When I was little, before the myriad of children’s medicine available now, we had Bayer baby aspirin, and I loved it. It came only in orange flavor, and getting one or two of those little orange nuggets was one of the good things about being sick. Staying out of school was another, unlike when you’re all grown up and have to go to work when you’re sick. The only good thing about that is possibly spreading your germs to a certain co-worker you don't like. When I worked for Mr. Big, I was tempted to go cough on his desk a time or two. But I digress.
As a kid when I was sick, Mom always gave me a little extra attention. That was the one time when I got the couch all to myself. Sick? Own the couch! My blanket and pillow and me, all tucked in, right in the middle of the house, so that every time Mom passed by she could “check” on me. The extra attention factor was nice because with five kids, it can feel like there’s not enough Mom to go around. My mom always seemed to be able to handle it, though.
Every morning throughout the school year, I would get up to a warm, home cooked breakfast, unless it was Friday. Sometimes, that was Pop Tart day. I loved Pop Tarts, even more than baby aspirin, plus I didn’t have to be sick. I hear it was different for my oldest sister. Mom, with five little children, wasn’t always able to cook breakfast for Gina during her elementary years. (Mom had 5 kids in 6 years. Yeah, I know.) I remember Mom saying some years ago that she felt Gina deserved a cooked breakfast through high school, which meant, of course, that I got it all through elementary school.
The bus picked us up right outside our house, but a few of the neighborhood kids had to walk a half a block or so in order the catch the bus. On the really cold mornings, Mom let a couple of sisters, Glenda and Debbie, come inside the house and wait with us for the bus.
It was a life time ago. My brother bought the house we were raised in, and he lives not so very far from me. Every now and then I run into Debbie, or another childhood friend, and the memories that flood in are pleasant like a warm, homemade breakfast on a cold day.
What made me take this trip down memory lane? Tums has sugar free, extra strength-750, orange crème flavored tablets, and they taste just like Bayer baby aspirin.
Oh--toooo funny about the Tums triggering these heartwarming memories! chuckle. Tums! Deb
ReplyDeletelol ya never know what memory lurks around the corner just waiting to be triggered by some innocuous event or thing. strange...i don't remember hot cooked b'fsts. are you sure i got them??
ReplyDeleteLOL, Gina! Yes, you did! Your Mama loved you.
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing just reading the comment Gina left and your response to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that you don't have to take a lot of those TUMs pills because I know what that means (heartburn which no one ever likes unless you are taking it for the calcium benefits because we are "old" and we need to take calcium, although I don't)
I liked reading your memories and I do remember those bayer aspirins; it was hard not to want to take them even when you weren't sick
that is neat that your brother bought that house, so now where do your parents live? Did they downsize?
betty
Yeah, Betty, she can't help it; memory's the first to go! lolol
ReplyDeleteWell my sister loved baby aspirin more than anything. She was found behind a door popping them in her mouth and had to go have her tummy pumped. Me, I thought it was nasty.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna order pizza and get some Tums....
ReplyDeleteI know you're not a super taster or you would NEVER like any kind of aspirin--even strawberry flavored!
ReplyDelete