Childhood Memories Blog Party at Story Girl :)

Hayden over at Story Girl is having a Childhood Memories Blog party with questions and a giveaway.  It's been a while since I've joined in on a blog party, and this one looked like fun.  Here are my answers. :)

First: name 5 childhood memories that bring a smile to your face
1.   Rambling with my brother down beside the creek and through the walnut grove at our grandparents' house.  Walking under the very archway my mom walked under when she and Dad were married in my grandparent's backyard.  I'd love to visit that old place again sometime.

2.  Art class with Mr. "B" in third grade.  He was so kind and encouraging to me.  I've never forgotten him and feel truly blessed to have had his influence in my life.

3.  Becoming "best friends" with the girl who is still my best friend today. :)  We were at my other grandparent's house then.  We wrote a best friends song to the tune of "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, then buried it, promising to come back some day and dig it up together.  Of course, we buried the piece of paper by itself in the dirt, so even if we had decided to keep that promise, it wouldn't have been there anymore. ;)

4.  Drawing, drawing drawing!!  Hours of my childhood were spent on the floor with paper, a pencil, an eraser, and my trusty Pentel markers. :)

5.  Singing in the car with my family.  All four of us would sing together, especially on long trips.  Mom, my brother and I would sing the melody, and Dad normally sang a harmony part.  As we got older, Mom and my brother held the melody, Dad would sing tenor, and I would sing the alto. :)

Now: answer the questions
1.  Was there a particular game that you played with your siblings all the time?
     My brother and I played lots of games (when we weren't arguing with each other).  I remember one time when we both sat in a big cardboard box, cramming a bunch of our toys in with us, and pretended to be on a boat.  We also liked to pretend we were pirates.  After Aladdin came out, we ended up with several Aladdin action figures, and we'd set up houses for them and make up all sorts of fun adventures.

2.  Did you have a special toy/item that you dragged around everywhere you went?
     I went through phases with different toys.  I don't remember most of the ones that were really special.  For a while, though, my absolute favorite was my rag doll, Mindy Lou.  I took her everywhere with me, and I still have her to this day. :)

3.  What was a movie/TV show that you were obsessed with as a child?
     We didn't have a TV growing up, but one set of grandparents did.  Whenever we went over there, I loved to watch cartoons.  The first kid's movie they ever had was "Winnie-the-Pooh".  I liked it so much that I would watch it, rewind it, and watch it again.  My whole family can still quote and sing along with most of the movie. ;)  I also remember really liking "My Little Pony The Movie".  My next huge obsession was "The Little Mermaid", which came out when I was in the third grade. I memorized all the songs and pretended to be a mermaid whenever I was in a pool.  "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", and "The Lion King" soon followed as my favorites.  As far as TV shows, I enjoyed "Kissyfur", "Wildfire", "My Little Pony", "Garfield and Friends", and "Looney Tunes"...pretty much anything that played on Saturday mornings.  My brother and I would get to eat Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes and eat them in front of the TV.  We never had sugar cereal at home, so it was always a special treat to spend Saturday mornings at Grandma's. ;)

4.  Did you have an imaginary friend?
     Not that I remember.  I never really went through that phase.  I did, however, spent countless hours walking back and forth in the backyard telling myself stories.  My family probably thought I was nuts. ;)

5.  What did you want to be when you grew up?
      I wanted to be a shepherd in Kindergarten.  From there, I wanted to be an artist, a writer, a missionary, or a teacher.

6.  Who was president when you were born?
      Ronald Reagan :)

7.  Any song associated with your childhood?
    "It is Good to Give Thanks" was one my family used to sing together all the time.  It's basically Psalm 92:1-5 set to the tune of "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof. :)

It is good to give thanks (clap once)
to the Lord and to sing praises to Thy name, O most High, (clap four times)
To declare Thy loving kindness in the morning
and Thy faithfulness by night. *
With a ten stringed lute and with the harp
with resounding music on the lyre,
For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad
by what Thou hast done.
I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands,
how great are Thy works, O Lord,
Thy thoughts are very deep
Bum, bum, bum, (Back to the beginning) (and yes, we did sing the "bum, bum, bum") ;)

*On the second time through, repeat "and Thy faithfulness by night", and then you're done. :)

I know it's very difficult to try to sing a song you don't know without the sheet music, but I thought some of you might enjoy trying it anyway.  Maybe I can convince my family to make a recording for my YouTube channel sometime (without showing our faces). ;)  I'm not making any promises, though...I'm not sure if they'd be willing to.

8.  Something that scared you as a child?
     I was deathly afraid of werewolves.  Our next-door neighbor ran a daycare, and sometimes I would get to go over and play with her daughter while the daycare kids were there.  One of the boys would tell us scary werewolf stories...not sure why I sat there and listened. :}  I can remember lying in bed being absolutely terrified that the werewolves were going to come get me.   Thankfully, I've outgrown the fear now...although I still can't watch the beginning of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. ;)

9.  What's the food that you like now but back then just wouldn't eat?
    I'm having a hard time with this one.  I remember hating broccoli, but I still hate it as an adult, so that doesn't count. ;)  I pretty much loathed any vegetable, and I have gotten better about eating those...overall. :}

10.  Was there any Christmas or birthday gift that you really, really wanted and went crazy about?
     The Christmas I was 9, I really wanted Western Fun Barbie and Western Fun Ken.  My grandparents (not the ones with the TV) got them for me for Christmas, and they remained my favorites for years. :)
     When "Beauty and the Beast" came out, I really wanted the Mattel Belle and Beast dolls more than anything.  The same grandparents got me the dolls for my 11th birthday, along with the piano sheet music from the movie. :)      
     Another gift I loved that was a complete surprise was my porcelain baby doll I got for Christmas when I was 11 (I believe).  My mom made it for me at a class she took at a local porcelain shop.  The doll had the sweetest little face and felt just like a real baby.  I loved her so much!  I still have her and my original Beauty and the Beast dolls. :)

To join in on the fun yourself, you can see all of Hayden's questions HERE. :)  The party is going until the 11th, so you still have a few more days to join.