This photo will mean something to the Sanchez Kids Over 30 Club. After years of searching, I found a copy of this record to give to Joe. We loved to listen to this when we were kids.
Oh, that Goliath! (Can you just hear Joe’s raspy little boy voice quoting him?)
I admire how Joe meets his challenges with faith and wisdom.
Mark’s friend: Here’s a candy apple for you!
Mark: Is it poisonous?
10-24-11
“Mom, just so you know, you’re carrying a 40-pound boy on your back.”
10-25-11
To Dad with messy hair at the breakfast table: “Wow, and I thought MY hair was funky. You look like a rock star!”
11-1-11
“I love you, Mom. I don’t think you even understand how much I love you.”
I loved his comics when I was a child. I love them more now. It must have been a good life, helping people to celebrate and remember how good it is to have children around.
Paige gave this to me in a frame for my birthday. It’s immensely thoughtful and I savor each detail.
We have some spiders from Utah which have taken up residence on our dining room chandelier. Here’s a little bit of their early morning conversation.
I’m still eavesdropping on the others hanging in the little boys’ bedroom. One is still recovering from being suddenly tangled up in the ceiling fan but I think he’ll pull through.
Yesterday I discovered that Mark has the scene memorized from Toy Story 3 when Andy gives his toys away. That scene always makes me cry.
Richard doesn’t have especially fond memories of toys and he can’t figure out what all the boo-hooing is about.
I loved my toys. My siblings loved their toys. I visit Spring Lake and find Sarah’s dolls stored carefully in the closet. Joe’s basement is full of vintage GI Joe stuff. It was my finest hour when I found some Lego sets that Matt had as a kid at a yard sale and when I called to find out what to buy, he repeated again and again, “Buy them.” Susan’s ponies are carefully stored in boxes and I think Paul’s family owns every toy ever made. I have my Strawberry Shortcake dolls in a special box in my closet. They, having been rescued a few years ago from storage, require a little extra love. I pull them out now and then to comb their hair and sniff them.
I think our connection to our toys is sentimental and practical. Our childhood was a happy time. Our toys and games were a part of that. We saved our money to buy some of our toys so they represented our efforts and our self-control. They were gifts from grandparents and rewards for jobs well done. In effect, they are a record of our childhood.
The dollies pictured above are in Paige’s room. Every now and then I go in to see what she’s sewn for them. Their clothes are mostly handmade. It’s a whimsical escape for a girl who has a heavy school schedule.
It’s fascinating to listen to people’s reactions to our home. We have a tile (I won’t tell you where) which must have some magic. Whenever someone steps on this tile, they compliment the house. Is it perfect feng shui from this tile’s perspective? Is there a conduit of light that touches a person’s aesthetic sensitivities just the right way? It’s not the furniture… it’s not the decorating. It could be the shiny black piano, but that would give away the relative position of the tile, so never mind.
Besides this one spot from our hallway, I receive compliments about our plastic Lego drawers. They are 12×12 inch drawers with lids which fit in a tower of seven. They were made for scrapbook supplies, but they can contain even large Lego sets. I stack them recklessly and precariously. I call them our Lego Library. In this library, each child checks out one box at a time, so to speak. I bought them at Target, but I’m afraid they are no longer sold at my store. Drat.
Most of the Legos in this collection came from a yard sale and we paid $4 a set. Smokin’ deal. I wish we had bought more. I scanned the original nicotine-riddled boxes and printed them for the front and top of each plastic box.
When you want to play, you just pull out your box…
and play with the set. Remember: you must clean up your set before you get another one. Only one set allowed per child. When friends come over, I say no more than 3 sets out at a time.
I also bought drawers without lids for Mark’s Legos.
When I give a big Lego set to the kids, we give them a new drawer for storing it.
Most of our Legos are not this organized. I see these lidded drawers as a place to keep special sets intact, and the Legos in the bedrooms are for more creative play. In the bedrooms we store Legos in long under-bed boxes. The Lego Library is kept separate from the other Legos in the house.
As a mother of 3 boys, a lot of energy is spent dealing with Legos… and dirty socks.
Thanks for listening.
Today we said goodbye to many of Paige’s childhood toys and dress up clothes. Tears were shed. She has kept them around for all the neighbor girls to play with when they come over, but this summer it became clear that we are out of space. Most toys were carefully wrapped and donated to special people and to our church thrift store. Other things were packed away in deep storage for me to pull out and play with when Paige moves out and I’m the only girl in the house.
This photo was taken in 2002.
Goodbye pink Kelly castle with the little dragon.
Goodbye dollies. You are loved.
Goodbye ponies.
Goodbye twirly pink dress up clothes.
I’m crying my eyes out.
Goodbye tea parties with princesses.
Goodbye little things and glittery treasures.
Goodbye baby girl.
