Growing up with a BIG Family or any Childhood Memories

[Mistress]

[i]I like to hear other peoples stories of their youth.. lol..

Me.. well it's a long tail.. and so many funny as heck stories to tell.. I am the Baby out of 7 Children.. My parents, strick Italians.. lol.. obviously didn't own a Television.. lol.. We are all about 1 to 2 years apart in age.. Me being the youngest at 31 and my oldest brother is 42.. lol.. There are three boys and 4 girls.. lol.. pretty even almost, considering Mom lost one Boy.. and the amazing thing is the order of our births went... boy.. girl.. boy, etc.. all the way down.. I always ask my Mom.. "you could have stopped when ever.. you had boy girl, etc.. why did you keep going"?.. Well her being the age of 59 now.. said.. I would have more if I could.. lol.. She has an amazing Love for children.. and the worlds biggest set of patience I've ever seen.. lol..

We lived in a three bedroom house.. and man is that another story...

I can remember when we would sit about the Dinner table.. lol.. a big one at that... anyway.. the 7 of us would play Board Games.. and Always end up fighting like cats & dogs.. lmao.. Gods I really do miss it..

Any kool stories??? or any kind of stories for that matter??

Mistress

[kathyv]

Well, I am the oldest of 6. I was 15 when the baby was born so I got a lot of practice at babysitting!

We lived on a 5 acre plot on a hillside overlooking a place called Peaceful Valley. Wasn't much good for pasture but the view was great! We had horses, a tree fort and a tire swing!

My dad hunted and we were raised on venison, I still prefer it to beef. With that many kids and 1 income, we couldn't afford to buy a lot of meat, it made sense to hunt it.

My mom didn't drive so I would take the little kids out trick or treating on my horse. I went as the 'headed' horsewoman!

A favorite summer evening pasttime was sitting on the front porch and watching the bats catch insects, whooping and hollering untill all the dogs in the valley were barking and howling back at us and squirt gun fights.

We had 2 boys and 4 girls, the poor boys had to put up with a lot of girly things like dress up and such!

We also played a lot of cribbage and chess. The only person I couldn't regularly beat at chess was my dad.

[Mistress]

[i]Trick or' Treating on Horse Back??

Wow..

Kathy that sounds wonderful ..

I understand about the one income.. lol..Dad really did work a lot. He has since retired at the age of 42 non the less.. lol.. He did very well saving during the hard times. I grew up knowing for sure the value of a dollar.. Seems to be why I pamper myself so much now.. lol..

At the age of 14 I had a full time job babysitting as well, but not for any of my siblings.. he he.. I had three children down the corner house that they had a Single Mom and she was a nurse. I use to get there before they woke.. made them breakfast, lunch.. walked them to the Buss.. sent them off to school.. and was there at the buss stop for them when school was out.. Aye.. and I too had a full day of school.. Then back to their house for Homework, Dinner then put them to bed. The Middle one, Matthew.. one nite as I carried him up to bed.. Kissed me on my cheek and said Goodnite Mom.. lol.. I knew then that their Mom worked too much.. lol.. and hoped that someday when I had my Children that wouldnt be the case..

One Large memory about my childhood home was Sunday Dinner.. lol. Big Italian family.. Sauce ever Sunday after Mass... and Mom always seemed to find the extra cash for 1/2 gallon of Ice Cream for us to share.. lol.. too bad Dad ate most of it.. he he he

Summer time was spent on the block.. small block that it was.. We use to catch Lightening Buggs.. and Mom use to give us old Jelly jars and punch holes in the lids.. We put grass in the bottom of the Jars and use to watch them light up.. lol.. Ask me now to catch a Fire Fly.. NOPE! he he he

Mistress

[Texasmujer]

My mother is Puerto Rican, and my parents divorced, so things were not always sunny or happy at my home, however...
my mother did what she could, and I have to admire her...she had a high school education, spoke a HEAVILY accented english; Matter of fact, we kids---there were 4 of us---would tease her, and ask her to say "sheet", knowing full well that she would say sh--). Another time, when my brothers were home, one went running through the house shouting,"Jimmy...NO!!" And my brother (Jimmy) fired a gun, apparently killing my other brother; of course, they were using blanks in the gun...ALL of us females just panicked. (My brothers were home on leave---they were both in the Army, and about to leave for "Nam,) My Mom...how she survived us, I'll never know!
(Let's salute ALL our Moms!!)

[Edited by Texasmujer on 25th January 2004 at 21:44]

[kathyv]

WOW! What a story! My little brothers were TAME in comparison!

I think I will keep your mom in my prayers! Poor lady!


I used to convince my younger siblings that things like dirt and bark were adible, they would actually eat things! I was such a brat, but I figured if they were dumb enough to believe me, they deserved it! LOL One time I convinced my next sister down from me that we'd actually had an older sister named Jane that had died.... Why in the world I made something like that up I don't know but she went to my mom asking about it and boy oh boy was I in trouble!

[Texasmujer]

...like I said earlier, "Our Poor, moms!!" What we did as kids...oh, migosh...LOL About my family: that was pretty 'normal'---one brother was in infantry in the army; the other was Green Beret; together they would come up with some pretty hairbraned ideas---but, my mother survived 'em all...

[jacobitedreamer]

Sad stories, lovely stories. All those wonderful things you shared here.

I am my parents' only child, and I wished to have a brother or a sister all my childhood days for I was alone pretty often, both my parents working fulltime...

When I was about 6, I began to do in the household whatever I could, helped to nurse my granny (my father's mum). Not much time for friends. But granny knew all those old stories and legends. It was good.

When I was a very little girl, granny told me old stories and legends, too. How I longed to grow up and join those magnificent battles. It was hard to find out, at the age of five, that there are no knights left in our days, no glittering armour and no swords. Well, I got over it.

I always wanted to have a good husband and three or five children. Well, let's see what fate has in store for me. But so far, I am a single mum. There is my little one and I there is my mum and granny to care for. Not much space for dreams. But I have the best little daughter in all the world. She's the greatest reward one can have.

Hunting's one of my childhood favies, too. I now am a hunter myself. We spent those icy winterdays out in the forest hunting for hares and rabbits... Oh that pride bringing home what we got and then eat it... The kids at school could never understand.