My Childhood

Tonight my family and I were talking about Tanner's and my childhood. Looking back, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

My parent originally didn't want children so they were older when I was born. We lived in a tiny little house on 1st Street in Monterey, the same house my mom and grandpa bought before she moved to Washington. We still own this house and rent it out. It's an absolutely adorable house, perfect for a small family. We had a happy little life there. From the beginning I was a picky child. My cousins frequently tell stories of my stubbornness and lack of affection for anyone besides my mom and grandma. Obviously this has changed. I was an angel for my mom, not so much for others. I had four older cousins to play with and I loved them.

We moved into our new house (in the same location where we are living now) a few months before Tanner was born. Nice backyard and kids in the neighborhood to play with. Tanner and I loved living there. Our childhood was great. Our parents taught us good values and supported us in all of our endeavors. Although neither of us found our talents until well into our adolescence, our parents were there to support me through the trial and error process of ballet, gymnastics, flute, piano, and roller skating and through Tanner's sports attempts. We didn't listen to popular music so we weren't considered very knowledgeable of that but we developed a deep appreciation for what my mom classifies as "happy music", meaning oldies music. We listened to a radio station every morning that played only music from the 40s, 50, and 60s. Until I was 10, I owned 2 CDs--a two disc Disney CD collection. We also listened to singers such as Raffi, Mary Lee Sunseri, Nancy Raven, and Tim Culbertson religiously.

We had rules and structure but it never felt too restricted. Dessert was a rarity and we had to ask permission. We weren't allowed to eat in our rooms but I definitely broke that rule. Bed was by 7:30 or 8:00 at the latest. We were always read to. Until I was 11, my daddy would read to me every night. We got through the Little House on the Prairie series, Narnia, some of Harry Potter, and countless others until I finally grew too old to pay attention. He always ended the night with a back massage, my favorite thing in the world. No TV on school nights, a rule that is still implemented in my household. So we got a whopping dose of world news every night since that's what my parents were watching. We grew up with Sunday Morning (a education news program) every Sunday morning and 60 Minutes every Sunday night. I also became very fond of my mom's tv shows such as Judging Amy, ER, and Ed. I wasn't allowed to watch Friends, Will and Grace, or Sex and the City until I was 13 so I missed that whole craze but I didn't care. Sunday nights after 60 minutes there was the Wonderful World of Disney, a program that showed a different family-friendly movie every Sunday night. We always watched the beginning and when we were allowed to watch the whole thing, it was a huge deal.

We were happy kids. My parents were my world. I wasn't a very outgoing girl, I was small for my age, and I clung to friends that were a bit bossy but I was smart. I was respectful in class and was often called "a teacher's dream". You can imagine what that meant for my social life. I didn't mind too much. Sure I wanted a large group of friends like the other girls did but I discovered over the years that I function much better with a small group of amazing friends.

We were educated in the arts. Reading became my passion early on. I was also encouraged (well...I don't know if I really had a choice) to play the flute starting in 4th grade and I continued until senior year in high school. I've take dance on and off since I was 7. Tanner began his music training when he was 10 playing the drums. He was also a good visual artist whereas I lacked any talent for painting, drawing, sculpting, or weaving. We were taken to plays and music concerts very frequently. I'm grateful my parents encouraged us to engage in so many activities. When people ask me what I do, I say I stage manage but can also add in that I'm a dancer, singer, and musician and have gymnastic and roller skating training. Having a diverse background is great.

Sports really weren't my thing. But I did gymnastics and roller skating, trying my hardest to excel. In the end I really lacked natural talent but I stuck with gymnastics for 6 years and skating for 4. I was proud of myself for doing my best.

My parents frequently say I didn't "peak" while I was in school and for that I'm actually happy. Minus the interesting experience of middle school, I was content most of the time. I had great friends. I discovered what I was good at and what needed work. And all of that has helped turn me into the individual I am now. I had something to aspire towards. I knew that there was more out there for me than popularity and boyfriends. I learned patience and hard work and how to turn a negative situation into something positive. Something you gotta suffer through a little bit of bad to find the true happiness in your life.