a few of my favorite memories

'the christmas santa almost missed' was the first book i read through by myself. i was so excited to show my dad--i think this was the first time i read it through for him. my dad is an avid reader. i'd like to think i got the bookwormishness from him. he still has his old hardy boys collection (i think) my brothers read, and he got a few nancy drew's for me. i loved reading those at his house. to this day i have a fondness for the name georgie for a girl because of nancy's sidekick. i remember he would read greek myths to me before bed. i am still trying to find a copy like the book he read to me from--they weren't sugar-coated for kids, but were the real myths. ha ha--that's a great oxymoron...the real myths...

my dad didn't give us horsey-rides or piggy-back rides--no, no, no--we were treated to camel-back rides. and this wasn't just any camel. this was a spitting-snorting-sometimes 2-legged, sometimes 4-legged-jumping-rolling-bull of a camel. the goal was to hang on for dear life whilst laughing so hard you were bound to fall off within a matter of seconds. sometimes we got individual camel-back rides, but the best were when we all piled on at the same time.

my dad was always a magician. this balancing act is nothing compared to what he pulled out of my ear. not the run-of-the-mill coins--but tights! one morning before church i couldn't find my little white tights i wanted to wear. and wouldn't you know it--my dad pulled them right out of my ear. i was shocked and amazed. to this day i remember the exact feeling of having tights come out of my ear. he also magically turned every light green at every intersection. we'd all be in the car, going from house to house or running errands, and he'd look at us with a sparkle in his eyes and his pointer finger raised at the stoplight. then he'd snap and--presto--green!

my dad used to dress up every halloween as a vampire. well, according to these photos, he may have actually been dracula himself. the make-up, the teeth, the green hair, the cape, necklace, etc. dad--why did you ever stop?!

• i used to stay up really late reading and or wake up really early to read. i'm talking 3 or 4am. i was probably 3-6 years old, as my parents got divorced when i was 6. my dad would see my light on under the door and invite me to tag along with him to seminary. he taught seminary for more years than i can count on two hands. he would pack oj and animal crackers, or some hot chocolate, and i'd ride along and charm all the seminary students with my cute little blonde head.
• my dad made waffles for us every sunday when we were at his house.
• his house was the place to do all the fun stuff we weren't allowed to do at mom's house (examples: water-gun fights, nintendo, he always had pets--dog, gerbils, birds, boxes of mac&cheese and spaghetti-o's)
• he started the 7-11 tradition--we'd always stop at 7-11 on the way home from his house and he'd let us pick out any treat we wanted. it was so hard to pick just one candy bar from the rows and rows of chocolatey goodness lying before a child's eyes! we'd also guess what time we'd arrive at home. no prizes necessary--just the fun of being the one closest to the correct time was enough.
• he stuffed our stockings every christmas with a huge box of candy bars from costco. that's what we would eat for breakfast. mine were twix, every year.
• he had the best recliner we used to play on--the best game was what my brothers and i entitled "butt-go-up." this recliner had the best rocking ability, and if someone sat on the top, near the headrest, and another person ran full-speed and then jumped on the seat of the chair, they would launch the other person across the room! i think we ingeniously entitled that game due to my younger brother flying through the air, rear first.