Disney FF – Is she real?!

 

I like to keep our photo albums from past Disney trips within easy reach so we can pull them out and look at them whenever we feel like it.  The other night, Ian was very grumpy (aka tired) and I thought looking at a Disney album might calm him down (I was right!)  Anyway, he was quite interested in this picture (and I thought it would be a good one for this week’s Flashback Friday).  His exact words = “Is that Tinkerbell real?!”  Ummm . . . YES!

 

 
(picture taken January 2009 – Ian was 2 and Gracie was 8)

Disney FF ~ gone but not forgotten

 

I totally forgot about the new Disney Flashback Friday last week.  Yikes!  This week, I’m going to share an attraction that is no longer at Walt Disney World – 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  I guess the new Fantasyland expansion project will totally cover up the area where this attraction was located.

I remember riding this ride in the late 80’s and thinking it was so cool!  When I took my own family back for our first family trip, it was gone. :( 

Friday Flashback – Back to School

This week, the Friday Flashback theme is Back to School! 
Yeah!

Did your family have any back-to-school traditions when you were growing up? I can remember going shopping with my mom for back-to-school clothes and/or selecting things from the Sears catalog to order.  Remember Garanimals (back before Wal-mart picked them up) – those great mix-n-match clothes you could buy?  I can still remember a particular Garanimals set I had in probably 6th grade.  LOL

Were you generally eager or reluctant to start school? Eager!  I loved school.  I was an only child (until I was almost 15), so it was fun to get back to school and have some peers/companionship.  Plus, I love learning and was always a teacher’s pet, which was fun!

Was buying school supplies a big deal or did you order them through the school? Major big deal!  Still is. I’m a confessed school supply junky!  Gotta love school supplies!  My kids aren’t even in “real” school, and we still go a little crazy over the back-to-school displays!

Were there any school supplies you particularly loved?  I loved Trapper Keepers.  I don’t know if I was spoiled or if this was normal – but I had quite a few of them (probably picked a new one every year).  And, the funny thing is that up until the recent renovation on our attic (converting it into a bedroom for Ashley), I still had them all – complete with folders, notes, tests and quizzes, etc.  It was hard to part with them, but they’re not gone.

Did you take your lunch or buy it at school? Brown bag or lunch box/thermos? In elementary school, I normally bought lunch there.  In 6th grade, I started attending a Christian school, and starting packing most  days.  At the time, the school was in a church with a very small kitchen, so there was always one hot item available daily and that was it.  I did buy on days when I liked what was offered (some of my favorites were pizza rolls and pierogies).

Does the first day of school from any grade stand out? Not particularly.

Did you ride the bus, walk, or go by car to school? In elementary school, I attended school right up the street from my house, so I walked.  When I switched to the Christian school, there were  a group of parents from our church that went together and bought a van – then the parents took turns driving us to school in the  big van. 

Do you remember how early or late school began/dismissed each day? I’m not 100% sure, but 8am – 3pm sticks in my mind.

Did you go to kindergarten? Half-day or whole day?  Yes. I attended the afternoon kindergarten. I still remember the first day of kindergarten too.  The teacher, Mrs. Kerstetter, had these heads on a bulletin board – they were made out of paper plates and had construction paper hair.  I think it sticks out in my mind because mine had blond hair and I always thought my hair was brown (of course, I still do, and when I tried brown hair dye it was WAY too dark.  LOL)  I ran into Mrs. Kerstetter somewhere in the not too distant past and she still remembered me! 

Flashback Friday Medical Memories

Were you prone to accidents and injuries when you were growing up? Did you ever break a bone? Knock out any teeth? Get stitches? Have you ever ridden in the back of an ambulance? Did you ever have surgery or spend any time in a hospital? How did your folks treat injuries and illnesses? With lots of TLC or by telling you to get a stiff upper lip? Was there a particular home remedy that your mom (or dad or whoever!) used or any "traditions" involving injuries or illnesses? What's the worst injury (or illness) you had when you were growing up?

I was not an accident-prone kid.  For the first 15 years of my life, I was an only child.  I was more content indoors with a good book!

I remember minor little accidents when I was little – always treated with some Bactine and/or a band-aid. (I was surprised when I looked up Bactine for a picture that it’s still very much available.  Not sure how I miss it in the stores.  We’re more into Neosporin around here these days.)

