1976 and 77 Update

 We lived in Sioux City, of course, when Craig was born at St. Lukes Medical Center, the same as his older sisters.  Lanny was sure glad to get a boy, being out numbered the way he was -- 3 to one.  Craig came fast and furious, rushing through those early years full-speed ahead without care or planning.  I see the same attributes in Bella : )

When we knew the third child was coming along, we started figuring out how I could stay home because paying a baby sitter and going to work wouldn't have been to profitable in those days.  We determined that after the babe came, I would do daycare.   I had gotten to know The Duncan's down the street.  They had two little girls, Mollie and preemie, Carrie.  Mrs. Duncan needed some respite and we determined that Mollie (and Carrie when able would come up a couple of afternoon's a week.  There were a couple of children that the State of Iowa paid for their care, there was a little preemie who only found comfort from the hum of the vacumm.  There was a precious little guy we would have adopted, Mark, who's Mama worked at a massage parlor and was often late to pick up her boy. 

At Hubbard, there was the little girl with the Cleft Palette ( I am going to have to look up the spelling!) and little red headed Jaime.  I could have bonded with her but we weren't there long enough. 

Bohemian Mama (did you read that "hippie" ?) was sure glad to have a new babe safely delivered, and yelling at the top of his lungs.  The babe, that is -- not the Mama!  There's that gypsy robe again.  I mean to have/make me another. 

It is always a good sign tho, when the baby squalls loud!  Back in the olden days, the doctor kept you in the hospital for 2-1/2 or 3 days.  (In my Mama's time, if they got you to the hospital, they kept you in bed for about two weeks . . . by the time they wanted you to get up, you couldn't as your muscles had atrophied!  No wonder Mama had 7 of her nine babies at home! 

Remember the Chinese women that worked in the rice fields . . . they walked over to the edge of the rice paddy, delivered the babe and then went back to work.  OR so we were told! 

This photo just won't "format" and it is so cute and shows that lovely old fashioned yellow shrub rose that we had in Sioux City.  This would have been late spring 1976.  Our last spring, so sad!  Kristy is a caring 5 year old and Erica a very proud 4 year old.  This is just a charming little photo -- maybe just a tiny bit blurred.  But I remember the day and the smell and the feel still.  To this very day. 

PS:  look at those big old 70ish cars across the street!

I believe this was taken before Craig's 1st hair cut in Hubbard, at about 18 months.  I only let these blond tresses get this long because your Dad didn't have the heart to cut them.  Really and truly. Look at his dimpled knees.  His nice tan.  The cloth diaper under that pair of hardened "plastic" pants!  You shouldn't dry plastic pants in the dryer but when you only have 3 pairs and the cloth diapers and the plastic pants leaked each time, you had to dry them in the dryer so as to have a clean pair to put over a cloth diaper.  I'm not griping about the cloth diapers.  I really didn't mind when I was a stay at home mom.  I liked bleaching them out and hanging them out on the line to whiten in the sun and I was thankful to have plastic pants.  The disposable diapers available weren't much better so I didn't know what I was missing. 

Which child remembers me singing "Valerie!  Valerrah!  ??

I sent this photo to school with Craig when they were doing a "this is me" bit at school.  When it and others came back home, the teacher had stapled about 25 staples in the pics, to hold them together.  I took them to school and showed Mr. Tussey because I thought it was pretty careless of a teacher to do such a thing (photos were more of a luxury in those days and if you wanted copies you had to find the negatives and send them off somewhere and order reprints -- obviously, I never did that with this one!)  Anyway, Mr Tussey more or less shrugged his shoulders like "no big deal".  I think the teacher was Mrs. White but may be wrong about that. 

Now Craig, if I have held a grudge against your teacher all these years and find out now they turned you loose with a stapler, I am going to have to take it all back! 

Craig was a climber.  In this pic, he had put the dishwasher door down, climbed on it to the counter, crawled across to the sink and was running water.  I swear!  I swear I never let the boy out of my sight for more than two minutes! 

