As I thought of leg shaving I remembered the time I felt mortified when I realized that I was the only girl at 5th grade softball practice who had not began to shave and the hair on my legs seemed to glow oh-so-bright in the summer sun that day. After begging Mom to let me start shaving and listening to her saying, "Once you start, you'll have to do it the rest of your life!" I did it. And hated the time it took, how itchy it made me, and the fact that I cut myself nearly every time. This thought slid right into the next, which escalated to many childhood memories:
*I used to take Dad's shaving cream, sit on the counter and pretend to shave my legs and face with an old toothbrush. Mom got mad at me for wasting the shaving cream.
* Going to Grandma York's house on Sundays. We built card houses, put on plays, "styled" our dad's hair, and Grandma fixed us ice cream cones from Neapolitan ice cream. I would lay on the floor next to my older cousins who were doing homework and wish that I had homework too.
* I remember Beth spending lots of time talking to boyfriends on the phone in her bedroom. I would lay on the floor and try to listen through the crack under the door. There seemed to be more yelling going on than talking ;)
* I used to share a bunk bed with Sharon and I was so sad when she left for the other bedroom.
* Being alone in the bunk was not an option for me so I begged Mom to stay with me every night. We had a prayer that was quite lengthy that we said together every night and I still say the same one with a few modifications. She would try to sneak out and I would follow and end up on cushions next to her bed with her arm hanging down to hold my hand which would stick up in the air. My poor parents.... and I used to complain that I had no siblings my age.
* Those same cushions became the roof to my play houses with Cody and Andrea Francis. We would go in the basement, pull the couch away from the wall, and prop the cushions as a roof or make them into rooms.
* The cushions also became our surfboards down the steps, our safety net when we would test our skills and nerve by jumping off the steps as high as we'd dare. They also would be tossed around the basement and all the lights would be off as we played tag by jumping from one to the next.... in the dark.... not able to see.....jumping......in the dark...... needless to say, there were many collisions.
* Daring Cody to eat dog food and of course, trying it myself.
* Seeing our baby kittens being born and never waiting to touch them until their eyes were open. I'm sure I caused many a kitten to get goopy eyes. One calico kitten was named Booger because it had a little spot on it's nose.
* Being soooo mad when Dad decided to turn our horse stalls into a stage for Renegade to practice on.... darn Jon. Turns out that was a pretty good investment. I remember running around in circles in the barn as the band played Run Around Sue. I thought that meant she ..... ran around.
* Wanting that doll that would crawl soooo bad and Dad surprising me with one that cried or giggled instead. What a great Dad! But, being the ungrateful brat I was, I cried.
* Wanting a Cabbage Patch doll but never getting one because Mom thought they were ugly. I drew on my cousin Becky's because I was jealous that she had one.
* Wanting a scooter and GETTING IT!! That was the best birthday ever. They sent me to the Francis's and I was trying to peek over their fence to see what was going on at my place while Dad set it up.
* Screaming and crying whenever I was left at a babysitter's house. I was that kid. Playing at Carl and Betty's (now my house) and watching Punky Brewster, Reading Rainbow, and begging to play with their Lite Brite but never being allowed because it was messy.
* Making dirt soup out of anything I could find in the yard and trying to feed it to the dog.
* Instead of getting Barbie's babies, my Barbie had little Chinese babies that had been pulled off a pin cushion. Their pets were a variety of McDonalds toys.
* Picking cherries off the tree, hating them because they were sooooo sour, but not being able to stop eating them because it was just so fun spitting out the pits!
* HATING shower time because our only shower at the time was in the basement and you had to check for spiders before you could get in and you had to hold yourself just right or else that first blast of cold water would knock you on your butt.
* A spider falling on my foot while I was showering... TRAUMATIZING!! I ran outta there butt naked and cried for a good 10 minutes before getting back in, shaking in fear, and finishing my shower while whimpering.
* Sliding under my dad's legs at weddings and getting jealous when he took time away from me to let my cousins try.
* Making a hammock on the monkey bars with a sheet by tying the corners in knots on the bars. I would lay in there and read books. By the time I had to take it down, the knots were so tight that we had to cut the sheet off.
* Riding the kindergarten bus with Connie who would drive with curlers in her hair while chewing on the pink stick that holds them in. She was scary.
* Throwing up every morning before school. It was quite a routine. I also could never stay over at a friend's house without throwing up in the middle of the night, calling mom and dad to pick me up, and crying because I thought I was never going to be able to get married because I couldn't sleep away from home! The sleep over issue lasted until junior high. No Joke.
*Spending hours making friendship bracelets with Julie and Kasey and then trying to sell them to my neighbors for 10cents.
* Hiding in my closet and eating most of the candybars that I was supposed to be selling for 4H
* Loving spending time with my older siblings although they weren't around very long : ( I used to be so jealous that my friends had younger brothers and sisters.
There are sooo many that I could go on and on with but I think this is enough for tonight. It's my first time back in awhile so I better take it easy on ya.
