Friday, October 8, 2010

Mint Milanos & Running on water

I remember my childhood like it was yesterday.


I wore Reebok high tops, Vans and stonewashed jeans. My face was full of heavy metal for almost two years and I was cursed with thin, straight hair that closely resembled the color of dirt.


I often recall playing in the backyard with my brother M & his/our friends.  When we couldn't go swim at the "W's" or "P's" place, we'd set up the sprinkler under the trampoline and see who could break a bone first.  Yes, I usually won.  Even though by brother would be jumping off the roof onto the tramp. [?!!?]

We'd run around the "W's" back yard with our friends in the summertime.  Driving ATV's [their backyard was big, big, big], playing shark & running as fast as we could down the hill and trying to continue to run while on water. We'd chomp on broken Mint Milano we'd have bought for 1/2 price while in Logan, Utah & "S's" mom would bring us out the fanciest PB & J sandwiches you've ever seen.


I kept my homework organized in a Trapper Keeper full of bright, sparkly Lisa Frank folders and I l o v e d  those pens that had four colors of ink.

Dinner was 99.4% of the time, a proper, square meal with a meat, two veggies and a starch. RARE was the occasion we'd get take-out.  Usually the 5 for 5 deal at nearby Arby's.  Every day off from school was a know date with Dad at the nearby bowling alley.

Life was good.

And even when it wasn't perfect - it was never bad.

Yes, there were times I'd get in trouble. Occasions when I'd take the "too short" of shorts to school in my backpack and change in the school's crusty bathroom.  Days my "friends" would sell me out to their parents and I'd return home with a parent or two with flaring nostrils.


Somehow I'd always come out alright after that quiet time in my room.

I'd waste time listening to Tiffany, Duran Duran and Debbie Gibson sing while hiding under my 100% cotton sheet, doodling with my Etch A Sketch or noteboook [at varied ages]. Then they'd would come to my room and we'd talk about whatever trouble I was in. After a few serious words, maybe a few tears and a quivering lip - we'd hug and go to the kitchen for a bowl of ice cream navel orange.

Now that I'm a "grown-up", with my kido [stretching the limits at times], I think back to those days, and how hiding under my covers and a hug from Mom/Dad seemed to make it all better.  I try to be as understanding as my parents were [no small task].  One [extra] calming breath & a hug.


Sometimes it really is that easy.
 
Just a little love & understanding can truly be all it takes
 
 
**************************************
 
See that, I didn't even mention my buckle today.
 
Happy Friday!

39 comments:

Molly said...

loved this.

we must be the exact same age.

I scored a rainbow Trapper Keeper this summer from a garage sale, and my 6 year old son now calls it his own.

He wanted to bring it to school but I drew the line there.

have a great weekend wearing your buckle!

: )

Anonymous said...

as happy as those times were, aren't ya glad you are now where you are?

have a great weekend, chica!!

xo

Matty O said...

Emily... this is all I can offer you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1GgoHQ

Please click it and watch it. They figured out how to walk on water.

As for being a parent, good luck! Seems like tough work :) I am NOT ready for that.

Emz said...

Termite - yes w/o a doubt. For sure. :)

Andrew Opala said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andrew Opala said...

thanks - I'm grateful for my loving past and it's hard today to do as well ..

here's something for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YDAxFok47k

Carrie said...

Sometimes it's hard to appreciate our parents in the moments of growing up. But then you get to be a certain age, become a parent or reach a milestone and you see them through different eyes. No matter what they did, good or bad, they made us who we are today. For that, I will always be grateful!

KovasP said...

Parenting advice and no buckle mention? That's a post I can really get behind.

amyraye said...

um- why is nobody making mention of the fact that you are sitting in a high chair! what's up with that?

loved mint milanos. haven't had them for years!

loved my banana and baby pink leather reebok high tops.

and guess zippered cropped jeans (Thank you "P" family!), too!

love the "W's" and "P's" backyards- even more when your brother wasn't spying on me. :)

you didn't even mention spaghettios! (which i'm pretty sure you're eating a bowl of in your high chair)

i am in awe of how many childhood memories your brain has retained. maybe that's the benefit of having one child: you have 80% more brain functionality than i do.

Emz said...

Amy-seriously. I was wondering. I mean come on I'm at least 14 in this photo!!

And man if this is 80% better?! I should never have another. ;)

Evolving Through Running said...

Despite the shortage of buckle references, this is a great post.

Made me smile.

Rocked a trapper keeper as well, which no doubt contained a few erasable pens - such a technological marvel when they hit the market. Some might ask why not just use a pencil, but those are the same people that hate puppies.

I'm intrigued by the choice of seating in the picture as well. Were you a running machine then as well and they had to restrain you to keep you still long enough to eat?

Big Daddy Diesel said...

Cartoons were only on Saturday!!!

We played tapes till the wore out and we were masters of using a pencil to wind our tape back up if it got caught in the recorder.

Thanks for the memory lane visit

Marlene said...

