by Jackie

These are special memories for my children now that they are going to be parents.  

I remember when depositing a check on payday would reward you children with sticky suckers.  Little round balls of cherry and chocolate that dripped down your chins, gluing their fingers to the sticks and later preserving your fingerprints on the windows of the car.

That was OK with me because while you were licking those suckers you weren’t arguing or hitting each other.  I remember a few times when these sticks ended up stuck to the ends of someone’s hair (usually a child who was not licking it) I could have done without that.

I remember when you kids were happy to go to the Dairy Queen for a simple chocolate covered cone with a curl on top. Later you needed a Brownie Delight, Peanut Buster Parfait, or Blizzard.  This also was an occasion for fingerprints and sticky drips on windows, doors, shoes, socks, cloths and glasses.

I remember when walking to the playground, swinging on the swings, and playing in the sandbox brought you children pure delight.  Later though when the sand from your shoes was all over the house I was anything but delighted.

I remember when camping on a weekend, sitting buy the log fire at night, listening to the sounds of the crickets, and the crackling of the fire was an occasion of peace and contentment.  After finding the sticks we’d roast marshmallows.  They weren’t good unless we caught them on fire and blew them out.  To us they were better than the finest caviar.  Of course trying to get everyone packed for the weekend, and unpacking when we got home was a chore only mom was allowed to enjoy.

I remember when August came and we all headed out to buy some new cloths for school.  The girls were bored in the boys department and the boys were bored in the girls department.  I was in sticker shock in both departments and we all ended up in the layaway department.  What fun that was!

I remember when each child started their first day of school I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.  When Greg started school I had the principle calling our house because he would not stay in his classroom. Oh, I remember that day well. What I didn’t know then was that Ricky and Chrissy had told him terrible stories about his teacher and he was one scared little fellow.  

I remember going for rides on Sunday afternoons and paying close attention to the cows.  If they were lying down we knew it was going to rain, if they were standing up the day would be sunny.  Usually they were half laying down, half standing up, so those cows never told us a darn thing, but we kept watching them.

I remember scratching at the bottom of my purse for money from the tooth fair and on one occasion putting an IOU from the tooth fairy under a pillow.  The only money in the house was in you kids piggy banks and it wouldn’t have been fair to use that, or would it.

I remember watching those fireworks on the 4th of July with the youngest one crying from freight and burying their tiny round face between my shoulder and cheekbone. I was their safety, their refuse and their serenity.  It’s only now that I realize that you were my safety, refuse and serenity.

So many hours, so many weeks, so many days, and so many years – now only living in my memories. Beware for the same thing will happen to you.  Don’t try to rush through parenthood, it’s a gift to treasure. Enjoy it.

Love Ya,

Mommy (Aunt Jackie and grandma)