My dishwasher's possessed

one mom's attempt to find humor in the chaos

The Things I Miss From My Childhood

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The Things I Miss From My Childhod

I love being a mom to three, wife to one and the owner of a possessed dishwasher. But sometimes I long for the simpler days of my childhood.

Things like:

Laughing so hard that milk shoots out of my nose. Sometimes I could achieve this state of hysteria with just my two sisters, but usually it only happened when we were with our male cousins.

Believing that money really does grow on trees. My parents tried to convince us that it didn’t, but they couldn’t fool me.

Thinking that opening the front door would  air condition the whole neighborhood.

The fear I had whenever I made a funny face or stuck my tongue out that my mother was right and my face would really freeze that way.

Did you know that if you left all the lights on in your house you could make it look like a Christmas tree?

Laying in bed on Christmas Eve trying to go to sleep but having difficulty because I knew in only a few hours Santa was going to be at my house.

Waking up and finding a dollar under my pillow and knowing the Tooth Fairy paid me a visit.

Walking downstairs Easter morning and seeing three baskets covered in colored plastic and peeking in to see the treats the Easter Bunny left. Comparing notes with my sisters. “I got blue bubbles.” “Oh, I got pink ones.” “Do you have a bunny with a pink bow?” “Mine has a yellow ribbon.”

Not being able to wait for my birthday to come each year.

Figuring out how old my sisters and I would be when the year hit 2000. Wondering what my life would be like when I was in my old age at 35.

Knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had the prettiest mommy and the smartest dad in the whole wide world.

Laughing so hard at the dinner table that my parents sent me to the kitchen till I could figure out how to act like a young lady who who could eat at the White House one day. Wondering what would happen if I never figured it out. Was I doomed to a life in the kitchen?

Being pretty sure my father was only teasing me when he warned me that he would take me to live with the pigs at Eisenhower Park if I didn’t behave properly. I’m  99% positive that he wasn’t really going to make me live with the pigs the time I decided to test this theory out. But when the car pulled out of the driveway and onto the street I learned that day I was not in charge. This was comforting since I knew that at 5 I probably wasn’t ready. I figured I would have to wait till I was at least 9 or 10.

Taking pillows, piling them up, and surfing down the stairs with my sisters.

The relief I felt when when Wendy and I realized we didn’t kill our baby sister, who had the nerve to start crawling up the stairs at the same time we were surfing down.

Looking at my parents’ wedding album with my mom and sisters and wondering what my own wedding would be like someday.

Deciding with my sisters how we would each get to be a maid of honor at the others’ weddings. We also decided that whoever wasn’t the maid of honor would be the godmother to our first child. (Years later we would honor this promise.)

Watching my mom make her traditional fruit cakes each year and seeing her wrap them and put them in the attic. I knew that meant that Christmas was only a few weeks away.

Summers spent catching frogs and salamanders at my uncle’s farm in upstate New York.

Making elaborate cities out of bales of hay in my uncle’s calf barn with my sisters and four cousins. We would spend hours building and playing. We knew it was time for lunch or dinner when my grandfather’s bell signaled it was time to come  home.

The times my sisters and I would try to figure out where my mom hid the eyes that she had in the back of her head. And being amazed at her super power of always knowing when we were doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing.

Waiting to see if Jesus, Mary and Joseph would come down and help my father find his keys or get the Christmas lights to work each year.

The summer my sisters and I would sing “Afternoon Delight” into the fan and swore it sounded just like the record.

Being too young to know what “Afternoon Delight” the Starland Vocal Band sang about.

Laying outside and staring up at the clouds wondering why time moved so slowly.

Now that I’m a mom to three I can’t help but wonder what my kids’ lists will include. I hope that they have many good memories to pick from.

Comments

  3. Lisa Weinstein says

    Kathy – because you and I are the same age, your memories often mimic mine (lord knows how old I was when the lightbulb finally went off about “Afternoon Delight”). My sister and I playing games on the stairs, wondering if our face would indeed freeze, and sitting in middle school wondering where I would be at the age of 35 in the year 2000 – which at the time seemed like 3 million years away!!

