Family History Exercise for Bedtime

Once in a while I have these great ideas, like waking up at 6 am and working out before the offspring start running around, and well, I do it. I did it! A couple times anyway, then my alarm couldn't crash through my REM cycle.

So here's a great idea I did a few times, and it's easy to start up again. There's no chocolate splurging that will interfere in round 2 because all you have to do is sit on the floor, let your mind wander back, and remember......out loud.....to your kids. It's bedtime stories with a twist, real-life memories from when you (that big person bossing everyone around) was actually a small person (kids can't quite wrap their little heads around that one). So wash, brush, kiss, tuck, and reminisce.

Hands down, this is Rainbow Girl's favorite childhood memory, of mine. My childhood memory. It all began on Apache Avenue back in the 80's...



Poor sweet Niki. She's the baby, the one on the end. Keep in mind that that thing just kept growing, she's now over 6 feet tall, but then she was still our little baby sister. I'm right next to her, and we always shared a room.


Our next door neighbor was Wendy. This is Wendy now.







She actually stopped growing shortly after the first picture was taken. She's little and cute.


So Wendy and Niki were bestest friends. And one day, they were playing with dolls inside the walk-in closet in our room. Now I was the peacemaker of the family. There were no rivalries with me. But this day I did not establish peace. Instead, I turned off the light to the closet, shut the door, and then propped a chair under the doorknob so they couldn't get out.


Knock-Knock-Knock "Hey, turn on the light. HEY! Let us out!"


I quietly stepped outside of the room. I thought, hey, I'll just scare them a little. I'm make them think nobody is around and then come back and let them right out. So for full effect, I decided to go outside, let them get a good panic about their alone-ness, and then head right back in. Once I got outside, aaah, what a breeze. Then I saw my neighbor Beth and we started to play. Soon it was getting a little twilight-ey and the neighbor kids were starting the nightly routine of running from backyard to backyard to play night games.

Since Mrs. Archibald never demanded a full investigation about her little sweet Wendy, there's no telling how long I was out in la-la land running around. My guess is about forty minutes. A good forty minutes of taking in a wonderful school-free summer evening until all of a sudden, I remembered! Oh no!


I ran into the house and down the stairs and could hear the screams from across the family room. I rushed into the room, threw off the chair (I'm the hero now) and opened the door. I stood to see 2 little girls, curled up on the floor with their mouths full of carpet. *Gasp* Release! *Gasp* Release! "We almost ran out of oxygen!".


Just keep in mind those were the MacGyver days. That guy was constantly being closed off into a sealed room and losing oxygen. Poor Niki and Sweet Little Wendy, they must have just panicked and thought "Death is upon us! Eat carpet and get as much of your mouth under the door crack as possible! Limit your crying dammit! Limit your crying!".


Yes, they could too have said that! Niki didn't know dammit was a bad word yet, since our dad said it all the time.


So, thanks to MacGyver, my sister and Wendy are alive and well. Whenever Rainbow Girl hears this story, for the next week anytime we see family or friends she will turn to me and say Mom, tell about the time that Niki ran out of oxygen.



P.S. Poor little Niki today. She can't even wear heels when she's out on the town with her hubby (but you will all note, she's alive and well).