[andysandmikesmom]

Boy, you and I sound like twins on this on...when we lived in North Carolina, and the boys were young, we had this huge tent, enough for at least 8 people, and as soon as summer vacation time came to the schools, we put that tent up in the front yard...and the boys slept there most nights...over the weekends, their friends would ask their parents if they could spend the night in our tent...sometimes we got so many requests, we almost had to make reservations...usually the boys all crowded together to try to make room for all those who wanted to sleep over...some of those boys had never camped before, so it was indeed a great experience for them, a first time thing...

When I was a kid living in Chicago, along about February, my mom would get a terrible case of 'cabin fever' especially if the Chicago winter had been an unusually cold and snowy frozen one...so on the weekends, dad would pack all of us up and take us out to the Forest Preserves...there was one particular one which had a small shelter windbreak, and there dad would move a picnic table, and mom would set up the grill, and we would have a picnic in the snow and ice..we would be eating hot dogs and burgers, while dressed in snow suits, winter coats, woolen hats, mittens, scarves and boots...and we would be surrounded by snow

Folks coming out to the Forest Preserves for a simple walk in a winterland forest, often looked at us as if we were nuts of something...But we did not care, we were having a great time playing in the snow, and eating food prepared out of doors(You are right, everything cooked out of doors tastes better)...

Then after our picnic in the snow, we would head home, us kids plum tuckered out from our day, and mom a little less crabby, with her 'cabin fever' being somewhat satiated...It is a wonderful childhood memory...

[grannie9]

Aren't they wonderful memories? My Mom and Dad were great parents. I have to remember sometimes that my Mom was forty one when she had me..the runt of the litter. But even so.. they did everything with me, and took me everywhere. They were such fun-loving and partying people.. They had many friends and there was always something going on.

I'll never forget on one of my Mom and Dad's Anniversary parties..some of their friends lugged an upright piano all the way up the front stairs to the living room.. Our house sat on a hill off the street and had many stairs to get to the front door..but they did it and what a party they had.. I remember peeking thru the railings from the second floor, and watching all the fun and hell-raising. They always knew I was there, but they only warned me now and then.. LOL I think they were always afraid of what I might see.. and blackmail them all.. lol

They were fun people, and had one hell of a life..

We must be getting old all right.. all the reminiscing?