Remember When

Remember when the kids were little and we were asked incessantly if we had a daycare? And how every time we went into McDonald's or a food court the lady would come with her little broom and handled dustpan and clean up WHILE we were still eating? Or the various times different children have barfed in public?
Remember when we would spend hours exploring about a fourth of the zoo? And have to stop at the first place we came to for ice creams because the kids couldn't make it more than 15 minutes in the car without falling sound asleep?
Or those days by the creek......and the lake........and the ocean. So many rivers and dams built. Swings swung on. Wading. Falling in. Laughing. Picking dandelions and blowing them. Sitting silently. Talking about nothing. And everything.
Remember the funerals? The heartbreaks?
The 50 cent days at the theater? And we spent ALL day. Checking out new malls and enjoying the playgrounds? The "new" airport that we couldn't find but we were taking the kids to see?
Many many many days at the park. Picnics. Snacks. The kids picking up other people's drinks to drink? Or eating french fries from the ground?
Mud fights? Foot painting..........that turned into the kids doing body painting?
Baking cinnamon rolls and eating ALL of them.
Remember building a brick path? With pretty flowers all around. And a bench. And lots of imagination.......until, lo and behold, it became what we imagined.
Remember all of the forts? The "clubs"? The birthday parties? We have celebrated 94 kid birthdays!!
Do you remember the scrabble games that lasted hours........just playing as we would go by the board? Or talking on instant messaging when we lived long distance.
Remember the drives from Fort Collins to Longmont?
Remember the train and the lake and the geese and the ice cream cones?
Remember going camping and only having lemonade? No water. hahahhahaha. Ooops. Brushed our teeth with lemonade. Tastes terrible with toothpaste. And do you remember that four wheel drive road that we took the van on when looking for a camping spot? With........hmmmm........how many kids?
Road trips. Long and short.
The Colorado Springs Zoo in a spring snowstorm. Remember the giraffes and their long tongues and how hard everyone laughed?
Remember the adventures?
Ski trips. Going to Sunlight and watching all of our "babies" ski better than us.
Remember swim lessons?
RMCA?
Remember dressing up at Halloween? And watching to kids put makeup on each other? Never ending up being what they started out being.
Remember making a "water park" out of the back yard playset?
Remember the talent shows that always began when the day was ending and the kids were relaxed and comfortable?
The kissing phase?
The young movie makers? And editors?
Remember how old they seemed at 8?
Remember how hard kindergarten seemed?
Remember how fun it was?
Remember photo booths? Stuffed full of as many little faces as would fit?
Remember how our activities had to be free or nearly free and yet they were always SO good?
The kids climbing out the window? Onto the roof? Into the tree? Learning to ride bikes?
Oh, I remember. And those memories have given my kids a great past and foundation for the future. But, in making those memories, I gained a friend.
Ok, it's a friend who throws mud and water and whatever else, but a true friend?
Remember?
I know all of you have memories of those you have walked with as you have lived. It's pleasurable to remember when? with them. Take a little time and remind those who are your friends how much you have enjoyed the memories......could be titled "thanks for the memories."
blessings