Comical Things

On this snowy day I will recall a few of the funny things during my kids` early childhood.  One I remember for Nate was when we were moving from the apartment in the converted nursing home to our house on 1st Ave. I was trying to explain to him about the room in our new house for our car.  He looked at me and replied, "You mean a garage?"  He was not quite 3 and a man of few words.  He was social and busy visiting the neighborhood when we lived in apartments in the summers when Bill attended summer school.
At this same home, Angie a preschooler and a friendly gadabout, proceeded to polish her sandals with white polish while wearing them.  Her feet were as white as her shoes.  She then went across the street to visit LT Case.   He asked if she polished her own shoes.  She replied "You ask too many questions."  I sometimes helped with school parties.  Angie`s 1st grade teacher was leery to have me chair a party but on party day I just carried and directed the 3 younger ones to a side of the room and sat them in a row while I did my party duties.  She was amazed a 3, 2, and 1 year old could behave so well.
Mother always thought Angie and Nate might be ADHD and need medication until she watched Chad and Chris and their busyness.
Sarah was also a gadabout.  That is one reason we built in the country to keep her home.  She tried jumping rope at 3.  I often walked the 6-7 blocks to get Sarah from morning Kindergarten.  She was always mad when she saw me with the stroller instead of the car.  Neighbor and classmate, Shellie Carroll, was mad because her mother wouldn`t walk her home.
The kids were all out in the garden one day.  I was watching while I folded clothes in the house.  In horror I saw Nate accidentally whack Angie over the head with a hoe.  She had a pretty good gash but only yelled "I`m going to tell Mom."
Anna was always little and quiet.  She crawled into her highchair every time anyone got a snack.  With the many of us she might eat 6-8 times a day.  For a couple of years she and Josh slept together in the bottom trundle bed.   I had to get her to sleep before Josh because she told me ," Josh  wiggles too much."  When I went to enroll her in Kindergarten I remember her measuring herself to other children to see if she was as tall as anyone.
Josh the academic one would quiz me on my math facts after morning Kindergarten just to see if I knew them.  He was a bit bewildered when in 1st grade they tried to make him count things to add them.  He would busily write letters in preschool while I made CCD lesson plans.  When he received a world globe for a gift he replied, " I always wanted to know (I don`t remember which country) was."  He enjoyed trucks and army men also.  One day he tied his favorite action figure to a helium balloon and watched dumbfounded as it flew into the wild blue yonder.
One memory I have of all the kids was when I taught CCD,  I was to have a party with all grades.  Refreshments were no problem-cookies and punch.  Games was another story.  I came unprepared.  Not knowing what to expect I divided the kids by birth months into about 4 groups.  They came out about even with a mix of ages and sexes.  Each group rose to the challenge and came up with a game for all to play.  The kids were surprisingly inventive and the group felt the party a great one.  Party saved by a bunch of smart kids.
These were busy times and passed so quickly.

Balk Sisters Date

The sisters started what I hope is a yearly tradition-Sisters Date.  We met at Texas Roadhouse in Witchita,Kansas Saturday February 28 for 24 hours of nonstop catching up.  It is a fairly central location for everyone.  The guys were invited to help drive.  We did an afternoon of antique shopping.  I found some of my everyday things there.  Later Becky was determined I would get some Sketchers shoes like her and Karen`s.  They are incredibly comfortable but dressy enough to wear lots of places.  I found the right size but not color so will keep looking.  We took hamburgers back to the room.  I got a lesson there when we ordered.  Wendy`s offers a Senior discount.

  Becky reported on her trip to Uncle Ernie Balk`s near San Antonio and brought me copies of family documents.  Most are in German so maybe Josh can translate for me.  Ernie told her a couple comical stories.  One was, Ernie and Mary Ellen have a hot tub with swimsuits optional rule.  When Aunt Margaret visited in recent years she presented herself to the hot tub early one morning in the buff.  She is now 96 years of age.  Dad can`t get past the swim suits optional.  May I clarify it`s couples only not a big party.  He also told of meeting Amelia Earhart when she had plane trouble and landed in the pasture across from their Bison home.  Hope to ask him more about that later.

Think we started something at Big Granny`s funeral by letting the Great Grands tuck her in.  They did the same at Chad`s father-in-law`s funeral.  They actually picked a number to see who could push the button to lower the casket.

Sunday morning we went to a large church in Goddard.  We looked around and missed Phil.  Here he came in vested with the priest.  We didn`t get to hear him give a sermon but saw him in some action.  Afterwards we headed home with thoughts of our Quitman reunion in July and plans forming in our heads for next year.