Saturday, March 10, 2007

Weekend Assignment #155

John Scalzi, Blogfather, offers us this:

Weekend Assignment #155: Recount a distinctively childish thing you did (or your children did) when you or they were children. Because things like painting your hands pink, or trying to make chocolate milk with mud, or arranging a marriage between your stuffed animals? Not something you're likely to do when you're older.

Extra Credit: The name of your favorite stuffed animal growing up.

So many silly things come to mind!  How do I pick just one!

One Christmas comes to mind.  I received a blue pants suit, in all its 1970-something polyester glory.  Even though it was a light blue, in my 7 or 8 year old mind, so this was '72-73, I decided it was very nurse-like.  

All the grown ups were yakking and no kids had yet to arrive at the house.  I was an only child (until Kathy moved in when I was 17), and a whole slew of cousins popped in and out all day, but this year, no one must have been coming until later.

I disappeared into my room and began work.  I made a sign out of cardboard from presents opened earlier in the day.  The sign was on white, and I wrote FIRST AID in big black letters with a big red cross underneath.  

I raided the bathroom for bandaids and an ace bandage.  I donned my nurse-like light blue polyester pants suit.

I marched downstairs. 

I give my parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles credit, as I don't remember them laughing in my face.  

I marched over to my Uncle Larry (my dad's brother), and proclaimed him injured.  He was always great about playing along and doing anything I wanted.  I wrapped his arm up in the ace bandage, and placed bandaids wherever I could.  I think I kept at it with a bandaid on everyone for a few hours!

My parents even got pictures of this... someday, I may show you all!  LOL

I remember that I had just read two biographies, Florence Nightengale and Clara Barton, and I am sure that is what spurred me on!  

Extra Credit: 

My favorite stuffed animal was the teddy bear that my grandma gave me when I was born.  His name.... Teddy!  No, not very imaginative, but I think my parents started the name before I could speak and it just stuck.  I still have him!  And, he makes the Velveteen Rabbit look good, if you get my drift, but I don't care.  I loved that bear and still do!

My kids have been a little more original with stuffed animal names. 

Hammer's is a bear named Mr. Bear.  If you remember on the tv show Full House, which was huge in the early 90's, one of the girls had a bear of the same name.  My mom and dad gave Hammer that bear before he was born, and it is still up in his bed.

Fuzzy has many animals that he likes to sleep with.  As a baby, he loved this giant Mickey Mouse and always laid it next to him.  Then, the Batman phase began.  More on that later this week for his birthday entry.  He slept with Batman from around ages 3 until 7.  Then came Iggy the Iguana.  He is multi-colored and wears sunglasses.  Very cool.

Pumpkin had a pink stuffed bear from her brothers when she was born that she slept with until she was three years old.  He was named Pinky.  Then, we went to Mystic Seaport where she fell in love with the beluga whales.  She clamored to get out of her stroller and when she did it was so cute... she pressed up against the big glass tank and waved and waved each time they passed. 

So, of course, we bought the biggest stuffed white beluga whale in the gift shop that we could find.  She named him Snowy and he (her choice of gender, too) has been her constant bedtime companion since that day!

I am off to snuggle up with my cat, since Hubby is away!

be well,
Dawn

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I may try this.  Sometimes I recall things I did when I was 5 that are more vivid than things I did last month.

Russ

Anonymous said...

I have been reading this straining to think what or even if, I had a stuffed toy. I don't think I did, as I had a real dog called Penny, who slept on my bed and went everywhere with me.
Gaz x

Anonymous said...

Ahh! The language difference! Stuffed animals? Here we'd call them cuddly toys.

My grandma had stuffed animals, she lived in a scaled down replic of a Victorian Stately Home. There were two fox heads, complete with tails (as known as mask and brush) near the front door. I used to be picked up to 'stroke the doggies'. But my favourite was the large stuffed stag's head, with huge antlers upstairs, on the landing. He was known as Rudolph and on Christmas night would sport an illuminated red nose and presents for the small children.

Anyway, who is this John to give us Weekend Assignments? Does he want to come round and do my housework LOL.

Linda x.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/lindaggeorge/GeorgeMansions/

Anonymous said...

You have great memories!  I love the nurse one.
Have a great Sunday .
hugs
Ellen

Anonymous said...

We were members of the Mystic Aquarium from when Lex was orn until we moved. Those belugas are always smiling! Any pics of Iggy the Iguana?
The nurse story is fun. Yes, photos would be great ;-) It is so cool when adults play along with kids. --Cin

Anonymous said...

That was a cute story.  I have no recolection of anything like that from my childhood.  But I'm sure my kids do.  They also have stuffed animals sicne they have been born and libraries of Pictures.  :)
http://journals.aol.com/mrsm711/LatteDah/     Tracy  

Anonymous said...

What an adorable memory of your childhood. My daughter still has a giraffe that was bought for her before she was born, she never named him oddly enough. When I asked her why she said it was ok, he didn't need a name he just was. (Don't ask) When she was packing for college I almost cried when I saw her pack the giraffe to take with her. Who would of ever thought it would come to mean so much to her. (Hugs) Indigo

Anonymous said...

Oh those polyester pant suits!  My mother made me so many!!  I had one red and white checkered one---I hated it---I felt like "Chubby Checker", and then I had one with a ruffled cottton blouse---like Mrs. Partridge---I told my mom that I felt like George Washington in it...  HA HA HA...  Polyester memories---I hope you can share your pictures!!  Julie :)  

Anonymous said...

LOL I enjoyed reading about 'nurse' Dawn lol!
loving you
karyl

Anonymous said...

I wish I had your gusto as a child!  The only thing I ever pretended to be was Barbie's Fashion Advisor!  And, darn, I was gooooood! :)
--Holly