In Germany

Memory Lane

You may have thought that when we lived in Redondo Beach we lived on Ralston Lane. Actually, I think it was Memory Lane. And in Placentia when we thought we lived on Swanson Avenue...no it was really Memories Avenue. Fast forward to Pocatello where we lived on Spaulding and Centennial- really just another version of our own Memory Street or Road.
Pictures paint a thousand words and fill me with thousands of memories.

We didn't live in the house on Spaulding very long- but think of the memories provided in that short time-

• the downstairs shower was too short for John of Jeff to stand up in
• thinking that the school was providing the trumpet we didn't rent one for Shaunika until the night before chair tryouts - and she still place for "first chair" beating out the two boys who had alternately had first chair
• the big pot of clam chowder that Judy brought over
  
• dad had to drive the U-haul to work so I had the van to take Jeff to ISU early mornings for band practice
• I took Birke for a haircut and he told the lady he wanted it cut like Batman's - with 2 pokes
• Merika started her second year of second grade
  

John learned how to say his name.

John has some problems with his speech. When he was almost 3 I asked the pediatrician when to worry. I was starting to worry because he was starting to talk louder if he was not being understood. She said that most kids should be understandable by most adults by the time they are three and at that point she would refer him to speech therapy. He couldn't say his consonants. So instead of mommy it would sound like ummy. Most of the time I could understand what he was talking about because I had been with him all day and knew the context of his comments. Dad had a hard time, and often I did also. But Jeff always knew what he was talking about so I would often ask Jeff what John was saying. He had speech 2 x a week for a number of years. The speech therapist was impressed that he had such good language skills,but he had apraxia, and there was just a disconnect between his brain and his tongue.
He was in about 3rd grade when he could finally say that his name was "John" instead of "On", so since he could make the Ju sound we went to Target and bought him a GI JOE!

Logan- "when I was a little boy"

All through the years, Kirt has told kids all the interesting stories about when he was a little boy.

When we lived in Kansas, and I was pregnant with Shaunika I had had a really rough day. We had supper, and then I went upstairs and got John (20 months old) to bed. Putting John to bed was quite a routine. He really liked Sesame Street, and around his entire crib he had stuffed characters and bears and toys. He had to say good night to each one. I came back downstairs and after a little while it was time to put Jeffery to bed. I was just so tired, I asked Logan(5-in kindergarten) to take him up and put him to bed. He took Jeff up and it seemed like quite a while before he returned.

When Logan came back downstairs, he told me that he tucked Jeff in and told him "a story about when he(Logan) was a little boy." I had to chuckle.

Swimming in Trash Can Lids

Shortly after we moved to Redondo Beach we bought new large trash cans. The lids were about 12 inches high/deep. When they were new, and it was hot(summer)we would turn them over and fill them with water. They made nice, individual swimming pools for whichever child wanted the comfort of the cool water.
Later, the kids told their teachers that they went swimming in trash can lids. I wonder what they thought!
These lids were also great to make a terrarium type thing. John would fill them with dirt and he and Jeff would put in some twig trees and make diorama type places for the G.U.T.S. guys, or little GI Joe guys.
Sometimes John would make a little nature scene and collect bugs in them.