Monday, October 19, 2009
Leaf/Ice Houses
I can't decide which season is my favorite anymore. Growing up, I would say it had to be Fall. The weather started cooling off, the leaves started falling, and school would be starting. I loved that feeling. We used to have to rake all the leaves in our ginormous yard and bagged them all together as a family. I also remember playing in the piles of leaves. One year us younger siblings created a leaf house of wandering paths and rooms in our backyard. Come to think of it, we did the same thing on the ice one year with the snow we shoveled. We made fun little mazes that connected all over the place and bedrooms and so on. Molly - being the ultimate overachiever in all thing house even shaped perfume bottles out of the snow which froze overnight. We would skate in and out, all around in our snow house on the ice.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Molly - fourth of six
This could be a never-ending post but I'll try and make it brief. Molly was the closest sister my age. We played almost everything together. And we have dozens of stories and memories to go along with them.
House - the one thing I remember about playing house with Molly was that she would always go the most out of her way to build her room, or set the stage. Whereas I was always thinking, 'you know we're going to have to clean this all up so I'll go minimal'. Molly always used the most extensive props. Does that make sense? Another example,
School - when we played school, sometimes we would just spend the time setting up, then Molly would be too tired to actually play. She always made name tags, moved tables, chairs, everything. Sometimes we would play for hours at a time.
I don't remember ever not really getting along with Molly, although we've certainly grown closer and closer over the years. Occasionally we would argue about sharing clothes or . . . I can't really think of anything else. Even when we were older and in high school together I can remember attending things or going to functions together. She was a fun sister to have and never judged me poorly for my choices except on two occasions I can think of: wearing plaid converse sneakers with a different plaid shirt (my grunge stage) and;
my first boyfriend - Russell Pfister who, according to her was the guy all the girls her age avoided at youth dances.
Overall I remember being fairly good playmates for one another along with Brigham. We still laugh at a lot of the memories we have of growing up. Katie and Paula Pace (definitely deserves a post of its own); sharing a bed and me sleeping in my jeans b/c it was comfortable; cleaning our room together; looking through the JCPenney catalogs and smushing or petting ugly or cute babies; driving the gray Oldsmobile Diesel to seminary/high school and the morning we backed into the car parked behind us in the driveway which we both saw beforehand but didn't have mind enough to think about moving it - what? it was really early!
House - the one thing I remember about playing house with Molly was that she would always go the most out of her way to build her room, or set the stage. Whereas I was always thinking, 'you know we're going to have to clean this all up so I'll go minimal'. Molly always used the most extensive props. Does that make sense? Another example,
School - when we played school, sometimes we would just spend the time setting up, then Molly would be too tired to actually play. She always made name tags, moved tables, chairs, everything. Sometimes we would play for hours at a time.
I don't remember ever not really getting along with Molly, although we've certainly grown closer and closer over the years. Occasionally we would argue about sharing clothes or . . . I can't really think of anything else. Even when we were older and in high school together I can remember attending things or going to functions together. She was a fun sister to have and never judged me poorly for my choices except on two occasions I can think of: wearing plaid converse sneakers with a different plaid shirt (my grunge stage) and;
my first boyfriend - Russell Pfister who, according to her was the guy all the girls her age avoided at youth dances.
Overall I remember being fairly good playmates for one another along with Brigham. We still laugh at a lot of the memories we have of growing up. Katie and Paula Pace (definitely deserves a post of its own); sharing a bed and me sleeping in my jeans b/c it was comfortable; cleaning our room together; looking through the JCPenney catalogs and smushing or petting ugly or cute babies; driving the gray Oldsmobile Diesel to seminary/high school and the morning we backed into the car parked behind us in the driveway which we both saw beforehand but didn't have mind enough to think about moving it - what? it was really early!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Can I Take Your Order?
In the summertime, just about the most fun thing to do for lunchtime with my older sisters was to play 'drive-up window'. They would open the screen window to the kitchen and we would go up to the window and ask for lunch. I think they would proceed to tell us our options but it was so fun getting to order lunch and have it served outside.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Who Shot J.R?
I don't remember actually ever watching Dallas growing up. But . . . I do know the theme song and performed it very well with my siblings while standing on the rock fireplace in the living room. We would stand and hum, dum de dum, whatever the tune. Hmm, why did we only do this when my parents weren't home? I have a feeling they didn't watch Dallas either - must have been older siblings?
