John just turned the tv onto the Wizard of Oz...oh boy, that brings back memories! Way back when the kids were little, we had this cool tent we had bought from my sister Penny. It was a big dome tent with all these windows that zipped open just like the doors did. He used to set this really cool, huge tent up in the living room of our house, annoying the heck out of me and thrilling the kids. (Ever wish you would have not sweat the small stuff and just let go?) I do.
So as I sit here listening to "ho ho ho, la dee dah..." being sung by the people dressed in green in the merry old land of Oz, and stuff the straw man and shine up the tin man...I am thrown back, way way back...I come home to this big ol tent in our living room, kids all excited beyond control and my funny husband in the middle of the fray, leading the chaos! Oh man! There was bedding stuffed all over the floor of the tent, kids jostling for space and in the middle of the tent? Our blow up bed! "Oh no, you aren't getting me to sleep in that tent when our bed is just feet away!" I exclaim to John. "Oh come on Lucy, lighten up, have some fun, it'll be great!" What does this have to do with the Wizard of Oz you ask? I gave in, accepted my fate to sleep on the floor of a tent and made the best of it. John had rolled up the windows of the tent and turned on the tv, flipping the channels, there, as big as you please is the Wizard of Oz! Yep, we watched it through the window of the tent! It was the best time ever! The kids loved it and so did John and I, even though I poked him off and on through the whole movie, trying to get back at him for making me sleep in the living room. The kids still talk about that night and how much fun it was. I wish, often, when reminiscing about how I parented, that I wouldn't have been so uptight sometimes, that I would have not have been so intent on being the heavy. Oh well, hind sight is always 20/20 huh?
I have another memory about the Wizard of Oz, one that goes back to my own childhood. I grew up, the first almost nine years of my life, in Twin Falls Idaho. I am the youngest of 5 girls. Yep, I am the baby. I don't remember that many houses that we lived in and often my memories are entwined with their memories, meaning, I often remember things because they told me about it or I saw it in pictures. But, and my sisters can vouch for me here, we had this one tradition that I loved, even as a very small child. I remember a tv night that we had that happened once a year, back in the old black and white days of television and before VCR's when a particular station would show the Wizard of Oz and Cinderella. By Cinderella I mean the one with real actors and actresses in it. Many years later, I happened upon that same version, oh my it was cheesy, but I watched the whole thing, singing the songs and remembering the sound of my sisters voices as we sang along with the songs, it was awesome. I saw that show way before I ever watched the cartoon/Disney version.
Well, I could go on and on with my childhood memories but it would bore you I am sure so I will close for tonight. Tomorrow I have little Kelsey again, we always have great fun. I think we will make cookies or something fun like that.
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