.  I texted a friend in town for the day to see if she can meet for a short lunch.  Then, I step out of the theater and see it's POURING rain.  Sigh.  Thinking fondly of our "big" umbrella nestled in the van, I take off running.

* I go to Market Street and discover that they have CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS on the salad/soup bar!  One of my favorites!   Happy day!

* I decide to get a salad and a QUART of the chicken and dumplings to have a little and take the rest home for later meals.  YUM!

* After my hurried lunch with my friend, I get back in the car and find out that I don't need to be back at the theater after all, so I decide to head home.  I look around the car, trying to figure out where to put my quart of chicken and dumplings and actually SAY in my head, "Well....I think it will be ok balanced on the top of the cup holder, because it's heavy and weighted down."  Not only is this MORE foreshadowing, kids, this is where my husband starts shaking his head when he reads this.  I can feel  it.

* I pull out of the parking lot and call to make sure all is well at my dance studio.  It is.  Yay.  I turn left...

...and the chicken and dumplings begin to slide.  Now, I saw them start to move and everything slowed down like in the action sequences of The Matrix and I watched, helplessly, as the container slid across the cup holder and began to fly across the passenger side floor.   My heart sank a little as I saw my precious lunch for the next three days literally take flight.

* I pull the car into an apartment complex parking lot and zip into a spot, look down and low and behold, the chicken and dumplings have landed upside down...ON THE "BIG" UMBRELLA!  I am both horrified and slightly relieved as I pick up the carton that had maybe 15% of my lunch still crammed in the bottom (I filled that sucker to the brim) and pondered the rest.

* I began to think to myself...."It's an umbrella....it gets washed off every time it's used..." and I begin to try to use the lid to scoop the food back into the container.  Yep, folks, I'm owning this.  I am too cheap and it's too good to waste it!  But, now, there's the problem of the umbrella covered in chicken and dumplings - or is it really a problem?  It's an umbrella!

* I quickly open the car door and shake the remaining food off of the umbrella's fabric onto the pavement and say a little prayer that the pigeons and grackles will miss the irony of what I'm leaving them.  I open the umbrella, shoving it into the crack of my slightly open door.  My van now looks something like a giant pina colada with a colorful umbrella sticking out, but I'm ready to wait until the rain washes it clean!  - - And that's when I realize it's stopped raining.

ARGH!

* I decide to sit it out and hope the rain starts back up.  It never does.  After awhile, I do my best to wrap the umbrella where it won't get chicken and dumplings on the carpet and head home.

* 1:00 - I arrive home and carefully take the umbrella to the driveway and open it up.  It is not a pretty site.  I go inside to get a bucket of water and my daughter - who never made it to dance and attempts to direct the reasoning towards my not "telling her in time" and the loss of the shoe - tells me they NEED FOOD!   (Note: Yes, I shot down the blame game, although it will attempt to rear it's head again, I'm sure.)

* I suggest they make a sandwich and tell them that I "first have to wash chicken and dumplings off my umbrella."  Now, it's important to note here that my daughters are SO USED to my crazy antics that they do not bat an eye.  Their comment when I say that?  "Can we have ramen noodles instead?"

* I find a pitcher and fill it up while arguing the nutritional value of their diets a bit and then head back outside with the water....to find that it's now raining again.  I laugh out loud and throw the water on the umbrella for good measure, shaking my head.

* Choosing my battles, I head back in and order the girls a pizza, throwing all nutritional conversation from earlier right into the fire.

As I sit here with a now pounding headache and some slightly questionable chicken and dumplings in the fridge, I think how much my mother would enjoy hearing this story.  Why?  Because she SURVIVED me!  I know this is a weird way to say "Happy Mother's Day," but mom - you did it!  My Saturdays were fun because you let them be.  You were ok with the couch pillow forts and painted rock art shows.  You survived all my nutty ideas and decisions and did so with a shake of the head and a little chuckle....perhaps a grounding or two along the way.  

I'm a bit of an odd duck, Mom, and I thank you for letting me be me!   I'm ok with odd.  It makes God's favorite sitcom a lot more fun! 

I love you!

@

 p.s.  Have any idea where one tan jazz shoe might be? ;-)

Copyright 2015

Permission to use any portion

of this blog should be obtained 

from the author. 

Thanks for the Blue, But There's More You Can Do! (Oooh, that RHYMES! How's that, Dr. Seuss?)

