Dot up for Thanksgiving!

My husband James is an 8th grade English teacher.  Every time I spend more than a weekend with him, I learn something new.  Over the Thanksgiving holiday we had long moments to catch up with family and friends.  One of the stories that was told, late into the Thanksgiving evening, centered around James and his classroom.  It seems as though James' students have a tendency to "drift" in their desks which results in a final period of the day where all of their desks are (if I can use a phrase from the word processor) "left aligned."  The daily exodus of the desks was causing the wall in his classroom to chip paint and become dirty and worn way before the end of the year when the custodial staff would once again paint.  Learning that this was a problem after years of experience, James methodically measured each desk's space in the classroom.  He took the time to architecturally plan where each desk should begin and END each class day.  He got down on the floor and drew a permanent black dot with a sharpie marker in the exact spot where the upper left desk leg should be.  At the end of each class hour, James announces the homework for that day, lists anyone with outstanding assignments, and gives the clearly followed command "dot up people" and dismisses them to get on with their day.  Its a way of not only straightening up the room but a gesture that indicates their presence long after they have left that spot.

Every Thanksgiving for many years now, we begin our holiday in Illinois with my mom and the cast of characters that go along with  that side of my history, and conclude in Iowa with my dad and aunt where we participate in our own traditions "Hawkeye" style.  During each Thanksgiving in Illinois, we spend a small bit of our time "dotting up" for a picture taken by my step father.  We are all positioned at the foot of the stairs and he takes a picture using his camera, tri-pod and trusty timer.  (My sister Molly recently posted this year's picture of our "dotting up" exercise on facebook in case you want to take a look at what I'm talking about.)  This year, as every year, I silently gave thanks for being able to "dot up" with the rest of that side of the family.  It seems that every year, we gain a few players (this year it was Dave's fiance Pat and Brookie's boyfriend Reese) and lose a few KEY members (gone but never forgotten are Brad and aunt Karen) but a few of us remain to gaze upon the annual picture that is a reminder of our presence at that event long after the sights, sounds and smells of Thanksgiving have been forgotten.




In Iowa, we "dotted up" for an annual family bowling tournament (complete with tee shirts this year thanks to aunt Polly) where we had an unforgettable family experience that provided me yet another reason to truly be thankful. 


I love my family and everyone in it.  I am grateful for everyone I am related to in one way or another as they have ALL helped me to become who I am today.  I am THANKFUL for another year of coming together to "dot up" in Illinois and Iowa.  I would not trade my family holidays and their traditions for all of the money in the world.  Someday, when James' students have grown up and begun family traditions of their own, perhaps they too will understand an alternate meaning to Mr. Hendler's "Dot up people!"  Perhaps then, they too will be grateful!  Happy Thanksgiving!