memories

I just got off the phone with my Mom, and she said something to me that I wouldn't classify as profound but it definitely made me stop and think. We had been talking about somethings that I remembered from my childhood and she said "don't you love those memories that made your childhood". And it got me to thinking about all the things I remember and hold dear to my heart from that time in my life so I have decided to share them with you..... whoever you are.

1.) Nights in West Texas.... growing up we had really close family friends Benny and Betty and they had a whole section out in West Texas and during the summer we would go out and visit. My brother Beau even lived with them for awhile and when we would visit I would sleep in the back room under the big window and I could see every star in the sky, and I would make wishes on all of them. I remember my poor Aunt Betty trying to teach me to drive on this little ATV they had and I almost killed us. I remember her waking me up at the crack of dawn to ride her house named Rip bareback around the barn. Sorry for the very long explanation but these memories are especially sweet to me.

2.) Fighting with my brother. I don't have one scar on my body that I cant directly relate to a story involving him or one of his friends. Yard sticks to the side of my head, Batteries thrown at my eye, Pillow fights or burn marks from late night grilled cheese sandwiches. He was and is still my very best friend.

3.) Road Trips to with my sister Elsie to see our big sister Melita. These women are the worlds best secret keepers, a voice of reason, a shoulder to cry on and always good for a laugh when you need one. And the occasional $50 wired to you cause your broke.

4.) Walking barefoot and shirtless everywhere I went up until the age of 7. I had to be like my brother Beau so what ever he did I did. Although I'm pretty sure he wore a shirt more than I did. Heaven help me if I ever have a daughter who is half as "free spirited" as I was at that age.

5.) Exploring the woods behind our house, we came upon all kinds of things but the most exciting of them all was the old 19th century graveyard lost and forgotten. Me and friends would do these so called "seances" we had no clue what we were done but swore there were "spirits" there.

6.) Pogs, Power Rangers, X-Men and Barbies. Enough said. On a side note was I the only little girl who made her Barbie and Ken divorced? I know all of us shaved Barbies head, but Ken was always mysteriously absent or out of town on work.

7.) Out of all of my Moms kids I was the one who went through so-called phases and I will start at the beginning and try and work my way up to the present. one: I want to be a boy not a girl. two: I referred to everyone as Stupid not by there names. three: Harriette the Spy, I wanted to be just like her I even made my Mom by me a yellow jacket and I watched that movie until the tape melted. four: Spice Girls, I spent a whole year talking in a British accent. five: NSYNC don't judge me.  six: hardcore uber ghetto gangster rap, this lasted most of high school my senior year I decided to become more normal and focus on my obsession with Harry Potter which leads us into phase seven: Harry Potter, I was and am so into HP that on midnight of my 18th birthday I got a lightening bolt tattoo on my back in honor of my favorite literary character. eight: party girl/ red neck phase, thank God this one only lasted Freshman year of college. Give me a break I was in east Texas for crying out loud. I have had other phases come and go but I am pretty sure that these are going to be the most memorable to my family and whenever they decide to embarrass me for some reason one of these things will most certainly come up.

8.) Road trips. Road trips are a Hohmann family specialty, we are loud, we sing off key except for Elsie who has the "voice" in the family, our Mom likes to roll down the windows in the dead of night while yelling "BLOW OUT" at the top of her lungs. My brother and I were always wrestling or fighting in the back of the van, my sisters were always nervous that Beau and I were going to embarrass them in some way shape or form.

9.) I used to drink syrup right from the bottle when I thought no one was watching.

10.) being dubbed "Caity Baby" by my Uncle Richard and his boys Warren Lee and Russell David. But only those three could ever say it right. The had a certain way of saying it, till this day every time I hear it in my head I smile.

I obviously have hundreds upon thousands of other memories but I feel as though I am writing a novel, so I will spare you the torture of this trip down memory lane...... for now. I'm sure I will come back to it again soon.