Searching for Sioux

And Jenny Morrow, and Kathryn Pallotta. Elizabeth Goodfellow. Susan Handschiegal.

The Google Aerial view and Hola, Isabel's post on reconnecting got me googling.

I don't know what happened to these four girls. Beth was my KINDERGARTEN best friend. I don't really expect to have much in common with my best friend at age five, but I'm still curious what happened to her. I think she went along a very predictable route and is probably married with kids. She was blonde and pretty and thin.

Jenny was first grade - we talked far too much. She was a tiny, thin little girl who pointed with her middle finger. She was a bit left of center, and probably went a bit bohemian (I think her parents were, anyway).

Kathryn (Kit Kat), second grade, I vote most likely to have joined a sorority. Everything about her was neat and in place. She was small, and had two much older brothers. Possibly in college by the time I knew her.

And Sioux (Susan) was third grade, my crazy twin.

My friends never seemed to mesh well at the same time, and though Jenny, Kit Kat, and Sioux were all in third grade together, I think I was the only commonality among them. I have always wondered what happened to them. I think if you stay in one place your friendships have the luxury of growing and changing, and you can decide who will know you from age 5 on up. But when you move a few times your friendships are amputated, and though we tried to write, junior high doesn't translate well on paper. I wonder who I'd still be friends with had I stayed somewhere.

My front lawn

I have frequently told people I used to live on six acres of land in rural
Jersey.

Well, this was my house.

See that driveway? It loops on the "left", also known as the "bottom" because the hill is quite steep. Our sledding would start "above" the house (in the picture), veer down across the left lawn and across the driveway to the bottom.

If you look below the house you will notice a stand of trees apart from the other trees. Those are Christmas trees that we planted in 1987, my father's idea of a cash crop.

Behind the house (to the right, that is) you can see the woods that we would just walk back into to go for a hike.

Edited to add: This Google aerial view is quite addictive.

Preschool/Kindergarten
(I actually had to google my friend's address because I didn't remember our address off hand, but I just looked for the park we would ride our big wheels through and yes, there's Franklin Hill Drive, that's the old road!)

First through Third grade

The above link was 4th-6th grade.

Junior High and High School was spent here

I must say, particularly from above, the New Jersey shots are the prettiest, right? All the trees and greenery, houses are far apart. I don't wonder why I take offense when people put down New Jersey - what I saw of it was beautiful.

Also, thank God I didn't have access to this type of mapping as a kid or my hiking from the Vernon house (the one that started all this) would have been even stupider. I can now SEE how I could have gotten to my friend Amanda's house and GUARANTEE I would have done it. I tried a few times but didn't quite know the angle to go.

Exasperation

When I am dealing with my active boy running, jumping and climbing somewhere, I have gotten the comment about how it's hard now, but when he's a teenager, he'll be SO MUCH EASIER to parent than the little girls who are currently NOT using sticks as swords and smacking their friends on the head.

I now have a glimpse into the future. He's going to be a fun teenager, too!

We drove home from my mother's late last night, (um, 7:30. Late in respect to the KIDS) and I told Luke he would be going straight to bed or the Easter Bunny wouldn't come. He readily agreed since by the end of the day he is exhausted. I told that he wouldn't have to clean up his room before bedtime (as he usually must) because I had already cleaned today.

He leaned forward in his carseat "Did you clean up the cars?"

"Yes." I answered, leaning back to look at him.

He throws himself back in the carseat and rolls his eyes, and I was suddenly looking at our future, my three year old at 8, 10, 13. It's not pretty.

Proof of Girl

Sorry for my commentary!

Lucid

Esposo has lucid dreams - as in, he knows he's in a dream and then he can change what happens in the dream. I'm aware I'm dreaming in my dreams, but I've never consciously tried to change them, I just let them take me along for the ride. My unconscious is way more screwed up than my conscious.

So last night, I was talking on the phone to my college ex while the children were asleep - telling him how great the kids are while thinking 'Why am I talking to this person?' when I looked out my bedroom window and saw four funnel clouds.

I grabbed the kids (had to wake them up, remember) and headed to the basement. Then I tried to (literally) herd our cats into the basement. And there were PEOPLE outside so I got them to come inside into our basement. And I opened the back door and random cats were in the yard so I herded them in.

And I had to get candles and a radio and some water for everyone...

And the part where it gets weird? I went into the basement and the people I had pulled in off the street? They wanted me to organize their summer softball team.

And I said sure! Put your name, phone number, and email on this paper...

Anticipating

"I want to play cars with you."

"Can Courtney play too?"

"Yeah"

"Are you going to yell at her?"

"Yeah"

"Don't yell at her."

"But she's gonna take cars!"

It's A Girl!

