When I was your age

I watched Jem and Muppet Babies. I liked Michael Jackson and had a puffy sticker book.

When I was your age I had friends that smoked. I had friends that stole. But they never did around me, so maybe they only said they did, but I believed them.

I took my lunch to school every day, in a box with a thermos but sometimes I'd get Capri Suns. I was secretly afraid of buying school cafeteria food, because what if I didn't like it? It didn't look or smell very good. And I wouldn't know how to "do it" with the tray and the line and all that. I bought my lunch once in middle school, and by the time I was in high school I bought almost every day. It wasn't scary at all, actually, and usually tasted okay.

When I was your age I lost my Gram, and never knew one of my grandfathers, and you still have all of yours. I never thought I'd be able to go on without Gram. I can't imagine how hard that was for my parents.

I loved church when the services went over late on Sunday nights in the summer. I had a really old typewriter and then got an electric one for Christmas. I wrote a story about a boy and the first kiss I was always wishing for.

When I was your age we didn't have to drive someplace so that I could climb trees. They were in my backyard. And in all my friends' yards. But even still you knew how to climb the first time you came upon a limb low enough.

Dance Party

It was a Flo Rida-T.Pain-Rihanna-T.i.-Camera Obscura hip hop ballerina dance party in the living room - windows open! Groove was on! Booty shakin'! And there was the UPS man at my screen door.

Oh hay! Listen To Your Mother Northwest Indiana tickets are on sale now! ($10 at Memorial Opera House box office or by phone, $13 online.)

stolen, sunshine

One time, when my brother was little he broke into our neighbor's house and climbed through a window because he wanted to play and no one was answering the door. Because they weren't home.

Last night Jeff got home late and noticed that the boys' new bikes were missing from the garage. He woke me up to ask where they might be. I had no idea, but remembered closing the garage door around dinnertime. I didn't see or hear anything, and it's behind our house so it would be very unusual for someone to walk all the way back there but anyway. They were gone.

We called the police, at like 1 a.m. because that's what time it was when we discovered the theft and the police work 24/7 and so, we made a report, and hoped maybe they'd turn up? And then we had to tell the boys in the morning.

Carter and I hopped in the car and went to drive around the apartments nearby to see if we saw the bikes lying around. A couple kids from there are known to kind of help themselves to the boys' stuff from time to time, but it never leaves our yard, and we like to share. But the the bikes were kind of "put up" and were so new that our boys hadn't even really had a chance to ride them yet.

I wondered if maybe a couple of those kids came by and took the bikes for a spin and then I shut the garage, not realizing that the bikes were gone, and when they came back to return them maybe they thought we weren't home. And maybe they took the bikes back with them?

I never knew there were so many bicycle racks in the area, but we drove, and there in front of the last set of apartments were the two bikes, side by side.

We're still not sure how they got there and who took them, and if they only "borrowed" them - and if so - why didn't they just leave them outside our garage or in our backyard? But they are kids, and I have a feeling they just weren't thinking at all. Anyway, the bikes are back, and the garage will stay closed. And I'm already composing the ground rules for any kid that comes to play in our yard again. (Last year I had to teach them to not enter our home until we invite them in. Hello I still forget to close the bathroom door sometimes, y'know.) But I'm bummed that I have to be even more watchful now.

BTW, I announced the official cast list for Listen To Your Mother Northwest Indiana here. Did you see? I am so excited. This week has been such a rollercoaster of highs and lows. This is definitely the high!

As seen on Ivy this very sunny day...

scarf & tee: target
pants:  kate quinn organics via zulily
shoes: cienta via the mini social


Small Style at Mama Loves Papa