I Remember When: Growing Up

I'm continuing my "I Remember When" theme this week & today is a post for my parents and the memories they established for me. So here's to you Mom & Daddy and all the stuff I remember about home.

My Mom is a hairdresser, so I always remember her fixing my hair. One time in particular stands out to me the most...she put curlers in my hair & I remember sitting under the dryer in the laundry room & whining because it was taking forever. When it finally cut off, I said "thank GOODness!" I whined so much she even got the tape recorder out & recorded me. I remember baking during Christmastime while listening to Christmas music on the radio (still do this one). She would take me out to eat at Yamato's for lunch when I had an orthodontist appt. We love to shop together (as I got a little older) & she would sometimes take me to pick out one outfit per season (spring & fall) at The Limited... that was huge to me! I remember standing on a stool & watching my mom bake cakes & eating the leftover icing. I remember my Mom mowing the grass in a terry cloth halter shorts thingy and I just couldn't wait until I was old enough to wear one. And her shoes! Oh I wore them all of the time & begged to wear heels & remember the first time she let me wear them. They were Nine West navy blue pumps.

Daddy would always pick me up from MamMaw's during the week & a lot of times he would take me to City BBQ for supper & we ate livermush sandwiches & onion rings. He taught me how to hit a baseball... left handed and I learned to ride a bike (on an old bike that was my cousins & he spray painted it blue for me) at the little bit of flat grass we had at our house & Daddy running behind me to keep the bike up. We would go to the beach & stay at the Ocean Lodge. My Daddy walked to the Boardwalk to get us cherry dipped ice cream cones & ran back to the hotel before they melted. I remember when Daddy brought home my first dog... Flash. She was a basset hound puppy only a few weeks old & I freaked out when I got into his truck & saw her in the box at my feet.

I remember going out to eat supper at Western Steer on Saturday nights (with the pink or green ranch dressing) & going shopping at Kmart afterward & getting a bam-bam balloon (you know the kind you blow up, attach a string to it & beat it against your fist...). Watching Hee-Haw & The Muppet Show as a family. I remember having our Christmas on Christmas Eve a lot because my Daddy always had to work on Christmas Day and I just couldn't seem to wait any longer to open presents. Going to Homecoming lunches at our old church and eating outside under the trees & Mom always made cherry yum-yum (Mmmmmmm....) in a sliver pan with a lid. Taking trips to Julian Price park in the mountains & having picnics & walking trails around the river.

I love reminiscing about the old days (yeah, I'm not really old, but....). Thinking back to what life was like as a kid has brought many smiles to my face. So free & full of life with not a care in the world. Man, those were the days. I'm wondering what memories my kids are establishing?