We had to get up a little earlier than most kids because mom and dad both worked. We needed to be up, cleaned up, dressed and fed before mom and dad left for work. They left about a half hour before we needed to go to the bus stop.
Dad was our "waker upper" while mom started some breakfast. I loved dad being the "waker upper" because of the way he did it. He would come in and gently shake us to rouse us a little, and we would automatically roll over to lay on our tummies. Then he would give us a little backrub, oh wow--to be woke up every school day morning with a little back massage. When he was finished and would start going toward Michelle to give her's to her, I would moan, "just a little more daddy!" Sometimes he would give me just a little more, and sometimes he would give me a gentle pop on the behind and tell me to "get up now and get your teeth brushed and your face washed. "
Once that was all done, we would go out and eat some breakfast. Then off to get dressed and fix our hair. Right before they left for work they would check that we had all our things together to take to school---books, homework, lunches ect. When Michelle was younger they took her with them and drove her to the sitter's (Eunie's) house. As she got older she of course walked to the bus stop with Kathy and I. You can sure bet that nothing was going to happen to our baby sister with both of us watching out for her!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
School lunch preparation
After my pukin' on a nun episode, we started taking our lunch to school. Every evening sometime between after supper cleanup and bedtime, mom and dad would sit side by side on the same side of the table and prepare our lunches. They took their lunch to work too so there were five to prepare (once Michelle got old enough for school). They would lay out the ten pieces of bread, and then call out to us to see what kind of sandwich we wanted. All three of us would call out at the same time "peanut butter", "bologna" or "tuna fish" (if there was some tuna made up). I loved tuna with mayo, sweet relish and chopped up boiled egg. ) Then we'd pick a kind of fruit, usually it was a banana because they are so easy to pack and eat. No peeling, cutting and no leaking juice all over everything. Some times we would get cookies, and a very special treat would be occasionally we would get a piece of mom's homemade pie!
What makes this little story worthy of writing about is mom and dad's ritual. They sat side by side every school night, every week, year after year!! I can close my eyes and still see them sitting there working together smearing peanut butter, mayo or butter on each and every slice of bread. Then topping them off with the "flavor of choice." It is indeed newsworthy because it was all done all those years with so much love!!
What makes this little story worthy of writing about is mom and dad's ritual. They sat side by side every school night, every week, year after year!! I can close my eyes and still see them sitting there working together smearing peanut butter, mayo or butter on each and every slice of bread. Then topping them off with the "flavor of choice." It is indeed newsworthy because it was all done all those years with so much love!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Two girls and a door jamb
Kathy and I remember this one a bit differently, but considering it happened fifty years ago we think that is just fine to have our own version. So here is my version. We were at an age that we could stay home alone during the summer while mom and dad were at work. Mom always left a list of chores that we were suppose to do by the time they got home. Of course each day's list was different because all chores didn't need to be done every day. We didn't have a clothes dryer so there was always wet clothes to hang out on the clothesline, or bring in or iron (no permanent press material!!)
I hated cleaning the bathroom and Kathy would always decide that it was my job (she claims mom said so). lol She tried to get me to do this chore and I just wouldn't do it. I tried trading jobs with her, even offered to do two or three if she would do the bathroom. No dice!!She finally got tired of trying to get me to do it. She had gotten the ironing board and iron out to do some ironing. Frustrated with me, she started chasing me through the house with that iron ( it was a cold iron, it had not even been plugged in yet).Well I ran and squealed and dodged her for awhile. Then I ran into my bedroom and slammed that door as hard as I could and sat down on the floor up against it and was pushing with all my might.!! She was on the other side doing the same thing--then finally it happened!!! The door went on through to the other side tearing off all the woodwork on the door frame. The door was not suppose to open out into the hall---now it did!!
We all of a sudden started working and thinking together so we could get it fixed before mom and dad came home. We got the pieces back where they were suppose to be and all nailed into place. We thought we did a great job!!!
I went in and cleaned the bathroom, Kathy started her ironing and we both said NOTHING to mom and dad about it.
Years later when we were adults with families of our own, we were together and told mom and dad about it. We (including mom and dad) were laughing and mom said "you know, I thought there was something strange about that door, but sure never would have thought it was because of this!!"
