Tripping down memory lane!

I just took a wonderful 2 decade trip down memory lane! My mom handed me a box yesterday and said, "this is all your stuff". Normally I'm not so thrilled to get boxes of stuff to fill my house, but this one was pretty neat. It was all the old programs and papers my mom had saved from my growing up years.

I had no idea that I had been in that many concerts, recitals and plays. It certainly does make sense, since violin was such a constant in my life. But, when you look at the huge stack of papers all put together, it's a bit overwhelming! To think of all the time and practice those papers represent.

There were a few highlights among those programs. Several names that bring back great memories, duets with Jeanette, Ryan and Katie, Lakeside talent shows, middle and high school graduations, school plays, the UConn Orchestra, playing "Nola" with the high school choir, etc. And, oh the memories brought back by the middle school gymnastics show programs. Ugh. I wish I didn't have that memory! I can remember doing the floor routine with Lena and Carrie. We thought we were so cool dressing in leotards with turtlenecks and tights underneath and shorts and socks overtop. (Hey, it was the 80s!!) I do vividly remember being unsure of my kartwheels. For some reason I thought it would be less embarrasing to do sommersaults while everyone else kartwheeled. Oh my. Top that off with my balance beam and parrallel bar routines and you have a pretty lame show! Oy.

Of course, there were other things in the box too. My mom had saved all the newspaper clippings from when I made honor or high honor roll. Let's just say, it's pretty obvious that I didn't really do my best until junior year started. Yikes!

There are lots of little cards and drawings that I did for my parents. One letter to my brother, "Timmy" shows off my cursive skills and poor spelling. A typed (yes on a typewriter) letter to my parents just before Christmas tells them that they need to hurry up and get my gifts under the tree so I can look at them and that they had better let me know if my hair is a mess on Christmas morning. I can only guess that my hope was to "look good" in the pictures that year!

Oh, the fun of that box! And, the many things I had forgotten! I've learned that my drawing skills peaked at about 1990. I showed Josh a drawing I had done of our cat and he didn't believe it was mine! He said, "What happened? You used to draw well!" Thanks.

Although I have no idea what to do with the box now that I have gone through it and enjoyed the contents, I do have to say thanks to mom for finding it. And the silly thing is - I already have at least that many papers for each of my children saved up. Oh the fun they'll have someday going through their own boxes. But I can guarantee that those boxes will be leaving my houe before my children reach age 31! I'm sure they'll thank me for it though ... :)