Reminders of Childhood

The attic and closet cleaning continue.  The crib that my children used as babies has been carefully stored in the attic for over 20 years, kept just in case, well, you know.  However, now there are new guidelines regarding crib safety and since it was out of compliance I thought we would donate it to Goodwill.  They wouldn't accept it!

So at the suggestion of the person at the Goodwill drop off I left it leaning against the outside wall in case someone who was in need, but not concerned with new guidelines could use it.  I drove by the next day and it was gone. 

Also up in the attic I found our old Fisher-Price toys.

I understand they are out of compliance as well, but I'm keeping them.

So many fun hours did these little structures, people and vehicles provide for The Writer and The Maven.

The farm was the first one I purchased.  It was on sale at a department store that was going out of business, The Writer was six months old.  I bought it and didn't bring it out until he was 2, the recommended age on the box.  (okay, I admit that when I first brought it home I DID take it out of the box and I played with it, THEN I put it away)

From there, the collection grew, some purchased, some handed down by other family members.

Now they are safely boxed away in plastic bins so one day.....

In the box with the Fisher-Price toys I found this backpack.

The Writer wore it to preschool, packed with precious books and sacred little boy things.  The Maven also wore it in her preschool years, as to her it was a symbol that she was a "big kid" just like her brother.

It is packed into the safety of the plastic bins now too.

Lastly, from The Maven's closet I pulled out "China" and put her in the rocking chair in the family room to give her "mom" a nostalgic surprise.

 China, so named because my father, during The Maven's youngest years, took many trips to.. you guessed it,  China. The Maven heard the word so much that she christened her doll with the name.

China wears a sleeper that was given to me at my baby shower for.... The Writer, not The Maven.

 Why?  Because the sonograms (2!) showed that I was having a girl.  I received many pink items at that shower.  Joke was on everyone, including the doctor when The Writer popped out.  I didn't even have a boy's name picked out!

Good thing I saved the sleeper and pink blankets!  Of course, I didn't believe them during the second pregnancy when they said I would be having a girl.  Mr. Tennis and I didn't tell anyone the sonogram results that time and had two names picked out just in case.

So, The Writer was almost Megan Rose and had The Maven been a boy, she would have been Michael.