Little Tawnie Two Year Old - A poem written on the bottom of my rocking chair from Grandma and Grandpa K. The rocking chair is in Leah's room. Tawnie Tooter - from my dad. Happy Tawn - from my dad. Butterball - from grandpa J. Number 4 - from fat grandpa. (4th grandchild) Tawnie "Sue" - from my mom. I still use this one.
These are the names I was called in the beginning.
There are stories. As a 4 year old, I made a 10 year old cry.
At 2, I went into the neighbors house, took off my diaper and put on their clothes. They weren't home.
My dad would give me a bottle, rub my back, and think I'd be asleep. He'd leave the room and hear a thud. The bottle would be on the floor and I would be bouncing in bed. Hence, Happy Tawn.
My grandpa Kimball blessed me as a baby. My grandma Kimball named me. My dad baptized me. Grandpa Kimball confirmed me.
We lived in a lot of different houses but my memories are in Taylorsville. We had a cute blue and white house. My parents made it beautiful inside and out. It had a big driveway with a basketball hoop. We'd roller skate, push our buggies, and walk on our stilts in the driveway.
We had a vanigan with a sink and a bed that opened up on the roof. Jolie and I slept there when we went camping. My dad came home with a white sports car that he leased. We climbed in the back and layed down to go for a ride. Then he brought home a grey Mazda 626. it was new and nice. That car eventually became Jolies, then mine. John and I sold it for $400 when we got married.
My mom stayed home from work one day. We ate homemade macaroni and cheese together and watched soap operas. I felt special.
One day I came home from school and no one was home. I sat in the basement and colored. My dad got home later and asked why I was alone. Turns out someone broke into our house that day and he was afraid that I had been alone in our house for so long. That night, the burglar came back and stole our car. The burglar climbed a latter and went in my parents bedroom window. I put my fingers on the window sill to look outside at the latter and was told the detectives were getting fingerprints on the sill and now my prints were all over it.
At 4, Jolie fell out of the car. She was 6. We were in a bug. A white one, I think. I was in the back and the seat flipped forward on me when my dad slammed on the brakes. He thinks I'm ridiculous that I know I remember that.
I had a Donald Duck wallet from Disneyland. I loved it. I still love Donald Duck.
I took swimming lessons at the high school; went to preschool; and was babysat by the best....Bobbie Ann Brewer. She was my grandma and grandpa J's neighbor.
We'd ride in the back of my grandpa's truck but only when we were in our 'subdivision'. There was grass in the back of the truck one time and when my dad got me out, my eyed had swollen shut. Same thing happened when I'd touch my grandpa Kimball's bunnies. I had bad allergies to grass and cats and bunnies.
Jolie and I put Ryan on the roof of the garage (he was 2 or 3) and told him to jump down onto the trampoline. Why not?!! We climbed up there and jumped off and it was fun. He cried. We got in trouble. And I remember getting to pick our punishment. I don't think that ever happened. It's probably why I remember it. I remember talking about doing dishes but in the end I think Jolie and I settled with we couldn't have oreo cookies. I think my dad accepted that.
Jolie and I spent hours and hours and hours of our life playing paper dolls, Barbies, Littles, and Dolls. We would hang up the doll clothes in the backyard on the trees. Set up everything on the front porch and walkway. We'd get all of my moms placemats out and make our own 'homes' for the Barbies, paper dolls, and Littles. We'd rename everybody. The husband was usually Scott or Steve I think. And we were Julie and Tawnia. One time Jolie was cleaning her cabbage patch, Adora Ellen, with finger nail polish remover and she removed the eye. Grandma Kimball painted one back on.
I had four cabbage patch dolls. Linda Minda. Marv Ted. Kellie Bonnie (I renamed her Kellie Colleen). And one that was left at my mom's work and she brought home to me. I named her Leah Marisa. Jolie's were Adora Ellen and Faye Marceline. Ryan's was Samuel Theodore. We still have all of them.
We had Michael Jackson barbie dolls. I gave mine to Jolie. She still has it.
Mrs. Devore was my 1st grade teacher and she was mean. She wouldn't let me go to the bathroom no matter how hard I begged. So one time Freddie and Michelle looked at me while I looked at them and I wet my pants while sitting at my desk. Then Mrs. Devore said "if you have to go that bad, just get to the bathroom." I thought she just shouldn't be so mean and let me go to the bathroom when I asked over and over.
