It's Story Time .....

.... and so I'm going to tell some stories.

When I started this blog, back in September of 2007,  I wasn't all that familiar with the concept.  A few friends sent me various sites that were written by moms, encouraging me to write.  Friends often encouraged me to write over the years (even before Jim died), telling me that I should write a book.

I never knew what on earth I could write about that would be interesting enough to put in a book.
I still don't.

There are way too many books on parenting, and on the humor of parenting.
And there are so many books on grief and widowhood .... I don't think I have anything to add.

But I do have stories, as someone reminded me this past weekend.
And I did start to tell a few of them when I first started writing here.

So I've decided to return to the reason I began my blog ..... to tell stories about raising our children.

I happened to be cleaning some stuff out last weekend and I went into our "secret room".  This is a room that's behind a closet that's under the stairs.  The last house we had in Oklahoma had a "secret room", too, and the girls loved it.  It was their hideout, if you will.

When I first looked at this house I didn't even notice the secret room.  Neither did either one of the younger boys who saw it with me.  I can't remember if Jim saw it first, or if one of the girls saw it.  But at that point, I knew this house was meant to be ours.

It's mostly a coat closet.  With a tiny extra room in the back of it.  Here's what it looks like:


         If you open the closet door, and the light in the secret room is off, you wouldn't notice it back there.

        But if the light is on, then you might peer past the second row of hanging coats (yeah, like we need that many coats in Houston!):

        Once you get past all of the coats, this is what you'll see, if the light is on:

When we moved into the house I went out and bought a can of primer and a can of white paint.  The children who had lived here before us had also used the secret room.  And they had colored all over the walls.  I wanted our children to be able to do that, to bring friends in and let them sign the walls, as well as some of the parents.
And that's exactly what happened.


   This is the Peeps' first view of the "Secret Room".  Please note the handy little plastic thing that covers the light bulb that hangs from the very low ceiling.  That was Jim's doing.  After one too many people bumped their head on said light bulb (or one very much like it) and broke it.  I think I only did it twice.  But it would've been three times if this plastic piece hadn't been on it the other day, when I went in to take pictures for you.

Right now it's a place to store suitcases.  It used to have some toys in it.  Then one year, not long after the first Happy Potter book came out, this closet became something else. The two youngest Sons were too young to read the books, so I read them to them.
And that's about the time Son #2 decided that he wanted his own room.  Well, rather than sleep in the bathtub, he decided that he, like Harry, could use the room under the stairs as his bedroom.  I helped him clear everything out (I could relate to being a child who desperately wanted his/her own room).  He  brought down a couple of blankets, his pillow, a clock (which we had to find an extension cord for so that it could work in the closet).  He brought down a few toys and books.  Jim just rolled his eyes (he tended to do that a lot around here) and didn't say much .... except he thought it was a dumb idea and when was I going to help Son #2 come to his senses and go back upstairs.  I said that he would change his mind soon enough, but we had to let him madke that decision for himself.
And he did.  About three days later.
It seems that an un-airconditioned closet loses it's uniqueness after about 3 days.  That and the lack of a really cool white owl, or an annoying elf named Doby.

So once again that closet became the "secret room".  Over the years the kids used it less but they still went down there when bringing home a new friend.
One year it also served as a quieter, safer place to sleep while the eye of a hurricane passed over us.  For the three boys and me.   Jim decided to ride out the storm in our bedroom, in a bed not positioned all that far away from two windows.  I thought he was nuts.  Be he slept like a baby and nothing happened.  Of course.

So here are several snapshots of the things and names that were put on the walls over the years.   Some of you Peeps will recognize your own children's signatures .... or your own.  :)
             The girls loved (and still love) Jesus.

Boys .... not so much.  If you look very closely at some of these pictures you can see the words, "Boys drool, girls rule" in different places through out.

    This was a welcome sign.  But only to girls.  Not to boys.  They had cooties.  Of course.

I'm not sure who Nielle was, but I do recognize the helicopter that was drawn on the left side, right in the middle of that area.

  Ah yes, Chlesea K was here.  Her face escapes me.

     But Son #1 left his mark .... in more than one spot.  :)

                                  Another friend who's now a grown woman.  This makes me smile.

                               I'm not quite certain who D + L is, though I have a good idea who L is ..... just not so certain about that D person.  But the little cartoon is kind of cute.

                                    I think this might be the work of one of my nephews, but I could be wrong.

                            I think this was supposed to be a "disco couple".  Of course, we were way past the age of disco, so I'm not certain of that, but how else do you explain that shirt?!  And her jumpsuit?!

                                    Ahhh, yes ..... you can see for yourself .... "Disco Joe".  Whoever the heck that was.

                       The following pictures are from different walls, as well as the ceiling.  This room is entirely covered.  There are names of old boyfriends, as well as old girlfriends.  This room was a trip down memory lane for me this past weekend.

                  Ummm, yeah.  He had a detective agency for a while down there.  Not sure what became of it.  Not enough customers I imagine.  :)

       If you look closely you can see, "No girls allowed."  Some things never change.

                                             Ahhhhh ...... young love.

                                                         

                                         This was one of the "Girls Rule, Boys Drool" signs, that always called for a retaliatory remark.

              I think this bottom creature was supposed to be some sort of Pokemon.               Maybe.

So that's my first trip down memory lane for you guys.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Hopefully it's only the first of many more to come.  We'll see how long my memory hangs in there.

Goodnight, Peeps.
And Happy Saturday!
:)