Childhood Meme

Thanks to Survey's blog, I now have something to post today! Enjoy some garlic provolone on turkey sandwiches today.


Pick any 3 things that you remember from your kidhood (ages 0-18) and describe them. This could be anywhere from people you were around a lot, to a certain family vacation, to a certain moment that you remember. Be creative!

Bonus Question: Where did you grow up (location-wise)? Did you like it? Do you still live there? Why/why not?

I'm concentrating on my pre-14 years, as things got dramatic after that & there's too much to choose from!

1) My fourth birthday.
We always had small family birthday parties with cake & ice cream when I was younger. I don't ever recall having "birthday wish lists" before I was 7 or 8, so my parents just bought whatever they thought I'd like. Well, on my 4th birthday they hit the nail on the head. And it wasn't even a cool "toy."

I got a little kid sized table & chair set. It was a nice wooden set, perfect for playing school, office, or doing art. I felt so grown up! I have a picture of me sitting at the table in a cute dress & party hat. Dumb memory, but it's really vivid for me.

2) Getting my own room, Age 8
We had 3 bedrooms in the house. 3 kids+parents= someone sharing a room. When I was a baby & my sisters were 7&10, they shared a room. That lasted til my oldest sis turned 14 or so. At that age, I happily moved in with my next younger sister while oldest sis got her own room. I felt so grown up. I'm sure middle sis hated it. However, we became buddies. Later, my oldest sister graduated & moved out.

So one summer day when I was 8, after I was at the local swimming pool, I came home to mom saying I could move into the red bedroom if I wanted. Oh yeah, red carpet, baby! I was soooooooo excited! I could put up my own posters & listen to whatever music I wanted on my little boombox! My own place to sit & read Teen Beat & my Sweet Valley High books. Sigh. I still remember the weather, the lighting and the smells from that day.

3) Trip to Florida, age 14
Mom had cancer & knew she might never again get to Florida to see her step-sister & step-aunt (her only two living relatives she knew of besides her mother). So she wanted to make it a girl bonding trip & invited me & my sisters. For whatever reason, middle sis didn't come. So my oldest sister, mom & myself hopped the plane to Boca Raton. It was my first plane trip as an adult (we went to Florida a few times as a child). The trip was a lot of fun. I was treated as "one of the adult ladies." While I didn't bond with my mom that much during the trip (it was more her time to spend with her step relatives), my oldest sister and I took off for Disney World. It was the first time I spent much time with my oldest sis, as we were ten years apart & until then we lived in such different worlds. So I fondly look back on many details of that road trip & smile, as it was the begining of a great friendship between my sister & I.

Bonus: I grew up in rural SW Wisconsin. I liked the country life. I missed some of the close friendship opportunities, but most kids my age were in the same boat & our parents allowed sleepovers sometimes. I enjoyed the quiet, imaginitive times I had and the sounds and freedom of the country. We lived there my whole life.

Those things definitely impacted my desire to get our first house in a rural location. I didn't know we'd end up 30 miles from the town I grew up in. I'm pretty opposed to going back to my actual hometown to live. I can't deal with constantly seeing people I know & don't care to talk to.