It's another "Light the Night Blue" day tomorrow as people wear blue and put out blue light bulbs recognizing Autism, now collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorders or "ASDs."  This covers a WIDE variety of learning/behavior challenges from what was just thought of as "autism" to others formerly called Asperger's, Rhett's Syndrome and PDD-NOS as well.

As someone on that interesting train ride of life, thanks for the blue.  BUT - if you really want to feel connected, supportive and make a difference - LISTEN UP!  I've got a few more suggestions for ya' coming straight from a mother's heart.

I decided that every great writer (not that I am at all in the same ranks as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, or "Pepa" of Salt-N-Pepa - Yes.... she has a book out. Sigh) uses fun acronyms.   Acronyms are kitchy, catchy and well, annoying sometimes....but I'm doing it anyway.  Here goes.

LTTR  

(pronounced like "letter," or "elter"or...maybe "elletter" or WHATEVER!  Just remember it.)

LEARN - It bothers me when people assume things about my child based on her learning challenges.  A person cannot ASSUME something about a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder any more than you can ASSUME something about a child who's left-handed.  While there are some similar characteristics, learning patterns, physical behaviors or speech patterns, you can't assume that ANY child exhibits a particular one.  Leave the guesswork up to the "Guess Your Weight" guy at the carnival.  The end result of guessing can be just as awkward.  You want to know something, just ask.

TEACH - Teach your children that it's OK to be different.  What a BORING world this would be if we all looked, talked, walked, thought, sang, danced, smiled (you get my point) the same!  Embrace individuality, differences and even quirkiness and teach your kids to do the same.  Teach them to seek friends based on their loyalty, kindness and how they are as a friend.  Let them know that all kids don't look or act like someone on the Disney channel and that's ok.  Encourage them to make friends with someone DIFFERENT than them and to go out of their way to be compassionate towards someone who seems to need it.  And for heaven's sake, teach them that the only time to use the word "retarded" or even worse, "REtard" is when they're referring to a musical piece that is slowing down!  AND THAT'S not even spelled the same!  

THINK - Please, please, please - THINK before you speak!  We don't need you to refer to our children as slow, challenged, or mentally retarded.  We're all slow and challenged in SOME area of life.  As a dance teacher, I promise not to refer to YOU as "slow" if you can't do a double pirouette if you promise not to refer to my child as "slow" for needing extra help with math or not being able to ride a bike.  

I would go so far as to say that we don't need you to refer to our children as "autistic."  I remember while earning my Rehabilitation degree at UNT, my professors NEVER allowed us to use the adjective form of any disability.  I'd fail if I ever referred to a child as an "autistic child."  It was always the 'person first, disability second' such as "child with autism."  I thought it a bit picky at the time, but I GET IT NOW! 

If your child wears glasses or contacts, do you want me constantly referring to him or her as "your nearsighted child?"  The visual challenge is ONLY ONE PART of who your child is, so why focus on the challenge?   My child is not identified by her learning patterns and challenges.  She's identified by her given name at birth, her beautiful gentle spirit, her kindness, her generosity and sensitivity to those in need.  You want to refer to my child with an adjective or a characteristic - pick one of those!

RELAX - Just relax.  Treat my child like any other.  Encourage your children to treat her like any other.  Invite her to your birthday party and don't worry if she doesn't look as ecstatic at the party game or the favor as other kids.  I'm trying, like most parents, to teach her to be polite and thankful, but she may not exhibit the same emotions as your expectations.  Please allow that.  Encourage your kids to include her in group activities and be ok with it if she chooses to go her own way.

AND "RELAX" IS ALSO TO THOSE PARENTS NEWLY FINDING THEMSELVES IN MY BOAT!  It's ok.  Your child's new diagnosis is NOT a "label" of who he or she is.  It's only a description of a behavior/learning pattern to better guide teachers, therapists, counelors and YOU to help your child grow up meeting his or her full potential. We all want our kids to be the best that they can be.  Don't become so hyper-focused on a diagnosis (or even worse, the refusal to seek one) that you stand in the way of your child's success.  Allow them to flourish and thrive with trained, educated specialists who have found great ways to help children with similar learning challenges to do just that.  PLEASE relax and don't be a stumbling block to your child's potential.

Well...I think I've crossed from "food for thought" into "buffet of information," but I hope this gives you a peek into the thoughts of someone who will be wearing blue in honor of her kid. 

Please don't put out a blue light bulb because of pity.

Please don't wear a blue shirt for "poor little us."

Light the night blue in celebration of acceptance, patience, individuality, compassion and understanding.

Don't those words sound so much better?

@

Copyright 2015

Permission to use any portion

of this blog should be obtained 

from the author.