December Days: "a happy, cozy memory from your childhood"

[citrusjava]

applegeuse said "Share a happy, cozy memory from your childhood". Here are two. Hope you like, bb :-)
This is part of the December Days meme. If you feel like it, you can prompt me too, here.
There were some cool things about my family, growing up, but it was usually more about adventure or fun than it was about comfort and safety. I do have some cozy memories though.



I remember one day on my way back from school I got soaked in rain, I remember the white sleeves of my cloth coat being wet, and my hands being red from the cold. I didn't think much of it, but when I got home, my mom got me to get dry and bundle up in her robe, and have some soup - it was her special soup - mushroom soup made from powder with milk instead of some of water. It was this unexpected bit of care I felt weird about, and but it was nice, too.

I remember going to bed, around the same time period, I was around 7 - I had footie pajamas, which I adored, all cozy and nice inside. My heavy winter blanket was cool at first touch and very smooth, which I loved. One side of it was pink and the other blue, and it was a little shiny. My mattress had bunnies on it, and when the Disney sheets were clean and not used by my siblings, it was particularly wonderful. My mom had also gotten me to put stickers on my bed - I remember I had a few large fairies with flowers, that were the thick kind of stickers, my favorite. And I had promotional stickers given to anyone who parked at a local parking lot, which were shaped like huge red hears and had the name of the place, that I liked to visit.

I'd take a shower, and sometimes I got to go to bed with wet hair, but sometimes I had to dry my hair at least a little bit – which I I didn't like. It was fun for the "wee, wind in my face!" moment, but then it got boring and long, and the heat of the hair dryer hurt when it was too much. When I was ready for bed, my mother's husband would pick me up and bounce me into the bed from above – one of the funnest things ever IMO at the time - and my mother would tuck me in all cozy, and one of them would usually read me a good night story. I felt clean and loved and bundles up and cared for :-)

I tried to remember what stories we read at the time, and I don't, but I did remember that at six it was Doctor Dolittle, and that when I was sick I'd snagged the book and continued reading it myself - first "real" book I read part of myself :) I apologized to my mother's husband for continuing without him, thinking it might hurt his feelings, but that we'd continue from where we'd stopped together. He didn't want to (I thought he'd care about the plot too!), though he didn't seem bothered that I'd read on, and a short while after that I got a surprise - my first book - that I'd read a million times over the years - about a girl who found a fairy who went looking for adventure outside of her storybook.

Comments

[applegeuse.livejournal.com]

AWWWWWWWWWW! This was so very sweet, and you wrote it with such thoughtfulness and tenderness. Thank you so much for sharing. Reading it made me want to wrap you up in a big hug. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

*huge big hug of huge hugging!* :)
Thank you so much for caring, and for writing such a sweet comment... :)
*melts*

[meesasometimes.livejournal.com]

This was so sweet, I could completely imagine your pink and blue shiny blanket. That's a great memory.

I don't think my parents ever put me to bed.

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

What was it like, for you, if you feel like telling?
How do you feel about it?

[meesasometimes.livejournal.com]

I guess I always remember just being a very independent child, both by design and necessity with having a younger brother with special needs. I have some memories of my father carrying me from the station wagon and into the house to bed. But I think as far as a nightly routine I just kissed my parents good night and went to bed whenever I wanted. I was always sleepy early so bedtime wasn't really a struggle. We had a two bedroom house when I was little, I had my own room and my brother slept with my parents. I know as a mother I always looked forward to bedtime with my son, getting his pajamas, reading to him. It's one of those milestones that I always try to remember the end of...when was the last time we did that?

My mother always said my brother got the time and I got the money :) We both got what we needed really.

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. Sounds like you were a very strong and responsible child. Sounds hard, too.

Aww, what was it like with your son? I don't think I knew you had a son!

[meesasometimes.livejournal.com]

I never think "oh, I had it hard"...but I did always feel a responsibility for taking care of my brother, I grew up knowing that this was just going to be part of my life. I'm sure there were times I really rebelled against it but...well...it is what it is. He's an amazing person, kind and generous and strong too funny enough, oh and the best dog sitter in the world. He lives on his own now and does great, thankfully I have such a wonderful wife with a big heart and a social work degree. She's usually much better at dealing with him than I am. I always want to regress back to big sister knows it all. His first choice is to call Wendy not me.

Our son is 18 now, just headed off to college this year. I wonder what he would say. It's funny now that he's in college he does realize how close the three of us are as a family. He's made some comments about that, that his friends are shocked to hear what an open and honest relationship we have. I think is direct quote was "my parents are so chill".

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

thank you for the story, bb <3
Sounds kinda like a certain freckled hunter.

Your relationship with your son sounds great!

[big-heart-june.livejournal.com]

This just made me happy and warm reading it ♥♥

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks, bb!
*hands comforter and hot cacao with marshmallows*

[big-heart-june.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, YUM! *accepts gratefully* ♥

[mashimero.livejournal.com]

Aww that makes me feel all cozy inside. Thanks for sharing <3

[citrusjava.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *sends imaginary warm fluff blanket*