Rose had red hair and freckles and no one liked her. Poor Rose. One time she was wearing a dress and tights and she pooped her pants. I wonder what ever happened to Rose.
I was a good reader. I liked reading out loud and Kathy Barlow accused me one time in 3rd grade that I wasn't really reading because my eyes shouldn't move back and forth like they were. I was confused. I really was reading. Kathy and I are still friends today.
I stole her Little Miss Trouble toy one time. Kept it all these years and just sent it back with an apology just last year. John found one for me on ebay. It is in the hutch with all the other special things.
I took piano lessons and practiced on Peggy's big, dark piano. We were borrowing it and when she got married, we gave it back. I remember it being moved out of our house.
I had Mrs. Price in second grade. I wrote a poem while in her clas..."Mrs. Price sat on her mice". That's all I remember. One day she was in the hall with her husband and someone drew a picture of her and her husband on the chalkboard, laying down, making out. We all had to sit in silence until someone confessed. Carrie finally did confess.
Same Carrie asked me one time if I was mormon. I said no then went home and asked my mom if I was. Turns out I was and I went back to school the next day and told Carrie I am mormon. I was invited to her birthday party but I've never known if that had anything to do with being mormon or not.
Paige Bradford and I wore our mom's bras to school in 3rd grade. We also wore "pads". Don't ask me why that was so great.
We lined up every Monday with our money for lunch for the week. I think this was 1st grade. I noticed the person behind me had a check for $7 something and mine was only for $3 something. So in pencil, I changed the amount in the box. I was called to the office and asked if I had made the change. I denied so I had to call my parents. That day when I got home from school, I sat in the front room with my parents for A LONG TIME. Long to me anyway. Until I finally confessed. I didn't get in trouble.
In third grade, I thought it would be really funny to glue my grey snowboot to the green carpet in the front room. I put Elmers Glue on the bottom of my boot and stuck it to the floor. It didn't stick. It just made a big mess. My dad got mad and kicked me. (It's okay. I love him.) Later that day, while I was at school, I was called out of class. I went to the office and there was a phonecall for me. It was my dad apologizing. I said it was okay and he offered to take me and a friend to McDonalds for lunch. We were watching a movie back in class so it was dark and Kathy asked me why I had to go to the office. I told her everything then invited her to go to lunch with me. She went. Same Kathy.
Cynthia MacAfee, Anisha Wilcox and Meredith Miller were my good/best friends. Although I don't really ever feel like I really had a best friend. (not until my senior year of high school anyway. But that's another story.)
Meredith asked if I could play on a Sunday. We couldn't play on Sundays and my mom said no over and over but I told Meredith to come over anyway. So she came over and we hid behind a bush until my mom found us. That was fun. Not.
Anisha's mom watched me a lot. She had a lot of kids and was really nice. One time she filled up her station wagon with a bunch of the neighbor kids and we got to go to the doctor with her and listen to the heartbeat of her unborn baby. I still remember. She wore garments and I remember those too. I had only seen them on her and on my grandma. Never knew what they were or why they wore them.
We picked and ate peas from her garden. Oh they were good.
I have dimples in my shoulders and one time she put her fingers in the dimples and said I could put ketchup in them and dip my fries.
There was an overpass from our neighborhood in Taylorsville to the Jr. High. It was always fun to go stand on the overpass and watch the cars go by.
Cynthia had cats. I was allergic to cats. But they were cute. (Now I think cats are hideous.)
My grandma and grandpa Jamison lived by us. I rode my bike to their house one day when I "ran away". My grandpa called my mom and I had to go back home. I can still see him sitting on the yellow swivel chair, on the phone, ratting on me. I own that yellow swivel chair now.
Phillip and Kevin Mulenax lived nextdoor. Their dad scared us. He teased us all the time and we would run away crying.
I was about to be baptized and our home teachers, Mr. Gerlach, brought his son Matt with him. Matt told me about the bishops interview before being baptized. He told me some of the questions and some of the answers. I memorized the answers so when I had my interview, I rattled off whatever answer came to mind. The bishop said it sounded like I must have talked to someone about this. I was giving the answer to the wrong question. I still got baptized.