Lisa Frank, WOW does that ever take me back!!!

Silly Girl Running said...

Happy Friday! Your post made me smile...again! :)

Adrienne said...

What a great post. Brings back my own memories. Loved my trapper keeper too and my Johnny Depp poster from 21 Jump street. Stonewashed jeans and cassette tapes with songs taped off the radio. Good times.

I'm going to go hug my kids now, at least the one that isn't in school.

Thank you!

Johann said...

Nice one! I think back quite often...that's a sign of getting old I hear. But those were good times. I have wonderful parents, now 81 & 80 and still loving each other sooo much. I can only try to follow the example.

Anonymous said...

I had a pair of Reebok high tops too! Those were THE shoe. Sigh.
Thanks for reminding me about the importance of hugs and understanding. It's so easy to forget when I'm trying to teach a "life lesson" to my kids sometimes. I need to give more hugs.

Quinton J said...

"Sometimes it really is that easy."

nice.

...Just yesterday it was YOU pushing the limits with talks of a 100 miler in a few weeks on your anniversary. Ahh yes...It's all coming back to me...you posted that pic with the PITA giving you "One [extra] calming breath & a hug"?

Pam @ herbieontherun.com said...

Why is everybody mentioning Tiffany these days??? You're the 3rd person I've seen mention her in less than a week, and that comes after YEARS of not hearing a PEEP about her!

She was my first concert. :) NKOTB (all the cool kids know that stands for New Kids on the Block) opened for her. I was 8.

Emz said...

Uh Pam. I won tickets to see NYOTB last year. No joke.
Awesome.

Laurie said...

My brothers and I used to try to run on water too. Do tell the story behind the high chair...

Reebok's were cool but LA Gear with multiple colored shoe laces and at least two different pair of scrunch socks were the way to go... that being said, I never did have any. :( I did love me some trapper keepers though.

Julie @ HotlegsRunner said...

Thanks for taking me back to my childhood! I remember I was the coolest kid in school when I had those white hi-cut Reeboks back in the Philippines =p

ShutUpandRun said...

I LOVED the Trapper Keeper. I was anal and it kept me organized.

You are right...sometimes it can be just that simple.

Jill said...

I think you and I have the same hair :).

Thank GOD you mentioned that buckle!!

Happy Friday, girl!!

ihaverun said...

I could have written this post myself. I am all about the [extra] calming breaths and hugs. It's amazing how well that can work when I remember to do it. Thanks for sharing this and for taking me back to the days of Trapper Keepers and Debbie Gibson.

Happy Friday to you too!

Karen R said...

Love the post! I generally don't think about the past. Not sure why. Because, like you, I had a great childhood.

Emz said...

ETR - how did I forget the erasable pens?! Awesome. Nope hated running back in the day. Just volleyball for me.

The chair - nope that's just me being the tard I am. I had been an aunt for 4 years when this photo was taken. And my sister, she was at my parents place enough to warrant a spare high chair at their place.
I mean seriously, if you could sit in a sweet high chair & eat HOMEMADE chili [versus those wicker things] wouldn't you? No?! Whatever.

Karine said...

The chair -- If I remember right, someone said: "You won't fit in that high chair". Always up for a challenge, you proved your point.

Thanks for the memories. (Just ate a milano in honor of this post.)

Aimee said...

Great post!

I was also wondering what was up with you in a high chair! Ha ha!

I loved those pens with different colored ink! They were awesome!

Unknown said...

I know, it's SO true, it really is that easy!!! Thanks for the reminder, though.

Liz said...

I was OBSESSED with Lisa Frank folders when i was younger. I saw some this summer in Target and I considered getting a handful of them to organize my life again. Who wouldn't feel happier to pay bills if they were housed in a pretty folder covered in flying unicorns surrounded by glitter clouds, stars, and hearts?

Unknown said...

This brought back such great memories!

And I talked about YOUR buckle today! :)

heather said...

Love the high chair!

Debbie G and Tiffany songs go through my head all the time and sometimes my family gets to hear my loud rendition.

NKOTB was my first concert - did you seriously see them last year? I didn't even know they still performed together.

I think my grandparents still have a couple of my old Trapper Keepers in the attic. Wish they still had my multicolor pen. :)

Awesome post!

Anonymous said...

Even if you don't write about it... I know it's probably still under your pillow. And if it helps, everytime I see your little icon pop up on a post or a comment to someone else's blog, I think of your buckle.

Emz said...

Lesley- oh, heck yea, it helps!! ;)

The Green Girl said...

Wow. I can't tell you how many memories you brought back with this post. I loved my Trapper Keeper. It had a horse on it. Why, I have no idea.

Sarah said...

I ADORE mint milanos! I keep waiting for someone to make a mint milano ice cream. I bet it would be heavenly.

Love reading about your childhood memories.

Ed said...

I bet you're the coolest mom ever! I mean... you still appreciate the TrapperKeeper! HAhaA! Great post!

Julie said...

:) So many things in this post I can relate to. God bless the 80's!