I remember my dad dropping me off at my babysitter's in Kuna, Idaho, and I was wrapped in my little baby blanket with some footie pajamas on. When we moved to Boise, he would take me to the Capital Y which was my daycare. It was a block away from my mom's work and so on the way there we would slow down when we drove by her window and she would wave. UGH, now that I'm a mother, I cannot imagine how difficult that would be.
I remember reading my sister's old TEEN magazines and taking the quizzes in them. My dad would play along and take them as well. Believe me this was an hilarious sight. Here I am asking my dad what he would do if his best friend stole his boyfriend. Most off the answers he gave were similar to "E. I would tell her she has a pepperoni face!" Oh dad, you crack me up.
I have this playlist that you heard a little bit of or are still listening to. These bring back old OLD memories. Me and my dad driving around in the car. He had this old truck that was beyond dead but somehow kept going. I specifically remember driving around country roads around Kuna and singing Johnny Horton songs. One day my dad bought me his cassette and it was the.best.thing.ever. I listened to it pretty much non-stop. I remember as a kid my dad and I would sing the Cindy song, for obvious reasons. Then we would switch in names like mom or Tonie and sometimes I would choose Woofie, our dog and sing it to her. I can remember my dad singing You Don't Mess Around with Jim and 16 Tons from way back. In fact, I don't have a specific memory except that I hear those and think of my dad. I can still hear his voice in the car. Sometimes our family didn't listen to the radio and we would end up singing songs together, mostly primary songs but sometimes my dad would sing these two. Does that give a toothache from sweetness?
When I was probably four or five our family went to a ward talent show. I am surprised we even did something like this but our family performed the song Elvira. I don't remember much but I do remember that I had the part that went "ah-oom chuck! ah-oom chuck! ah-oom chuck a-mow mow!" It was all lip syncing and everyone thought it was hilarious. I'm pretty sure it was my dad's idea.
Happy Together just reminds me of being young and living in Kuna. I think it's cuz it was on the movie Earnest goes to Camp, I think, and we used to watch that a lot. The last one is a sweet memory. We lived in a split level house for a little while in Boise. I turned four while we lived there. I remember I had one of those kid recliner chairs. It was red and dirty and torn up and I was probably a bit too big for it. I remember my dad putting on the record to Don't Worry-Be Happy in the front room and I sat in my little recliner. Then my mom and dad danced to it. I don't see my parents dance, ever. This is probably one of two memories I have of my parents dancing together but this one has stuck with me. When I think back on it, the old feelings of security and knowing they were and are in love flood my mind. I was a four year old but I knew they loved each other.
So this is what I want for Jack. I want him to one day say he saw his parents holding hands in the car or on the couch and he knew they were in love. I want him to hear a song and remember a great family trip. None of these memories had HUGE things involved, they don't revolve around a vacation or a birthday. These were just everyday incidences that impacted my life. I have an abundance of memories with my dad helping me with my homework, cooking tinfoil dinners at our father's and daughter's campout or just being there to take a quiz from a tween magazine cuz I needed a friend. I'm so glad to have the dad I have (and mom, I'm glad I have you too ) I hope I can transfer this parenting onto my kids.
peace-out.
1 comment:
. . .and mom going to work! Not the memory I wanted to leave with my kids. Oh well, such is life.
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