Married to the Empire

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Family History

My 4th year is notorious in my family. It's the year I nearly died--once by drowning, another time by my mother's hand. Okay, so my mom didn't really almost kill me, but that's how the story goes. My transgression: using my brick red crayon right in the center of the gold-colored carpet in our living room. The whole carpet had to be replaced. This was in the days before Spot Shot.

That was also the year I left my sister screaming in pain with her finger caught in a door, as I sauntered slowly off to find our mother, told her nonchalantly that Cindy wanted her, then wandered off. As my message wasn't urgent, our mother didn't hurry to find my sister. Cindy spent far too long caught in a door because of me.

I was disobedient the entire week my sister and I were left with our grandparents. When my grandpa threatened to spank me, I told him, "Go ahead. I know you won't do it!" And you know what? He didn't. He had to leave the room so I wouldn't see him laughing. Then when we went to pick up my parents at the airport, I ran to my mother yelling, "Grandma didn't feed me!" My poor grandmother was mortifed.

Oh, my entire life was ruined that year, too. I'd left my beloved stuffed Pluto at the dentist's office. As we were going back in a week to have cavities filled, my mother wouldn't turn around to get him. I sobbed that my whole life was ruined. Every bad thing that's happened since, I can point back to that moment.

My 8-year-old niece, Leah, is in a stage in which she wants to hear stories. Real stories. My sister was running out of tales about her own life, so she started in on mine.

Within 10 minutes of seeing me for the first time since Christmas 2006, Leah started listing off all the things I did when I was 4. Then she looked at me with big eyes and said, "You were a BAD girl!"

Thanks, sis.

8 comments:

AnneK said...

Thats right! You WERE a bad girl! How could you?

Anonymous said...

You know, I was kind of a "challenge" as a kid too! I think I might blog about that.

Lydia said...

That's hilarious! Oh, the things that come back to haunt us. I just discovered your blog- my hubbie is also a big Star Wars fan AND a Trekkie. I enjoy the Trek movies and ALL the TNG series. Our four kids adore Star Wars and by age two had lines memorized- sad, I know. We have light saber fights for entertainment.

Anne Marie@Married to the Empire said...

Hi, 4kids! Thanks for stopping by! I'm a Trekkie myself. Voyager is my favorite of the Star Trek series, but I really like Next Gen, too.

My dad was laughing at my husband and me the other night. We were watching Jedi while at my parents' house, and Steven and I were both quoting all the lines. The Star Wars life is a fun one. Odd, but fun.

Anonymous said...

WHAT?! You're a Trekkie?? Traitor!! heehee just kidding! Actually, at Celebration I in Denver on the last day, there were a couple Klingons (don't know how to spell that) there. We were noticing that not many people were in SW costumes. I think that's because it was so rainy and muddy. But that last day was bright and sunny. And the Klingons were there. They were hilarious.

Anne Marie@Married to the Empire said...

Sorry to disappoint! :-)

Anne Marie@Married to the Empire said...

Oh! I forgot to say that one time we were at a convention, and we wound up chatting with a guy in an original Star Trek uniform, a guy in a Han Solo costume, and they were talking about the TV show Firefly. I understood everything.

When we walked away, I told Steven I didn't know if I should be horrified that I could relate to everything about those people (who were uber nerds, btw) or proud of my geekiness. I mean, I am a former cheerleader and all! LOL

PJ said...

I'm with Leah...You were a bad girl!! How funny!!! (I came over on a shoutout from Ann)