Childhood Memories

So this week at family dinner, the topic switched to child behaviours and nightmares and some old memories were discussed.

My mother recalled that my elder sister would always try to stay up as long as she could, I was always easy to get to sleep as a child but my younger brother was an absolute terror when it came to nap-time. Dad mentioned that one time he checked in on my sister - it was 11pm and she was sitting up singing 'la la la la la' to herself. Of course, her battle to stay up all hours backfired on her too, like one time she fell asleep during dinner and face-planted into her food.

We got onto nightmares, and mum mentioned that on our first trip to Australia (I was about three then) my grandfather found a set of oven mitts that looked like a crocodile's jaws and came at me with them - jokingly of course, but that night I screamed the house down apparently, yelling incoherently about crocodiles.

Probably something like this

I was also terrified of crabs and vividly remember my mum sighing and getting up off her deck chair at the beach so I could stand up on it for safety

What I saw

.
Of course, the crab just walked right past us both, ignoring us. Mum proved there was no risk, but I maintained my irrational fears for several years. I think it was to do with a book I had been given for my birthday (and I still own it, actually!) that had a rhyming section about crabs pinching ten different toes.

Probably what actually happened

As I grew up things changed. One of my favourite toys to play with was a realistic crocodile figurine with an unhinged snapping jaw, and one day at the beach I found the remains of a crabs claw and I took it home as a prize (I put it in my Barbie's bathtub).

It's funny what you yourself remember though.

I have so many random but clear as day memories from my younger days.

In one, I'm hiding behind my mother's dress from a Mickey Mouse character at Disneyland. Even though I was a huge fan of Minnie Mouse, for some reason, this giant plush figure just freaked me out.

Gave them more than they bargained for, I think!

Another, on holiday, I remember doing my best Minnie Mouse impersonation, which to be honest was just a really squeaky high pitched voice that I spoke in for days on end.

Going to an airport, I remember throwing the biggest tantrum with my Granny because I couldn't go on the red plane and had to be literally dragged onto the jumbo jet we actually had tickets for.

I remember being so upset when mum and dad left me with Granny as a babysitter (not that she was looking after me, but that my parents didn't take me to wherever they were going) but when my parents returned, they found us both asleep after reading a book.

One time, I found a can of oil, thought it was paint and gave my room a make-over. That had an interesting result.

I remember when my brother was born and being upset he got more attention than me. I remember drawing a lame collection of 'TV shows' - more like a few drawings and a few words that I would sort of act out in conjunction with showing the images. It was my own little knock off of Nickelodeon, back when they mostly did cartoons and not weird hipster kid sitcoms. One day I was exhausted and didn't feel like doing any more stories and 'turned the channel off' and oh he was so upset.

I may have also accidentally taught him how to climb stairs and introduced him to Coca Cola (when he was a bit older of course) there was also the time when I was helping change his diaper when his mr happy went up and he thought it was the funniest thing ever. Looking back, I'm surprised he didn't pee on me but I recall going to mum for advice because I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be doing that.

There was the time where we were driving along and came across a dark lake or something  and as we looked down we saw a fin sticking out of the water and we were so sure it was a shark.

I went to a teddy bear picnic and one of the other girls had the same bear that I had bought with me, we swapped at one stage and I was never really sure if I got my original bear back.

"Keep your grabby hands offa my pic-a-nic basket!"

My school went on a farm trip and I became distracted in my own thoughts and wandered off, getting separated from my pack. Turns out I wasn't even that far from them but I portrayed an image of casualness while inside I freaked the hell out and had no idea how I was going to get home. I was too proud to ask the employees for help or to call out. 

Overseas, falling asleep on a plastic child seat in the rental car, my parents found that my cheek had sort of melted onto the chair in the heat of the day and they had a hell of a job prying me off it. Luckily there was no lasting damage. 

I also remember being in Florida, running down the lengthy balcony pretending I was an air plane because I was so excited we had a burgundy coloured hire car this time (so fancy!) and later on we went to a pool and I had a Calippo style ice-cream. 

Something like this

I still have a photo of me eating that iceblock. I would never find that kind again until years later at a school swimming carnival and I had a rush of nostalgia. I bought the ice-block and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't the same enjoyment as I had had in my childhood.