Merry Christmas
Christmas was and still is my absolute favorite holiday. I don't even really recall it ever being all about the presents. There are so many memories about Christmas that I have growing up. First of all, the snow. I always remember snow at Christmastime. Apparently, this is not true however. Dad told me the other day that we didn't have snow more often than we did. I don't remember this but maybe that was because wintertime just felt like Christmas in Wisconsin.
I remember decorating the Christmas tree as a family with all of our old heirloom (or they are now) ornaments. Where is that red lollipop ornament made out of felt and a lollipop stick with a piece of yarn tied around it? I remember how much I loved that one and would always hang it so I could see it. There were also pretty silk-dressed dolls that I loved to look at.
One year (maybe more) Grandma and Grandpa Landmeier came up and helped dad hang lights outside. It was so cold outside and they had a generator running in the garage. All I remember is how cold my hands were and how we girls would have to help untangle the strands of lights but we LOVED doing it. One year a light bulb popped on Molly's finger or nail and I remember it turned blue and black. I still think of that every year when I put up lights and am very wary of touching the bulbs.
At night we would play Christmas records and lay under the Christmas tree looking at the sparkling lights and the ornaments and trying to guess what was in the presents that were already under the tree. Mom still uses the tree skirt made out of red, green and beighe ruffled fabrics quilted together. Sometimes we would pretend to be conductors and lead the blinking lights on the tree together with the music. I remember the year that Kali wrapped my gift like a reindeer head so that I couldn't guess what it was. The head was a snow globe and the antlers were two ?pencils? sticking up off the sides. I still remember looking at it under the tree trying to guess what it was - it is funny that I don't recall what the snow globe or sticks were, just the creative wrapping.
Mom always gave token clothes gifts. Everything else was a toy, game or something else we could use and then there was always something to wear. (I find myself doing EXACTLY the same thing by default with my own kids. Toys, books, whatever, but always one article of clothing.) One year Molly and I got the most awful sweatpants that billowed at the bottom like a clown. Seriously, I have no idea what was wrong with them, they were awful. Mine were an awful lavender and I think hers were Pepto-Bismol pink. They were ridiculous and surely discounted because they were flawed! I can still picture us wearing them and 'trying' to make them work. They didn't. At all.
One year Santa came to our house. He really did. With Mrs. Claus too! They came right to our front door and came inside and gave us little baggies with treats in them. I know there is a picture of this event somewhere I'll need to find. I later learned that a brother and sister in our ward stopped by that year and surprised all of us - including my parents. Apparently it was a difficult year for our parents and they were just as much surprised as we were. I don't know why I share a story that I remember so little about except that I do remember tears in my father's eyes that night. Maybe that makes me believe that our circumstances weren't as good as I thought or ever knew.
We never hung stockings over the fireplace - for some reason. Instead they were hung on the dining room chair backs surrounding the table and, more importantly, on the carpeted area of the living room. No one was allowed on the carpet in the morning until everyone was awake. This include older sisters who liked to sleep in and/or try to take a shower before we opened gifts.
Here is a picture of a jewelry box I got one year. I adored this but what I liked the most about it, and still look at when Hadley plays with it, is that the little girl in the picture has her ears pierced. Funny what stood out to me but that is why I loved it so much.
I remember decorating the Christmas tree as a family with all of our old heirloom (or they are now) ornaments. Where is that red lollipop ornament made out of felt and a lollipop stick with a piece of yarn tied around it? I remember how much I loved that one and would always hang it so I could see it. There were also pretty silk-dressed dolls that I loved to look at.
One year (maybe more) Grandma and Grandpa Landmeier came up and helped dad hang lights outside. It was so cold outside and they had a generator running in the garage. All I remember is how cold my hands were and how we girls would have to help untangle the strands of lights but we LOVED doing it. One year a light bulb popped on Molly's finger or nail and I remember it turned blue and black. I still think of that every year when I put up lights and am very wary of touching the bulbs.
