Where we grew up!

I was looking through old photos on my computer and found this one of the house we grew up in . It's a recent photo without the big tree out front ,and the paint is different but its still my childhood home

4482 W 133rd Street 

It always felt so big with a really long hallway! Looking back it wasn't but it sure felt like it then
So many childhood memories are tied to this old house...

My dad would drive up and honk his horn and we would all come flying out to see him

I remember my mom called the TV station and  Hobo Kelly told me where my birthday present was. She said "Happy Birthday Karen your gift is in the hamper"  And by golly it was

Our dog Zorba laid out on the grass and watched over us 

We had the VERY best neighbors and to this day I remember every single name 

Saturdays always meant donuts

We would ride our bikes through the alley to Thriftys for ice cream cones

Or to Food King for a "large white sliced" loaf of bread from the bakery  

The sweet man at "Toffels"  shoes let us kids come in and pick our shoes and my dad would settle up with him later

We loved records and would save our money for "45's" and run to Melody Music to buy them

My YaYa would come to help my mom clean and the house would smell like bleach and pine sol

We would beg to eat dinner on TV trays and watch Startrek, but were never allowed to watch  "Laugh In" because it was too racy

Our sweet Annie lived next door and she was the cuddliest, kindest lady who always had treats for us and plenty of love to give!

Adeline lived five houses down and she would hem and mend our clothes. She had the most immaculate yard and made Pazelles every year at Christmas

My mom insisted I have my own room with a yellow canopy bed and pretty furniture
I would spend hours in there reading Beverly Cleary books with my feet up on the walls
And I begged for a phone jack but it was never in the family budget so we all shared the yellow kitchen phone whose cord was stretched to the max  because we all wanted a bit of privacy

The can opener was mounted on the cabinet and every time our cat heard the clank she would come running!!

There was always a bowl of nuts with a nut cracker on the counter

The back bathroom had pink and green tile and towels all over the floor! My mom did more laundry than anyone I know and she never complained

But mostly there was so much love and joy in that house! We always had tons of kids over and lots of freedom to be young and adventurous .Sometimes I can close my eyes and still remember the smells and the sounds of laughter

I hope someday my boys will look back on their years in our house and have the same warm feeling! 
I think we may have been a little more poor than I thought economically but we sure never knew it. We had everything we ever needed! 
And that is the sign of GREAT parenting