C is for Childhood

My parents are downsizing yet again, so last weekend I was in Jacksonville helping to clean out their house.   Although I am doing just fine, I was deemed "not fit for duty" in the stifling garage and was relegated to tasks inside the air conditioned house.  (And yes, I owe my siblings a huge debt of gratitude for that one!) So I settled in on the sofa, surrounded by many boxes and bags of old photo albums and frames. There was a lot to cull through - my mother chronicled every birthday, holiday and graduation - but the time flew by as I relived the best memories of my childhood, album by album.  There were countless pictures of my siblings, too, but hey, this is my blog.  :)

The early years:   Sure, I am biased, but I was absolutely adorable.   I'm in footie pajamas or a smocked dress in every shot, complete with a bowl haircut and an impish grin.

The middle school years:  Ah, the 70's were tragic.  I got glasses, acne and boobs all at the same time, and I wore the unflattering bell bottoms and earth shoes of the day.

The early high school years:  My glasses got bigger and my skirts got shorter, and apparently I was trying to channel Farrah Fawcett with my perfectly feathered hair.

The later high school years:  A move from rural Michigan to the suburbs of Chicago inspired my classic preppy look.   Alligators, add-a-beads and madras ruled my wardrobe, and I traded my coiffed hair for a ponytail and ribbons.

The albums continued well past my high school years, but it was the photos from my childhood that made me smile the most. I know I'm looking back with rose colored glasses, but my formative years were pretty idyllic.  We had everything we needed and most of what we wanted.  Dad worked hard at a job I knew nothing about, and Mom was always there to fix us a snack or drive us to an activity or appointment.  I was a Girl Scout, went to summer camp, played four square in the driveway and babysit the neighbor's kids.  I loved jumping on our trampoline, ignoring my younger siblings and watching The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family on TV. It was all so blessedly innocent and normal.  I don't know what I will do with all the photos I brought home with me, but I do know I will always cherish the memories they evoke.