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Lisa I’m not sure how old I was either, but I”m sure it was up there!! Lol! I remember being in my twenties when my sister and I cracked up over Lay Lady Lay, among other songs! Lol! And you are so right, 35 in the year 2000 really seemed so far off. I figured I would have all of my children and would be readying for retirement! xoxo

  4. Andrea brovetto says

    Kathy I miss those sweet simple times also and it’s funny I remember things from my childhood to such as where were my wings that my mom would say were black and that’s how she knew I was bad. I must say that now as a 71 year old mom I am so lucky that my three beautiful daughters grew up in spite of their parents to be great people and you who’s manners did allow you to eat at the White House . So it was all worth it. I love you and I know your kids will have similar memories.

  5. thedoseofreality says

    I knew as soon as I saw this title that I would cry when I read this and I did. Am feeling very nostalgic these days and this hit me hard. I remember feeling really safe at night when my dad was not on a business trip. I remember eating popsicles in the pool in the summer. I remember that Christmas Eve feeling so well. This is a great post! :)-Ashley
    thedoseofreality recently posted…Ebola…More Like NObolaMy Profile

  6. Kenya G. Johnson says

    Summers were the best weren’t they? Singing in the fan happened on the hottest of all days where it was actually too hot to be outside. I enjoyed your walk down memory lane. I’ve sung into the fan as an adult and the type of music excuse me – (crap) – that’s put out now CAN be mimicked into the fan for real!
    Kenya G. Johnson recently posted…The Sex Talk…My Profile

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Kenya they really were. And the time seemed to drag on forever! I still can’t believe that my parents would just let us go out and explore on the farm, which was about 300 acres and we had no cell phones!! Lol!

  8. Judy Freedman says

    I was just thinking about how much simpler life was when I was growing up and the joy these things brought to my life. Now I feel like everything is so technology based and complicated. Your post brought back some of these reminders. Thanks for sharing.
    Judy Freedman recently posted…Skin Fitness For Women Post 50My Profile

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Judy you are right there was something lovely about the non-tech age of the 70’s! I do love when I see my kids play on their own without anything more than their imaginations. I think that can get lost in today’s busy shuffle!

  12. Donna Hanton says

    Kathy, I too share so many similar memories.
    I’m a few years older than you, so had a vague idea what ‘Afternoon Delight’ was about, and I loved the song at the time. Hate it with a passion now!
    The year 2000 thing, worrying that my face would stick like that if the wind changed, being sad that money didn’t grow on trees and wondering how my mother didn’t know whether I was born in a barn or not (always leaving the door open and letting the heat out!) – happy times!

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Donna, I totally forgot about the, “Were you born in a barn” question!!! You are so right, I remember wondering the same thing. I mean wasn’t she there? Was she trying to tell me something!! Lol!

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Thank you Kim. I do look a lot like my mom, and I also have her mannerisms. The strange thing is how much my daughter looks like me. One day I’m going to have to take a picture of my mother, my daughter and myself! xo

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Thanks Cathy! I’m so sorry to not label it, I guess I know who I am and it didn’t occur to me everyone wouldn’t know I was the dark haired girl with the red dress!! Sorry! I was the only dark haired kid, believe it or not. My dad is blonde blue eyed.

      And I always wanted brothers, so I guess we are never happy with what we have! Lol! xox

  17. Kristi Campbell says

    That’s so funny that your dad used to tell you that he was going to take you to live with the pigs. My dad used to tell us that if we didn’t start behaving, that he’d trade us for a corvette. haha. I miss wondering what life would be like when I was at the ripe old age of 35. And staring up at clouds. In fact, I think I should do that more. As a reminder… wonderful post Kathy!!
    Kristi Campbell recently posted…Our Land: Being A Mother And A Survivor Of AbuseMy Profile

  18. Kathy Radigan says

    Thanks so much Kristi! I love that your dad would say he would trade you in for a corvette! Yes, the day I told my dad, “that’s fine, take me to live with pigs” is a day that not only will I never forget, but he won’t either!! I’m telling you, I was pretty darn sure that he wasn’t going to take me but when he pulled out of the driveway I knew one of us was going to have to end this and I knew I was the one who was going to have to do it!! Lol!

  19. The Dose of Reality says

    Oh, this made me tear up!! I *so* remember comparing Easter basket goodies with my brother. I haven’t thought about that for YEARS! It’s such a sweet memory! I love, love, love this post. I hope my children have sweet memories like this when they look back, too! 🙂 –Lisa
    The Dose of Reality recently posted…This Dog’s Life: Meet RinconMy Profile

Much thanks to Joseph Radigan, who besides being a great husband and father, also uses his talents to gently and ever so tactfully edit my blog. Joe is a business editor at Thomson Reuters in NY.
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