Poor kid memories and a boring baby

Ian and I just spent another weekend in New Jersey with Shelly, Kendall, Damon, and the new baby, Audrey. (Adam had to stay and work, unfortunately.) Liz joined us on Saturday night and Sunday. We loved holding and kissing Audrey. Being with her made me excited for our new baby due to arrive on February 10.

Liz, Shelly, and I spent Saturday night until 3:00 a.m. reminiscing about our childhood, while Kendall kindly listened and added a few things here and there, commenting at last that our childhood resembled Tom Sawyer's. I had always thought every kid grew up that way, but I suppose it really is only the poor kids who get to experience the outdoors like we did: innertubing down the dirty ditch behind our house; collecting snake eggs, duck eggs, and tadpoles; charging 5 cents for "Ferrari" rides on the old lawn mower we painted red; rolling kids down the driveway in empty 20 gallon barrels . . . Those were the days.

With no money for toys or pizza playplaces, kids really get creative. One of the best creations, in my opinion, was Lindsay's umbrella stroller hoisted in to the garage rafters via the garden hose. Michael (my brother), wound the hose around and around the rafters, leaving about 3 feet hanging off to the side. We then piled old coats, pillows, blankets, and various padding on the cement floor underneath the stroller. While one of us climbed up my dad's bookshelves in to it, another would pull the hose as hard as she could, sending the elated kid face-first in to the padding. Whatever token rides we dreamed Showbiz Pizza had, they couldn't have topped that.

Ian and Damon had quite the time together this weekend, of course, paying attention only to each other and "Go, Diego, Go!" We came to the conclusion that Audrey, to them, must be some little doll that makes noise sometimes whom they can't hit, kick, or play with. What a bore.

Aunt Liz sure enjoyed seeing her nephews, though.