At night we would play Christmas records and lay under the Christmas tree looking at the sparkling lights and the ornaments and trying to guess what was in the presents that were already under the tree. Mom still uses the tree skirt made out of red, green and beighe ruffled fabrics quilted together. Sometimes we would pretend to be conductors and lead the blinking lights on the tree together with the music. I remember the year that Kali wrapped my gift like a reindeer head so that I couldn't guess what it was. The head was a snow globe and the antlers were two ?pencils? sticking up off the sides. I still remember looking at it under the tree trying to guess what it was - it is funny that I don't recall what the snow globe or sticks were, just the creative wrapping.
Mom always gave token clothes gifts. Everything else was a toy, game or something else we could use and then there was always something to wear. (I find myself doing EXACTLY the same thing by default with my own kids. Toys, books, whatever, but always one article of clothing.) One year Molly and I got the most awful sweatpants that billowed at the bottom like a clown. Seriously, I have no idea what was wrong with them, they were awful. Mine were an awful lavender and I think hers were Pepto-Bismol pink. They were ridiculous and surely discounted because they were flawed! I can still picture us wearing them and 'trying' to make them work. They didn't. At all.
One year Santa came to our house. He really did. With Mrs. Claus too! They came right to our front door and came inside and gave us little baggies with treats in them. I know there is a picture of this event somewhere I'll need to find. I later learned that a brother and sister in our ward stopped by that year and surprised all of us - including my parents. Apparently it was a difficult year for our parents and they were just as much surprised as we were. I don't know why I share a story that I remember so little about except that I do remember tears in my father's eyes that night. Maybe that makes me believe that our circumstances weren't as good as I thought or ever knew.
We never hung stockings over the fireplace - for some reason. Instead they were hung on the dining room chair backs surrounding the table and, more importantly, on the carpeted area of the living room. No one was allowed on the carpet in the morning until everyone was awake. This include older sisters who liked to sleep in and/or try to take a shower before we opened gifts.
Here is a picture of a jewelry box I got one year. I adored this but what I liked the most about it, and still look at when Hadley plays with it, is that the little girl in the picture has her ears pierced. Funny what stood out to me but that is why I loved it so much.
There is another story re Santa Claus that I'd like to share but will refrain from for 'young' ears. Suffice it to say - Molly, just because you know something doesn't mean you have to ruin it for your younger sister. You robbed me of two years that you had. Is that what you're trying to make up for at Christmastime with my kids?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Rx or Candy
I remember mom always having these Luden's Wild Cherry Throat Drops in her purse and she would offer one whenever she dug in her purse for anything. The other day I found some and had to buy them just to taste them again. Yep, they still taste more like candy than any kind of medicine.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sugar Cookies Means FROSTING!
As many of us know, Molly loves frosting. Don't get me wrong, most of us like or enjoy frosting but Molly loved(s) frosting. Kali was always up for making us sugar cookies to decorate at Christmastime. Here are Molly and I decorating semi-burnt cookies with frosting that I am sure we colored ourselves. But the story doesn't end here. Trust me, just mention "snowman cookie" to Molly and she'll know what I am referring to. It was only snowman cookie that was decorated with about two inches of frosting. (I can't tell if said cookie is at the bottom of the picture. Suffice it to say it still needed an inch more of frosting on it.) If memory serves me correctly Brigham ended up getting sick for some reason and we had to go get medicine for him so we left the cookies on the kitchen counter. When we returned, said snowman cookie was gone. I think Flash was sick later that evening. Or was that what made Brigham sick? I don't recall which one of them got a hold of that cookie but I do remember that it disappeared.
Some noteworthy observations about this picture:
1) Awesome Tupperware containers with lids in brown, orange and harvest gold.
2) My incredible sweatshirt didn't make me look puffy, it was actually reversible but made of double-puff fabric. I loved it with all the stars on it and wearing it with purple stretch pants.
3) Notice that the kitchen table has stuff on the end of it. Surprise surprise. This is for another post but we all know the issue with the stuff on the kitchen table.
Some noteworthy observations about this picture:1) Awesome Tupperware containers with lids in brown, orange and harvest gold.
2) My incredible sweatshirt didn't make me look puffy, it was actually reversible but made of double-puff fabric. I loved it with all the stars on it and wearing it with purple stretch pants.
3) Notice that the kitchen table has stuff on the end of it. Surprise surprise. This is for another post but we all know the issue with the stuff on the kitchen table.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)