Kids Will Always be Kids

Yesterday Jason was sworn in to the army recruits. He asked me twice if what he was wearing looked good because he wanted to stand out without standing out too much. Even though money is tight he purchased a yellow shirt just so he could make a good impression. He was very excited yet anxious. When I saw him leaving I thought of the little boy who loved to carry my garbage to the shoot to watch it go down (I would save it up just for James and Jason to get their thrills). I saw that same wide-eyed excitement.

Don and I were going to go down with him to watch him get sworn in but he said he would like to go on his own. I also thought how grown up he has become. It was something he wanted to do on his own.

Joanne, you have a fine son - one who has carefully thought through the decision he has made. He has worked hard to get through his obstacles and is proud of being a recruit. He doesn't take his decision lightly. You must be very proud of him, too!

A Home Memory

Reading Barbara's blog got me to thinking about our hoe on Freeport. It was a child's paradise. My special memories of our home and street:

1. playing hide-and-go-seek with most of the kids on the street. I loved to hide in the woods. 2. building tree forts.
3. hiding from the man in the caboose! We thought he reported children to the police.
4. sneaking across the tracks to eat strawberries (I think I only did this a couple of times) or into the orchard to eat apples (the farmer really loved us for this!)
5. playing house in the woods - I made a livingroom, diningroom, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom inbetween the trees. The leaves made great toilet paper! (how rude...)
6. riding the bicycle on the paths through the woods and pretending I was traveling on a real road.
7. eating rubbarb dipped in sugar, fresh from the Chandler's garden.
8. the GoGo girl cutouts on our bedroom wall. We thought they were so cool.
9. playing hide and seek in the basement and the favourite hiding spot was the speaker.
10. our first sleepover was in the basement.
11. Mr. Cakoe (?) and his friendly words. He had a favourite song, too! I think it was about Joanne in a bikini (?). She wore an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny yelow polka dot bikini.
12. I think it was Mr. Cakoe's son who had a convertable and he gave the kids a ride around the block.
13. Riding double after being told not to and we fell. Cathy Jane needed to get stitches.
14. Stephen taking my brand new bicycle and having an accident with it. I was more concerned about my new bike that I hadn't even ridden yet rather than Stephen who banged his head - such sibling love!
15. Seeing baby birds in the tree outside our bedroom window.
16. yelling to the kids in the house attached to us through the bathroom wall.
17. mom hanging the laundry on the line
18. Mrs. Chandler feeding the squirrels and chipmunks. She would call them and they would come down out of the trees to eat from her hand.