Our kitchen window faced East, looking out over the backyard.  The dining room is to our right.  The door into the garage is to our left and before you went out to the garage, you could turn left and go down the basement stairs.  We had a garden here and as you can see, the tomatos did well.  I canned and froze out of the garden this summer.  I think dad might even have had a small patch of sweet corn. 

Becky and Kelly's mom called me up one day and said there's a real bargain down town.  A gunny sack full of potatoes for a cheap price.  (wish I could remember how much!)  so I went and bought some. 

Dad has never been fond of pototoes in quantities greater than 10 pounds because as a lad, he had to plant, hoe, dig, carry, tote, wash, sprout, cut into "eyes" and hoe again the very large 10 acre potato patch his dad planted and fed to the whole town of Prescott!  He and his brothers are still arguing over who had to hoe more potatoes than the others! 

Anyway, we had potatoes about every meal and we were slowly getting all the potatoes used up and then spring came and the pototoes started to sprout.  I think Dad must have started having dreams about cutting those potatoes up and planting them and starting the viscious cycle all over again because he got on me to use those potatoes up before they spoiled!  lol  So I pared and peeled and cooked and broiled and made potato salad and we used them up (or I threw away the squishy ones while he was at work! lol) but I gotter done!  I never was tempted to buy a gunny sack full of potatoes ever again!  The end! 

 

What a happy, little tow head, mostly.  Well, as long as he could be down and going and climbing and digging and running.  This is spring, with the tulips blooming and it must have been a warm spring with Craig's bare belly and legs hanging out.  Photo was taken on the south side of the house at 1503 Rebecca, on 15th Street.  

On the driveway in Hubbard.  Erica is helping ?? Craig in -- or Craig out.  I'm pretty sure that Mama wasn't encouraging them into the pool with water in the bottom, dressed in long pants.  I'm pretty sure those pant legs are going to be dripping water.  However, Mama must have thought this was "cute" enough to take their photo.  Erica, are you urging Craig into the pool?  so if you get in trouble it will be cut in half?  I made Craig's jump suit and Erica's polyester pants.  I love making those little slacks and sewing the crease in down the front!  The shirt is boughten.  I think Audri may have inherited Erica's curls.

Is there such as word as "boughten" anymore?  Do any of you refer to "boughten" clothes?  "boughten" shirt?  hhmmmm. 

I am pretty sure this is just inside the front door at Hubbard.  The door in the top right corner would have been the outside door, the front door.  The smaller door to the left was a coat closet.  I had forgotten that coat closet.  I am just now reminded of it.  Don't know where we got the coke box but we had two or three of them.  The coke boxes were "cars", toy boxes, storage boxes or building blocks -- we may still have one down in the crawl space here.  That yellow chest was in 1503 Rebecca when we bought it.  It was natural wood first, then yellow, eventually orange and Craig and Traci may still have it yet.

My beauty contest winners.  All three took first place in my book : )  I think Craig is looking to his older sisters for clues on how to react and behalf here?  Or maybe just wanting their approval?  love you little sweeties <3

This is another photo that we haven't used a lot. 

Look at this pretty girl and her sparkling eyes! 

Photo taken at Granny's, at Shagbark.

Erica, do you remember this shirt? 

It was a favorite.  This pic is a favorite. 

Fall of 1977.  Is that right?  This is the front stoop at Hubbard.  Kristy had her kindergarten year in Hubbard.  For awhile we all walked Kristy to school -- at least part way.  Then she got acquainted with LeAnn, down on the corner.  LeAnn had a brother about the same age and maybe a couple of older sibs so they made up a group, walking to school.  It relieved this Mama's mind, let me tell you.  I think they might have met up with the Collins' children too, at the corner. At the corner that went up the hill.

Craig at about a year holding this pup.  I do not remember this pup so hope he was the neighbor's!  lol  there is a swimming pool on the driveway and red lava rock in our flower beds under the casement windows.  These were good, busy, hectic days : )  I didn't have much time to take pictures nor much extra cash as I was a "stay-at-home" Mom doing daycare to help out.

ah, yes, the memories . . . good days!  Love, ur Mama