Childhood Memories (This is for you Julie and Mary)

                                                 1971

Mary ~ age 4              Janet ~ age 6           Julie ~ age 10

     I found this old photograph recently.  I am in the middle.  Julie my older sister by four years is to my left and Mary (aka Paco for her nick name) is on my right.  What a precious memory.  Julie and I in our matching one piece jammies.  Mary probably would have had the same pair if Mama could have found some in her size.  We are fresh out of the bathtub and Mumma has already pulled our hair back and out of our faces.  Something I continute to do til this day after I bathe.  We are scrubbed clean and excited about this photo which I believe my sister Ann took with her polaroid.  What a magical thing that camera was!  We excitedly watched our images appear as it developed before our eyes!   We are standing in the living room of our home on 638 Montello Street, Brockton, Mass.  So many memories in that little house where all nine of us were raised.  Though there are photos, there aren't so many when we are little like this.  But the ones we do have are precious and treasured. 

     Thanks Mama for the good care you took.  Dressing us pretty, curling and braiding our hair.  Even if it was lumpy and bumpy on the pillow.   Rubbing a little bit of VO5 on it to make it shine!  Always bringing us to church and dressing us up for Easter with bonnets, gloves and black shiny shoes!  Tea and toast and corn muffins on Sunday nights while we watched Disney movies or Shirley Temple movies together.  Playing hangman in the kitchen on the little chalkboard.   Squished together on the couch watching the Brady Bunch and Little House on the Prairie.  Oreos and sometimes even Ring Dings for snack with a glass of cold milk.  You were so busy.  You never even had a dryer for the longest time yet we were so well dressed.  Our fondest memories of you is when you could finally sit down at the end of the day with us in the living room and relax.  Love you Mumma!