Remember when you first laid eyes on that bundle of joy? That very first moment when you saw your baby? This week let’s flashback to that moment. No long labor stories, just raw emotion - what did you feel inside?
March 24th, 2005 Little Man made his debut at 5:05pm. When your first one is born, the emotion is so raw and overwhelming. I was so exhausted and so completely amazed that I had just given birth to a child. It was an amazing experience. I remember feeling annoyed that the doctor held him for what felt like an eternity. In retrospect, they probably only had him for less than a minute. The moment I laid eyes on him I started crying. Crying with joy and complete and total love. My heart was fuller than it had ever been. I didn't realize there was room in my heart for as much love.
March 14, 2008 Ladybug made her entrance sometime shortly after 8:00pm. Things went faster than they did with Little Man. I pushed like 3 times and it was over. The emotion wasn't as raw because I knew what to expect. I knew that my heart would expand to fit the love I had for her the moment I saw her. I was, of course, amazed that I gave birth to another child. I was even more amazed at how quick it happened. Then I just felt joy to have her in my arms and relief that she was healthy. While the doctors and nurses did their thing in my nether regions, I happily held her oblivious to the number of stitches and all the pushing and pulling taking place.
Flashback Friday - First Emotion
Posted by Fratzels Labels: Flashback Friday, Ladybug, Little Man, Motherhood
Growing up most of us had a favorite book that a parent or a teacher or a librarian read us. This week I thought it would be fun to flashback to our favorite children’s books. Which books did you love?
My absolute all time favorite book was James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I loved it. My imagination when wild everytime I read or heard that story. When I taught I shared it with my students every year. It's an amazing tale!
There's also Freckle Juice, by Judy Blume. I could totally relate to that, which made me love it. 
For most of us there is a defining moment in our teen years when we suddenly feel we have gone from being a kid to being an adult - it happens around the age of 16 when we get our driver’s licenses. Suddenly we feel this surge of freedom that we never had before - that is, until we realize we don’t have a car. But somehow along the way most of us do end up with our own car - maybe not at age 16, but at some point. This week I thought it would be fun to flashback to that time when you got your first car. How old were you? What kind of car? What led to the buying of it?
My best girlfriend (I often wonder what happened to her and if she is happy) was 6 months older than me. She got her learner's permit slightly after 15 1/2, which meant that I had to have mine then too. I had mine slightly before 15 1/2. We took driver's training together, which was way back when there was no cost for it and high schools still provided it.
She turned 16 while on a ski trip with me and my family during our sophomore year of high school. When we got home, she found her present - a red convertible mustang. It wasn't new, but boy was I ever jealous of that car!
I turned 16 in the fall of our Junior year - on a Saturday, which really bit! I had to wait until Monday to take my driver's test (yes, my parents allowed me to miss a few hours of school for the test). I took it and passed with flying colors. Just a few days before my birthday I came home from school to an empty house. My parents, it would seem, were in LA. They drove down there after reading about a car sale in the newspaper. They came home late that night with my present. A brand new 1989 white Nissan Sentra. It was less than $5,000 - can you believe that? Less than $5,000 for a brand new car?
Long story shortened, I didn't choose the car. It was a gift to me, and a wonderful one by very generous parents. The car served me well. I drove it for 7 1/2 years. During those 7 years, I changed out the am/fm radio only to a cassette radio. I bought an air conditioner for it (which never really worked right and caused sparks on the passenger side floorboard). It was even stolen from me once. Heather, if you are reading this, you can tell the story.
Today we are taking you back to your first real job. Not the babysitting gig, but the first real tax paying job.
Just like Blog Mom my first job was at McDonald’s. It was a brand new, sparkly and shiny! Our little town had one other fast food joint, Taco Bell, so it was pretty exciting for everyone in the town that the golden arches decided to set up shop.
1989. It was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. My parents would not allow me to work during the school year of my junior year, so I went into it knowing it was only a summer gig. Unlike Blog Mom, I did almost everything at Mickey D’s. The only thing I was not allowed to do (thank goodness) was cook the hamburgers. You had to be 16 to do that. That didn’t stop me from manning the french fry vats. That was the most disgusting job there. It was hot, stinky and greasy – yuck! My favorite job was doing the drive-thru. We had to say, “Welcome to McDonald’s. This is Chrissy. May I take your order?” It was a little humiliating for me to say all of that, but I got over it with the realization that it was the sweetest job there.
I learned that those little silver number tags they put on the burger warming trays signified when, on the clock, they had to toss the burgers. For years I requested a fresh burger when I saw the number was getting close to the burgers needing to be tossed. I haven’t seen them use that system in quite some time, so they must have done away with it.
I was a pretty fast worker, as was everyone there. We prided ourselves on speedy and friendly service. The owner was really strict about it. Now when I go into our local Mickey D’s in my new hometown in NH and see them working at a snail’s pace, I get so darn angry – HELLOOOOOO! This is fast food, pick it up and put on a smile!
Because I was 15, I had to walk to work in my gray pants, gray shirt and gray visor. The walk wasn’t too bad. We always had to wear our hair pulled back, so it was that summer that I learned how to french braid my own hair. I taught myself and it is still a skill I pride myself in, so thank you McDonald’s!
The only thing I can remember buying with my new found wealth was a suede blazer from The Limited. Oh how I loved that blazer. It was my prize possession for awhile. I’m sure there were other things I bought with the pennies I made, but nothing else stands out in my mind.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad first job. My second job, now that was a sweet job that I loved, but that’s a story for another time.
This week we’re taking you back to sweaty palms and nervous stutters. That’s right, ladies, it’s time to flashback to your very first date!
To the people that know me now, this will come as a shock. To my high school friends, this will not be a shock. I was painfully shy in high school. So very, very shy. I had no idea how to talk to a boy and was afraid of what would happen if I did. I might have passed out. All of that being said, my first date will sound rather pathetic. It was in my senior year of high school and it was with , gasp, a younger boy.
After a couple of phone calls to each other, we decided to go out on a date. Said "date" consisted of a trip to the riverbed, which was a total party spot for all the FFA kids with whom I associated most my senior year. I don't even know how much interaction we actaully had; I spent most of the night talking with my girlfriends. I know for sure I didn't kiss him or even hold his hand.
Pathetic, I know.
It was 1984-1985 school year. I was 11 years old. I went to Sespe Elementary School. My teacher was Mrs. Arguellis. I thought, as I did with all my teachers, that she hung the moon and stars. She was probably one of the reasons I started my adult life with a career in teaching, where I thought I would remain (things change).
I also loved Madonna, she was in the beginning of her career. When her video, Like a Virgin Video, debuted on MTV, I was waiting by the tv for it to start. I remember that my parents were sitting there with me. What must they have been thinking of this song and video? I am sure they were horrified, as I would be with my own daughter. In true Madonna fashion, I wore black jelly bracelets, mini-skirts and big bows in my hair. I also donned all sorts of obnoxiously large earrings of the brightly colored plastic variety.
Ronald Reagan was elected for his 2nd term in office. He was my childhood president. I adored him then and now think of him as the best president of my time. I asked my Dad once who he thought of as the best president of his time. He also said Reagan. He made such an impact on me that I now have a child that shares his surname.
