The Arguments (2)

To be honest I only remember my parents arguing twice. If they argued more than that, then they must have done a really good job at not arguing in front of us kids (that or my memory is really bad, but I think people tend to remember thse kinds of things so I would lean towards my first explanation). If Chelsy and I can even be half this good at not arguing or having contentious feelings in front of our kids, I will be happy!
The first memory I have of my parents arguing was at the apartment our family lived in before we moved up to Woodland Hills. Pat and I were sitting in one of our cars ready to leave, and mom and dad came out of the house arguing and then dad came and got in the car and was still mubling to himself about the argument. He was really mad. I just remember the fact that he was really mad at mom, and me being the worrier that I am was worried about the whole situation. I still remember the emotion I had while I was sitting there in the car.
The second time I remember my parents arguing was in Woodland Hills. I don't remember the time frame but I remember my mom sitting at the table with the check book open and alot of white envelopes spread across the table (must have been bills). Because of this setting I've always assumed that the argument was over money. My mom and dad just had some words back and forth, just for a matter of minutes, and then dad walked out the kitchen door to the back deck I'm assuming to calm down.

Under Where?

Once, while living in the white house, I knew I was in trouble and dad was going to come and spank me. I remember running downstairs and putting on as many pairs of underwear as I could find. The spanking must not have hurt because I don't remember that at all, I just remmeber putting on lots of underwear in fear of the upcoming spanking.

Random Early Memories

Nicki and family two houses down. We (Pat and I) played with Nicki and her sister in their house and on their treehouse in back (where I fell off, when I was pretending I was a super hero and sliced my lip open). On that note, I do remember mom and dad reading books to me in the hospital as I was getting my lip sewn up. I enjoyed that one on one time with my parents and the books they read to me.
Once in the basement of Nicki's family we all talked about tasting dog food and some of us tried it. I'm not sure that I did but I thought that was fun.
There was a house on the corner that had pet bunnies. It was fun to go watch them. One of the girls from this house babysat us once in a while.
One holiday we played with sparklers at the house across the street. I recollect that the boys in this house were a little wild and sometimes mean.
We used to play in our backyard on our swingset and we would see how many salt-tene crackers we could put in our mouth, and then we would talk and blow all the crackers out. I got a kick out of that, we thought we were cookie-monster.

Banana Seat Bikes

I only remember one Christmas in the old white house. Mom and Dad had me and Pat walk out together to the front room and there waiting for us were two bikes! Not just any bikes, I remember the bikes having banana seats on them, you know the kind that more than one person could sit on if they wanted. The bikes must have really made an impression on me. I also remember riding those bikes a lot, but the memory is directly connected with the white house. After moving, I don't have any recollection of riding them.

The White House

I don't remember much during the time we lived here. Here's what I do remember:
I remember dad sitting in his office downstairs. From what I remember the office was pretty small - it seemed to just have enough room for his desk and a bookshelf - and it seemed to be connected to the family room downstairs. When he was gone I would like to go look through his desk and play his harmonica's and play with his letter openers that looked like knifes.
I remember getting up early on Saturdays and watching cartoons down in the family room. We must have had a pull-out couch down there because I remember waking up and watching cartoons with Pat (and sometimes other friends or cousins) on the pull out couch. I also remember the wooden beds that dad made me and Pat. Down in our bedroom at the bottom of the stairs I have a memory of falling over in a wooden chair and getting hurt...
I also remember taking a shower with dad down in the laundry room, where the shower was in the middle of the room.
At the white house, we must have had a garden there too because I do remember working with Dad in the Garden picking corn and beans?
I remember mom taking us to Weinerschnitzel (mcd's must not have had a dollar menu back then :) ) But I loved going out to Weinerschnitzel!
The property in the back of the white house seemed immense to me and I have a slight memory about picking grapes off the vines with mom back there... and I believe she would make grape jam with them in the kitchen at the white house.
Like Pat, I remember the green phone too... and wasn't the kitchen yellow?

The Big Blue Van

I remember enjoying riding in the back of the big blue van. If I remember right mom and dad took all the seats out of the back and put a matress in it for a trip or something but I remember jumping around on a matress in the back of the van...