Think about your childhood....what comes to mind? Food you ate? Games you played? Places you visited? Do certain smells or pictures trigger a flood of memories? Do you remember certain TV shows or songs and it takes you back to "the good old days"? This week was our family's spring break....and since there was no surprising them to any vacation resort, I made an executive decision to take a trip down memory lane....
Me: This spring break we are taking a trip!
#s: YAHOOOOO!!!!!! You're surprising us again with a trip!
Me: Not just any trip....a trip down memory lane!
#1: That doesn't sound like fun.
#2: No, it doesn't.
#3: Do we get to buy a stuffed animal? Is it that kind of lane trip?
Me: We are going to do things that I did as a kid.
#s: OH NO!!!!!!!
....and sadly, they've been dreading this trip for the last two weeks. In fact, spring break didn't look so good to them since I told them about my idea. But the time came for the '70s, '80s, '90s spring break memory lane trip and I was so excited!
Sunday...
We started off just like I would have as a little girl. We went to church (yes, we do that every Sunday anyway) and then stayed until the last people left. We then went out to eat with some friends. When I was little, we would always go to Quincy's (those big, fat yeast rolls).....but since I don't like buffets and that restaurant isn't even around, we opted to eat Mexican food. We would have never done that when I was little. It was Quincy's, KFC, and the occasional Luby's Cafeteria....so this was much better. :)
Monday...was rockin'.....we cleaned. Yes, I grew up in a household that cleaned. We usually did that on Saturdays, but Monday was just fine. I'm sure the #s were very excited that they got to do a household chore that I had to do growing up. Spreadin' the love!
We did go outside.....electronic free for four hours. Sad thing...I got zero pictures or I would have had my electronic. We played games on the trampoline and had a blast. We laughed so much while we made up games and just had fun. Around hour three, we were a little tired, so we laid down on the trampoline and looked at the clouds. Then we did what I used to do (and sometimes still do)....we made pictures and stories out of the clouds that were passing over us. We had fun making up stories and finding dragons and dogs out of the clouds.....
#2: When you were little, where did you lay down?
Me: On the deck....on on the slide.
#3: You didn't have a trampoline?
Me: No.
#1: Hummmm.....
.....and when we went back inside, we ate dinner with Hubby as a family. Just a fun time getting the kids outside and having fun without a care in the world.
On Tuesday, we got up and got ready and headed to the mall. I spent many a times at Cool Springs Galleria walking the mall with my friends. This is what #1 wanted to do for his birthday so it worked out quite nicely for my "memory lane spring break". We ended up going to Opry Mills and it was so nice to see the #s look at stuff, pick up things and put them back, check prices, realize that things are overpriced...and make a stuffed animal. No, we wouldn't have done that as a kid, but #3 did ask about getting a stuffed animal. We met my parents there to celebrate #1's birthday....which lead to eating out....which lead to a political conversation. I mean, seriously folks, it's like I was in 9th grade again. :)
Wednesday we too the #s to the movies. I would meet my friends there at times. We explained to the #s that prices never used to be this high and how ridiculous it was to really go see a movie anymore since they come out so quickly on DVD or iTunes. Apparently a lot of my childhood was complaining about the price of things. We did go to store and let them pick out a TV dinner....
#1: So we just pick out what we want and we take it home?
Me: Yes....after you pay for it.
#3: And we put it in the microwave?
Me: Yes.
#2: And we eat in front of the tv?
Me: Hence the name "TV Dinner".
To start off our day on Thursday, I introduced the #s to a cereal called "Cracklin' Oat Bran". Seriously folks, I've been eating this cereal since 4th grade....so....I can say I've been "regular" since 4th grade. And you know what....they loved it. WHAT?!?!?!?!?!? I remember Mom and Dad going to get ready and we would sneak the sugar container out of the cabinet and pour sugar all over our cereal just to be able to swallow it. I remember scraping the sugar from the bottom of the bowl and having that little bit of milk to be able to swallow it and not choke. And what happens when I introduce this piece of yuckiness to my #s? They end of loving it. Of course they do.
We ended up having soccer practice which was fabulous! We talked about how commitment to a team is being there for each other....not like I had to talk #2 into going to practice. As he practiced, I walked a few miles. This is something that I would do every day when I was little. I would walk around our neighborhood and say hi to friends and make sure I was home by dinner. #1 and #3 played on the playground which was also what we would do at friend's homes. We had another great time being outdoors and electronic free. Don't get me wrong, I like having my electronics around, but sometimes it's good to just get away!
My favorite part was showing them what a TV dinner was. You would have thought I was introducing them to something that had just been invented. They were amazed that in one meal came pizza, corn and a brownie for #3 and corn dogs, fries, corn, and a brownie for #1 and #2. They couldn't get over how short of a time it took to cook the meal. And when I put their meal on the table in the den and turned on the TV, you would have thought they won the lottery. And you know what shows I introduced them to? Mama's Family and Family Matters. They loved it. We also had homemade chocolate chip cookies and milk....and they dunked their cookies in their milk and watched the cookies crumble in the milk....it was a night that I absolutely loved. I had my all time TV dinner....Banquet Chicken Pot Pie. I'm pretty sure I'm still drinking water to get rid of the salt intake, but it sure did bring back memories.
On Friday we did nothing. I mean, nothing. I'm pretty sure the #s were in their pajamas all day and nobody cared. We didn't get a lot of those days growing up, but when we did, they were absolutely wonderful and we took full advantage of them....just like we did on Friday!
Saturday was a time of cleaning up. The #s played outside while I worked on some boxes in the garage and Hubby started working on the front porch. It was nice to hear the #s laughing outside as they played ball and jumped on the trampoline.
So today is our last day of spring break. We started our day with our friends at church and then on the way home, we looked at houses that were for sale. Funny....we did that a lot on Sunday afternoons when we were growing up. We came home and ate pizza and introduced them to Gilligan's Island...another childhood favorite...and they couldn't believe it was in black and white! Now we are getting last minute stuff ready for school this week....just like we did on Sunday afternoons growing up....
As the #s and I discussed this week of walking down memory lane, I realized that there are a lot of things that I want for my #s that I didn't get while growing up, but I also didn't have such a bad childhood. I joke about only eating TV dinners, scrambled eggs and oatmeal, but I did love all those things and oatmeal takes me back to my childhood the second I start eating it. I look back and see how hard mom and dad worked so I would get the things I needed and wanted....so I could do the things I wanted to do. I see that I want to give them things that they want, but I want them to know that "things" aren't near as important as family. I want them to remember the good times and not the times of anxiety and frustration. But the best was when the #s started letting me what they thought about this week....
#3: I like it.....I even liked the tv shows....even the one that was not in color.
#2: I think we should have TV dinners more often...they are good.
#1: You know....it wasn't so bad when you were a kid...I could do this spring break again.
....and friends, THAT is what you call a success in our life by numbers!
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Thanks for reading and commenting! God bless you!
Grace and Peace,
Kelley