Once, when I was in the 5th  grade, we were doing a project in art class that required us to cut shapes out of cardboard boxes using razor knives.  Looking back on that experience, I can’t imagine supplying 5th grade students with razor knives – I’m sure they’re not even allowed in schools these days.  I’d never give one to Gracie to use, that’s for sure.  Anyway, being the leftie that I am, I was apparently cutting toward myself, rather than away; and I sliced right through my right wrist.  I was immediately rushed to the boys’ bathroom (the closest) for cleansing, and was taken downstairs to the janitor (talk about small town USA!) who called my grandparents. I remember sitting there waiting, trying not to panic at the amount of blood.  I begged my Pap to take me to my mom (who was at work in a nursing home about 1/2 an hour away). 

I should have had stitches, but I cried and begged my mom not to – so she fixed me up with some “butterfly” bandages.  I still have a scar.  Oh well. 

I’ve never had stitches (except for after giving birth to Ashley and after my tubal pregnancy surgery – both were the kind that dissolve on their own – thank God!)  I’ve never had a broken bone.  Good thing too because, truth be told, I’m rather a wimp! 

Friday Flashback ~ my childhood home

This week’s Friday Flashback prompt is meant to jog our memories and get us thinking about our childhood homes, but because I’m busy today and getting ready to head out for a weekend trip to TN, I’m going to answer each question (or at least as many as I’m able) right IN the prompt.

Where did you live when you were growing up? In a house or an apartment? A mobile home or a duplex? The first year of my life was spent in an apartment (or 2 or 3).  But, when I was 1 year old, my parents built a ranch house and I spent the next 20 years of my life there!

Did your parents rent or own? Own

Was it big or small?  It was your average 70’s ranch-style home. Probably small, by today’s standards – since everyone has to build huge homes these days. But there was plenty of space for the 3 of us – and later my 2 brothers.  It was a 3-bedroom, 1-bath home.  We later built a 4th bedroom and 2nd bathroom in the basement (along with a large family room)

In a city, small town, or rural area? In a small  town in central PA.

In the USA or another country? Definitely the US.

Did you have your own room or share with siblings? Thanks to being an only child for 15 years, and for eventually getting two younger brothers, I always had my own room!

Did you have a say in how your room was painted/decorated? Yes, for sure.  It was usually “decorated” with clothes on the floor and lots and lots of books!

Did your folks update/redecorate periodically or was your house "stuck" in a certain decade? That house went through a lot of changes and updates over the years; but one thing remained a constant – the 70’s green appliances in the kitchen.

Did you have a yard? A swingset or other play areas? Yes, we had about an acre. It was built on a hill, which was a great advantage for sledding in the winter months.  I did have a swingset and spent a lot of time on it in my early years.

What was your neighborhood like? Were there lots of kids to play with? It was on a back street in this town, and was a relatively quiet place.  Unlike the street I live along today, it was safe to go out walking and biking and you’d see very little traffic. There were a few kids over the years that I spent time playing with.  One girl, in particular, spent a lot of time playing Barbie’s with me.  I often wonder what happened to her.  I should look for her on FB!

Did your family stay in one place or did you move? If so, how many times did you move by the time you graduated from high school? Did you like moving or long to stay in one place? As mentioned above, I stayed in that house for 20 years.  Same house, same town, until I got married . . .

Are your parents still in the home you grew up in (or at least the one you lived in when you graduated from high school) or did they move and you haven't lived with them in their latest house? Does it feel like home? My parents stayed in that house until my  youngest brother graduated from high school and went off to college.  Then, they bought a new house right up the street from where we live.  It’s another small town in central PA, about a 1/2 hour from the town I grew up in.  It’s where my mom’s family roots are.  At first, I was very resistant to their selling “my” house and moving.  But, we spend a lot of time with my parents and their new house seems like home now too.  At first, we actually considered buying my childhood home and moving back there; sometimes I wish we would have – but I’m really glad to have my parents close by and developing great relationships with my kids.

What were your favorite and least favorite things about your physical home? In 1985, my parents bought a waterbed and added a 4th bedroom in the basement, which they moved into. At that time, I inherited the master bedroom upstairs – complete with 2 closets and tons of space.  I loved that bedroom and having it all to myself.  LOTS of closet space – which I would love to have now!

How similar or different is it to where you live now? My home has pretty much nothing in common with the house I grew up in.  It’s an older home (built in 1929), and it’s a 2-story.  Aside from the fact that it’s a 3-bedroom (we’ve added a 4th in the attic) and has the laundry in the basement, I can’t  think of much else that is similar to my childhood home.

*I wish I had pictures to share.  I’d have to dig them out and scan them though and don’t have the time today.  Maybe later . . .