Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bed Time


Just like pretty much every kid, we had bed times when we were little. Since Sarah Margaret and Dennis were older, they got to stay up until 9:00. I went to bed at 8:00. This never seemed fair, but Mom's favorite catch phrase was, "life is not always fair." If I had a nickel for every time I heard that growing up... Anyway, I actually did not mind bed time that much. I always wore one of Mom or Dad's old t shirts to bed, which made me feel so special. Mom or Dad would come tuck us in and say our prayers with us. Every night we would say, "Thank you Lord for this day. Hear these words that I pray. Bless the people everywhere, help me Lord to always care. And please bless (then we listed every member of our family, cousins and all. I can say them all really fast now, just ask me sometime.)"

After I said my prayers with Mom and Dad they would leave and I would say two extra prayers on my own. I would also pray for a broken arm because I really wanted a cast. I am 20 and I have never had a broken bone though. I also always prayed for good dreams. I really did not want to have a night mare, but I was embarrassed to pray for this in front of my parents. The reason why I never wanted to have a nightmare was not really because it would be scary, it was because of what would happen when I was scared. I would go to Mom and Dad's room and ask to get in their bed. It was obvious that they did not want me there. I mean who would want a wiggly 7 year old sleeping in the middle of their bed? Sleeping between Mom and Dad was the worst. Mom would pull the covers up to her chin and hold them there. Dad snored so much. So I would just lay there squished between them, sweating because I was stuck in the covers and wide awake because of the disgusting noises coming out of Dad. I always decided that being afraid in my room alone was a better alternative.

I did have one dream in particular that was recurring and very frequent. It was short, so usually I would have this dream before my real dream. I can still remember it so vividly. A black cat and a red crab would walk up to the front door of a house. The cat would poop on the door mat and then they would both walk away. That was the end. I wonder what that means.

Another key element of bed time was my stuffed animals. I had to have certain ones with me. I still sleep with these same animals pretty much every night. I needed Ruff, Blankie, Flopsy, and Big Bear. I got Ruff the dog for Christmas from Grandmama Ruth when I was 5 and he has been my faithful companion every night since then. Blankie is the blanket that Grandmommy Craft made for me when I was born. I suppose that at one time it was actually a blanket, but now it is a ball of knotted yarn. There is nothing in the world more comforting than smelling my blankie. It smells like home. It is even better when it sits in the sunshine. Someone should bottle that scent- Blankie in the Sun. Flopsy is a pillow buddy dog. I put him under the covers at my feet. When I am sleeping I cannot stand for my feet to touch each other, so I put one foot on top of Flopsy, and one under him. Big Bear is a big bear. When I got him he was as tall as me. I put him in the bed beside me with his head on the pillow so it looks like he is sleeping there. I thought that if a kidnapper climbed in my window they would see Big Bear and think, "Oh, there is just a bear in this bed, not a child for me to steal." I was pretty logical.

One time Sarah Margaret and Dennis told me that vampires lived in the space between my bed and the wall. I told them I didn't believe them, but I did. That night when I went to bed, I didn't know it, but they were hiding in that space. Right before I fell asleep, they jumped out and scared me. It was terrifying. Also, they enjoyed doing dutch ovens in my bed before I got in it. A dutch oven is when someone farts in your bed and then slips out without lifting the covers. Then, when you lift the covers that awful smell come wafting out into your face. I did it to them sometimes too though, so it all evened out.

Overall, I enjoyed bed time then and I still do now. I hardly ever fall right to sleep, but I like to lay in the dark and think about things. Bed time is so relaxing knowing that the day is over and thinking about all the possibilities for tomorrow. Now, when Sarah Margaret and I are both home we get giddy thinking about bed time. I sometimes run and jump into my bed and take in a big breath of Blankie. It is just so wonderful.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I'll be your best friend

As the youngest sibling, Sarah Margaret and Dennis could pretty much get me to do anything. All they had to do was say "I'll be your best friend" and I would be their little slave. They could trick me into doing extra chores and fetching snacks for them with those 5 little words. The kicker was that they were never going to even pretend to be my best friend. They still ignored me and wouldn't play with me. Is that how a best friend acts? Not according to Barney. But every time they asked me to do something there was the promise of my brother or sister thinking I was cool. It is kind of sad that it worked for them every time. "Caroline, go get me a glass of water, I'll be your best friend." Then I would jump up and go do it. Three hours later I would fall for the same thing.

Even though their bossing me around never made us best friends, things are different now. I do not do their chores for them and they don't tell me what to do. The irony is that now we are all best friends. So I guess the joke is on them.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Dog Breath

This is not me, but this little girl and I share a love of the song "Dog Breath." We used to sing it in Cherub Choir at Great Bridge United Methodist Church with Miss Helen. One of the highlights of my spiritual life at the time I think. I hope you love this song as much as I do. Also, I love that the guy calls himself How Weird.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

My Journey Through Orthodontistry


Most people wait until all their baby teeth fall out and come back in, then they get an expander by the end of elementary school and braces in middle or high school. My journey was much more long and complicated than that. I started off with the worst under bite. My bottom teeth were completely in front of my top teeth. I was still the cutest kid ever though. Even in this picture though you can see my jaw jutting out. So it was a priority to get that aligned. My baby teeth were slow to fall out. Everyone I knew at school had lost a tooth, and I was still waiting for that magic moment. It finally happened right before Corie and I were going to see 102 Dalmatians. I was not really sure was all losing a tooth entailed though, and I was worried I would have to miss the movie. My mom assured me that a hole in my mouth would not prevent me from going. I still thought that maybe I needed to lay down for the rest of the afternoon or something. But apparently losing a baby tooth is not a big deal after all. It was a little disappointing. After the one fell out the rest would not, so I had all four of my top front teeth pulled...on the same day. I looked like I had no teeth when I smiled. Cool.

Once these teeth were pulled everything began. I got an expander in Kindergarten to make my mouth wider for all those teeth that needed to grow back in. I had that for a while and it made me talk with a lisp. Then in second grade my four front teeth were fully grown back in. Yes, it took them that long. I got braces on those four teeth and I had the back 6 pulled soon after. Pretty much the only reason I got braces then was so that I would have something to attach my headgear to. That's right, I said headgear. It was bright orange plastic and was attached to my face by rubber bands connected to my braces brackets. Luckily, I only had to wear it at night. The downside to that was the rubber band coming out of my mouth made me drool so much. One night I refused to to wear my headgear and mom told me I could wear it to church in the morning instead. I never thought she would actually make me do it. She did. It was soo embarrassing! So I wore it every night after that.

Once my jaw was perfectly aligned and all my new teeth had come in. I got my headgear off and my four little braces and I was metal free for a little while. Then in 5th grade I got the full set of braces. It was really cool at first. I was the first of all my friends to get a real full set of braces. They all thought I was so cool and mature. The coolness wore off the first time they got tightened. Ouchies! Also, in 5th grade I was not as concerned about oral hygiene. My mom would have to force me to use the Water Pick and brush all the disgusting food out of my braces. I would always gag at the Water Pick in my mouth and be super dramatic about it. I remember one time getting pineapple stuck in my braces and barfing when it came out. I got this second set of braces off in 7th grade and I was the happiest girl.

But I didn't wear my retainer so I was only happy until 8th grade when I got a full set back on. I got these off at the end of my 10th grade year. I still wear retainer to bed every night, and I have a permanent one on my bottom teeth. I am going to wear these until I get married I have decided. Then, this mouth is going to be metal free!! I hope...