Memory Monday~Ghosts of Birthdays Past

My birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving day about once every four years or so. This year it happens again. People ask me, "Oh, don't you hate sharing your birthday with a holiday? Don't you ever feel slighted?" My answer is always, "No, not in the least!" On those special days there were usually lots of relatives around to help me party. The whole day was one big party whether all of it was for me or not!

I have a wonderful mother who always made my birthday special no matter what day it fell on. I do remember once when I was in 5th grade my father teased me that Mom was going to put my candles on the turkey and there would be no cake because how could you have cake with pumpkin pie? I fretted about that one for awhile until Mom assured me that Dad was just being silly. (Dad was always being silly...I should have known!)

There is one problem. Usually my sweetie will cook dinner and not let me do the dishes on my birthday. Since I m in charge of dinner this year I'll be cooking and cleaning all day long so I am looking forward to a weekend date with the Master...a little meal...a movie!

All of this remembering stirred up scenes in my brain from long ago. I wish I had the photos that go along with the memories but those are in my mother's hands. (I look forward to those CD's Mom!) Most of my birthday parties were held outside. November in Mesa is generally lovely weather. Here are some of those memories.

The earliest birthday memory I have is of my 4th. Mom spread a quilt on the front lawn where my friends from Primary gathered along with my cousins Doug, Johnny, Marta, Dorne, Matt,and Cory. What fun we had playing "Follow the Leader" around that big yard and under the shade of the Scotch pine and the Mulberry trees. I remember lots of those tiny little party balloons that you have to blow into so hard that your brains feel like they are going to come out of your ears! We also played the old time party game where you stand on a chair and try to drop a clothes pin into a bottle with a small opening. Such fun...NO COST!

I got one of these and thought I was a real doctor. My poor dolls and stuffed animals submitted to many injections but I always took their candy pills for them.

Mine was red!

I also remember my 5th birthday party. This one was special to me because of a much wanted gift. Mom set up a table under the Mulberry tree in the back yard and cousins and friends were invited. I opened one long skinny box and inside was the doll of my dreams!
I was thrilled beyond belief! My very own Barbie doll! Even more cool was the fact that she sported the new bubble cut hair-do! How very 1962 of her! To make it more exciting, my aunt had been let in on the surprise and my cousin had brought another long skinny box to the gift table. Inside was this handsome guy!

Isn't he dreamy?

I loved his plastic crew cut and his beach sandals made of real cork!

My 9th birthday was on a Sunday. Mom let me open one gift before Sunday School in the morning. Inside this gift was the tiniest little doll I had ever seen! (Maybe 2 inches tall.)

Teensy little gold buttons, tiny little comb and brush...sigh!

She was part of a new line that Mattel had introduced called Liddle Kiddles. I fell in love immediately & the thought of leaving her at home while we went to the church building was an awful thought indeed! Mom said I could bring her to church but I had to leave her in the car. (Ha! Like THAT was going to happen!) I figured if I kept her and her tiny car in my hands under my New Testament that no one would notice. Kids' minds are so simple. My class sat in the choir seats for opening exercises. We were in plain view of everyone! I could not resist pulling her out and zooming her little car on the armrest of my chair. Guess where Babe Biddle ended up spending the rest of Sunday School? In the dark interior of Mom's patent leather hand bag, that's where!!

For my 11th birthday I wanted one of these...and got it!

Try to picture a brown roof and yellow paint, otherwise this is exactly how it looked!

My mother didn't think it was something I REALLY wanted. Didn't I want something more feminine? But we had just moved from the dairy "into town"...suburbia! This is what my friend Karen Tucker had and I loved playing with her. The men in the house thought it was a great idea! Richard and Dad mounted it on the roof over our carport using 2x4's (which is what everyone did in those ancient times) I was not an athlete but I had so much fun shooting baskets and playing "HORSE" with Karen!

After that birthday all of the others seem to melt into each other in my mind. All fun, always family around, always a special, thoughtful gift from Mom and Dad.

This Memory Monday has sparked some nostalgia in my mind. I may do another one on more of my ancient, antique toys!!What fun toy memories do you have?

Am I older than dirt?

Just about!