Memories that Stand the Test of Time
As long as I live, I will remember sticking my hands into brown paper bags at Halloween on my friend’s screened in porch. The eewy, the squishy, the unidentified spaghetti brains, all of it. Epic sleepovers and parties were a staple of my childhood.
Our Epic Sleepovers
As my children are getting older, I realize more and more what an awesome childhood I had with my friends. I was so blessed to have friends with amazing parents. My parents could trust them and they could trust my parents. I loved my friends’ parents and I still do. They made me feel welcomed, always.
My friends and I were always together. Every weekend I remember being with friends. Fun beach trips. Incredible mountain vacation – my first ever trip to the mountains made possible by a friend and her family who included me. We stayed in a beautiful cabin and had so much fun. And now I think, how did our parents do it? Sleepovers can be exhausting. I mean let’s be honest, they take extra effort. They take extra food. And money. And some kids are different and/or difficult. Our parents gave us epic sleepovers. I am so thankful.
Epic Sleepovers (Free to Remain Anonymous)
Out of respect for my lovely friends, I will not be naming folks but you are welcome to claim your experience. The craziest epic sleepover I remember was when my mom let my sister and I each have a ton of friends over at the same time. I think we had 5-10 friends each who were there. Our birthdays are both in February so I’m guessing it was a joint birthday party. My sisters’ friends were upstairs and we were sleeping downstairs. In the middle of the night, they snuck down and painted our faces with lipstick. In retaliation, we threw their shoes outside in the rain. Drama! I would never attempt this for a sleepover…I don’t think…thanks mom!
I can remember a room full of girls in sleeping bags. Just when the lights were out, someone decided to start throwing skittles or M&M’s? I’m not disclosing the culprit. It was really funny until the carpet had to be vacuumed the next morning…oops, sorry!
What were we thinking watching horror movies and trying to summon Bloody Mary in the bathroom mirror? And what would we have done if she showed up? Swing punches? Run? It’s true the brain doesn’t fully develop until later in life.
Growing up Together
Riding in the back of a covered truck bed to Golden Corral. Recording ridiculous nonsense (see below). Putting shaving cream in a sleeping friend’s hand and then tickling her face. Yep, it worked! Sorry we thought it was so funny.
How about the time we snuck out of the house during a sleepover and went down the road to toilet paper a house? And then hit the ground flat when the police drove by? Or how about that time when we walked down to the pier and went skinny dipping? When that boat came by and stopped to talk to us, I have no idea what they must have been thinking. A boy in the boat was a few years older than us. Lord. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
I can remember falling asleep in my friends upstairs bedroom, her in one twin bed and me in the other. We must have been around ten years old, maybe. I remember one of our tough conversations about the loss of a loved one. Eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at her kitchen table. I didn’t like jelly but I didn’t want to tell her mom. I can still picture the house, every room. The clear telephone where you could see all the wires. The Jennifer Anniston haircut. Shopping at the mall. Secretly plotting for boys to come over and then only letting them stay like 5 minutes in the living room because we were scared of getting caught.
I can remember playing volleyball at another friends house, trying to sleep on the trampoline all night and getting mosquito bites and hearing something that sounded like a wolf in the dark. Watching MTV. Going to horse shows. Going to Little League Baseball games. Heading to dinner with another friends family and her dad in the front seat singing. Her parents were always so in love and so happy. I remember delicious breakfast there, bacon. Swimming in the pool. I remember practicing softball with my friends. Eating Tommy’s Pizza. I thought my friend’s house on the river in Snug Harbor was the absolute coolest place ever.
Playing Nintendo with another friend on the tiny tv we used to have in the kitchen. We would be together for days in the summer. Seeing the horses. Walking down a long gravel road to go swimming. Sneaking out later in the dark to visit a friend in New Hope. What were we thinking? We were young and silly and happy. And thank God safe.
So Lucky
We really had no cares in the world, even if sometimes it felt like we did. Our parents were legendary. They gave us epic sleepovers and the chance to make lifetime friends. We were so lucky to have them. We were so lucky to have each other.
After finding this cassette tape that’s over 20 years old in my drawer, I listened and laughed. I thanked God I even had friends as crazy as I was. I hope it makes you smile. Special thanks to the second voice on these recordings.