I hated cleaning the bathroom and Kathy would always decide that it was my job (she claims mom said so). lol She tried to get me to do this chore and I just wouldn't do it. I tried trading jobs with her, even offered to do two or three if she would do the bathroom. No dice!!She finally got tired of trying to get me to do it. She had gotten the ironing board and iron out to do some ironing. Frustrated with me, she started chasing me through the house with that iron ( it was a cold iron, it had not even been plugged in yet).Well I ran and squealed and dodged her for awhile. Then I ran into my bedroom and slammed that door as hard as I could and sat down on the floor up against it and was pushing with all my might.!! She was on the other side doing the same thing--then finally it happened!!! The door went on through to the other side tearing off all the woodwork on the door frame. The door was not suppose to open out into the hall---now it did!!
We all of a sudden started working and thinking together so we could get it fixed before mom and dad came home. We got the pieces back where they were suppose to be and all nailed into place. We thought we did a great job!!!
I went in and cleaned the bathroom, Kathy started her ironing and we both said NOTHING to mom and dad about it.
Years later when we were adults with families of our own, we were together and told mom and dad about it. We (including mom and dad) were laughing and mom said "you know, I thought there was something strange about that door, but sure never would have thought it was because of this!!"
My little Michelle
Michelle has been left out of most of these little stories because for most of them so far she was just our precious little baby sister. Even in later years she was still so young that she wasn't involved in a lot of our shenanigans. Once she got up around three or four I started playing with her more. Kathy by then was getting to the age that she didn't want to play the same things as I did. I would play card games and boardgames with Kathy, but most everything else soon became mostly Michelle and me.
Michelle was such an easy going little girl. She didn't even care if I Koochie Koood her. In fact her and I use to play tickle a lot. One time we had been wrestling around a little on the floor and I got up and sat astraddle of her. I was tickling her real good---I loved to hear her little laugh!! She was laughing so hard that she finally yelled, "Stop, stop---you'r gonna make me wet my pants." It was so funny.(By the way I did stop and let her up!)
We loved to play dress up. Mom would give us a few of her older dresses, belts, scarves and accessories. Back then you didn't go to Walmart and buy dress up clothes!!! In fact there was no Walmart anyway! We would be walking around the house in mom's high heel shoes and these long dresses pulled up and cinched in at the waist so we wouldn't trip.
I have several more tales about Michelle and I but don't want to put it all in this one little tale.
Michelle was such an easy going little girl. She didn't even care if I Koochie Koood her. In fact her and I use to play tickle a lot. One time we had been wrestling around a little on the floor and I got up and sat astraddle of her. I was tickling her real good---I loved to hear her little laugh!! She was laughing so hard that she finally yelled, "Stop, stop---you'r gonna make me wet my pants." It was so funny.(By the way I did stop and let her up!)
We loved to play dress up. Mom would give us a few of her older dresses, belts, scarves and accessories. Back then you didn't go to Walmart and buy dress up clothes!!! In fact there was no Walmart anyway! We would be walking around the house in mom's high heel shoes and these long dresses pulled up and cinched in at the waist so we wouldn't trip.
I have several more tales about Michelle and I but don't want to put it all in this one little tale.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
My Dad's poison ivy
In my flying frog story last week, I talked about Aunt Vivy's large house and the wrap around porch and how much I loved it there. My little sis Michelle reminded me of somethng I had forgot--that is the house my dad grew up in. Well, mom and dad lived there for a little while after they were married. He got a bad case of poison ivy, between his waist and his thighs! One night it was itching and bothering him real bad so he told mom to pour some chlorine bleach on it, thinking that would dry it up. Well, what it did was burn like crazy, so he started running (naked) around and around the house to create a breeze! Everytime he would run past my mom he would yell "blow, Lu, blow". Mom, of course thought this was hilarous although did feel sorry for dad for being so miserable. I'll bet he did look funny running round and around yelling at mom to "blow, Lu blow!!" Thank goodness it was such a small town with no real close neighbors, huh?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
2009 pet peeve
One ply toilet tissue! How does anyone think they can save money this way? We just have to use twice as much!!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The candy shop
One summer when I was around 11 0r 12 my friends and I set up a candy store in the back of my dad's pickup truck. We had a couple friends across the street who were twin girls and another girl next door who was my age. We went to the store (quite a ways away ) and bought some candy bars for 5 cents each. We had pooled our money together to do this. We were old enough to go to the store but a lot of kids in the neighborhood were not. We sold those candy bars for 10cents each! Now that is a profit. We paid ourselves back for our inverstment, and to us we made a fortune which in reality was about 50 cents or so. One might have wondered about our tactics but the buyers mothers knew we were selling them for a dime and gave them the money. We thought were really quite the business people. I think so anyway!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)