{Day 3} J-E-L-L-O

Did you sing the letters in your head as you read my blog post? I did when I was typing it. Today's challenge was an easy one... {make some Jello then enjoy it with whipped cream and sprinkles b/c sprinkles makes everything better}. Okay, so I haven't officially made the jello yet at this point...but I am planning to. While singing the J-E-LL-O song in my head I came across a great blog entry on one of my favorite photography sites (here's the Link if you have some time) and it really got me thinking... life WAS so much simpler when we were kids. There were no scheduled playdates... you played outside with your friends ALL DAY and groaned when you had to come in when the streetlights were on. We didn't need anything to "spark" our imagination...we were full of ideas... secret clubs, pretending to be the Mandrell sisters or the Gong Show, treating our bikes like the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazzard. Even playing the characters in MASH which was my Dad's favorite TV show. We would run to the top of the block watching for him to walk home from the bus stop and carry his briefcase home for him. Every night was the same. He'd come home, take off his tie, lay down on the couch, watch MASH. My mom would ALWAYS call us in for dinner when there was only 5 minutes left in the show and we would all ignore her until MASH was over--she'd get so mad. To this day, I never understand why she didn't just plan dinner for when MASH was over--it was only 5 minutes. Dinner would be a comedy--I would try to smuggle unwanted food on my plate away from the table in a napkin tucked in my pants and excuse myself to go the bathroom. It worked a few times before my sister Laurie ratted me out that there were hot dogs floating in the toilet. From that point on--no bathroom breaks during dinner. My brother always had to be strapped into his seat with my dad's belt because he never sat still. My sister Laurie was the tattler and informed Mom and Dad every wrong she had witnessed by us during the day. Megan, the youngest, was the baby and got away with everything (still does :) ) Dad worked hard and made an honest wage, while going to night school to get his degree. Mom worked hard keeping the house and stretching the budget as far as it would go. I remember fondly her basket of coupons, so organized. As an adult, I now realize what a chore coupons are. We ate a lot of generics--remember the potato chips in the black n white bags? Did we know we were poor by today's standards. No way! We never wanted for anything. We had everything we needed. I hope my children will look back on their childhood as fondly as I do.
So now, back to the Jello... I may even get a little crazy today and make Jello Jigglers and savor another taste from MY childhood. Stay tuned...