It is becomig increasingly apparent that I have had a GIRL baby. Besides the lack of twig and berries, she is petite, social oriented, and noticeably (physically) slower. She also now loves her baby dolls. She has three different dolls that she hugs and pats and drags along with her. I find this rather cute, though I was not tremendously into baby dolls myself.

She is also developing an opinion on her clothing. She wants a coat on, no, not that one, the other one. And also that hat. No, take it off. No, put it back on. Off. On. How about some shoes? This clothing thing scares me, honestly. I expected it... eventually. But she's ONE. Not yet, thanks!

Not quite sure what to do with this girl...

3 is a Smartass

I began cleaning up a bit this evening, and encountered Luke's cars spread from one side of the kitchen to the other.

"Luke! You need to come pick up your cars!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to step on them! That would hurt and might break your cars!"

*pat pat pat* come three year old feet.

"No, Mom, you just need to step really high, like this." he says as he demonstrates the proper way to negotiate the scattered cars.

Green Again

Our winter here dragged on for about 3 years too long, with the snow piling up and the weather all cold and windy, and in the midst of that I neglected my green missions. It's a hazard of winter for most of us, the loss of ambition and onset of depression. We're very thankful for spring around here!!

And since I looked out back and saw my tiger lilies poking through - hey, plants, guess what? Not REALLY warm enough yet, turn back! - I started thinking about getting green again. Specifically, this is the year of the compost bin. I have located one at Sam's Club online, which is an interesting conundrum in itself. Ideally I wouldn't have to buy a plastic thing to compost, but I do live in the suburbs and my house is visible from all sides. It has to be remotely attractive. And contained. Especially considering Esposo saw some coyotes running down the street the other night.

I digressed... we are back in cloth diapers and I'll be taking my plastic/canvas bags to the store again. And eating healthier again. And losing the 28 pounds I want to lose. And getting a Masters Degree in "Magic Money Tree Propagation". It's going to be a good year!!

Leader, Follower, or Independent

I am always wondering what kind of personality my kids will have when they are a bit older, and what their school days will be like. My own were a mix because of frequent moves, and looking back at elementary school, I would say I was an 'independent' mostly, but I also frequently took the role of 'leader' in my close friendships. Later I definitely leaned more independent.

Luke seems to be following the same path, or so I thought. I certainly wasn't pegging him for leader, especially compared to some other children I've seen, who collect an orbit of admirers without even looking at them. But lately, Luke's leadership qualities have been coming out in a rather odd way.

He's been getting all his friends to take their clothes off.

It started when he and his friend Nuit (haha! Name changed!) were playing upstairs while the mommies were downstairs. We called up 'what are you guys doing?' and Nuit answered "We're just naked." Indeed they were, down to their underwear. Pictures were taken...

Later that week there was simple belly exposure from three boys (Luke included, of course) at a playgroup. Apparently growling was involved with the lifting of the shirt. More pictures...

At a third playgroup Luke was playing with one friend and told him to remove his shirt, same thing at a fourth playgroup with a different boy. And the kids do! I'm desperately curious as to what Luke is saying to these kids, I'm guessing it's as simple as 'You should take off your shirt.', because kids rarely need more incentive to get nekkid. But still, Luke is flexing his persuasive and leadership powers, one shirt at a time.

There is Esposo's family story of Oldest Brother convincing Middle Brother (Esposo is Youngest Brother, FYI) to ride down the street on his Big Wheel. Naked. I should keep an eye on Courtney...

There's A Reason I Don't Share

We had some people come in to give us a quote on our kitchen remodel. And oh! The quote is high. It is many dollars, but it involves a lot more than simply replacing cabinets and appliances, it involves moving walls and covering up our giant wall o' brick fireplace. In involves all new electrical, a sliding glass door, and putting real, true, hardwood floor in half my downstairs.

Usually I don't share numbers with people. What I make, what I owe, what we bought something for. It's just not a good plan, there's always some aspect of competition or 'deal making' or something stupid. I don't like talking money and I don't like when other people talk money. I can presume someone is 'wealthy' or 'not wealthy' without having to know the details, and occasionally, when I find myself turning a bit green at something someone else has, related to money, I ask myself "Do I want their life?" Always, always, the answer is no.

But, Esposo shared the numbers and so I went against my usual thoughts. And shared other numbers.

Can I take it back? Because, dude, other people are flipping out about the numbers. They want to tell me how to 'do it cheaper' or give me their guys (literally, three people have offered up their 'guys'). Maybe if we had made some huge financial mistakes in the past I could see this. But we are so. freaking. conservative.

The people we like? They have a project plan. With bullet points. I like bullet points. This is half my house! My kitchen we are ripping out! No 'guys'.