And yes....Mr. Gerlach. Not Brother Gerlach. We never called anyone Brother or Sister. It was Mr. or Mrs.
Jolie was riding on the back of my awesome orange bike. It had a banana seat, a basket, and a horn. Her foot got caught in the spokes and she broke her leg.
We lived in a house by a canal. Craig and Penny Clayson and their daughter Katie lived there before (or after) us. I guess my mom and dad and Penny and Craig traded houses for a while. The basement flooded all the time. I think it had strawberry wallpaper in the kitchen. I loved it. There was a big gate to the backyard and the gate rolled over my finger when I was four. It cut a tendon and I spent time in the hospital in a King crib. My aunt Paula gave me a bunny. I still have that bunny. It may be Jack's now.
I slept over at my grandparents houses a lot. One night at my grandparents Jamison, I dreamt that there were baby alligators in the canal. I was scared and got in bed with my grandma. My grandma didn't sleep with underwear on and she always taped and bagged her hair at night.
One time I wanted to try to sleep without underwear on. I took them off and when I was playing in bed, I flipped my legs above my head and touched the wall with my feet. I was in a nightgown. Without underwear. And my dad walked by right then. He spanked my bottom and told me to put my underwear back on. Maybe it was my mom.
I used my grandma's bathroom one time and after washing my hands, I couldn't get the water turned off. I knew I'd be in trouble for using their bathroom instead of the guest bathroom so I didn't tell anyone. Until my grandpa went to the basement and water was dripping and flooding the basement. I had to confess.
I had a bad dream one night and got in bed with my mom. Then I wet the bed. Her bed. So I snuck back to my bed. She asked me in the morning if I wet the bed. I can't remember whether I denied it or not.
I begged my grandma and grandpa Kimball to let me have a sleepover with the neighbor, Melanie. Grandpa said to ask grandma. Grandma said no. I told grandpa she said yes and Melanie came over. We slept in the room right next to my grandma. We couldn't talk or anything because she'd hear us so we went right to sleep. Grandma woke us in the morning and sent Melanie home. What was the point of having a sleepover?
Grandpa Kimball gave us silver dollars often and grandpa Jamison would give us dollars. Just because they loved us. Grandpa J. also let us taste coffee and let Ryan drink beer. We told him maybe he shouldn't let him do that.
My grandma and grandpa Jamison took Jolie and me on vacation with them. We drove to Oregon with them to visit our cousins. We left our cabbage patch dolls in the back window and their faces almost melted. We thought they were ruined but they weren't. Grandpa wasn't very happy with me on that trip. I bugged him. He adored Jolie. I cried when I got home. I remember packing up their motor home and going camping with them. We ate dinner at their house a lot. The food was always delicious and we were taught good manners. We help set the table, clear the table, and do the dishes. Grandma had different towels for different purposes. Dish drying. Hand drying. One time my mom sat an ash tray on the hot stove and it shattered.
After dinner we would play cards or kismet or the adults would sit around and talk and play while Jolie, Ryan, and I played with the doll, "Carrie", played our own kid cards, learned to shuffle and play "bank" in the front room.
My grandma and grandpa smoked and we watched The Price is Right and Young and the Restless every morning.
We would play badmitton and hit golf balls in the backyard. I hit my grandma with the club one time. On accident. She always had our favorite cereal. Mine was Corn Pops. She would make peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch. I didn't like them so she'd make me butter and honey sandwiches. She's cut off the crust and we'd throw the crust onto the roof for the birds.
My grandpa had beautiful roses. He got emphazema and stopped smoking. We'd play baseball with the family behind our elementary across the street. They had beautiful orange and yellow marigolds that lined the driveway.
At Grandma Kimballs, we would play dominoes, play on the computer in the basement, listen to grandpa play his keyboard, Laura's Theme, and color in the BIG coloring books. We'd play behind their house and climb on the wood piles. Grandpa made reindeer and houses and birdhouses and anything and everything out of wood. We would sit across from grandma in the art room and toll paint with her.
We'd sleep and play in Grandpa Kimball's camper. It was fun. It would shade us when we'd go to the Salt Lake Days of 47 parade every year with the whole family.
I slept over at cousin's houses often. Uncle Dan drove me home on the back of his motorcycle one time. We borrowed his van to go on vacation once. We played cards in the back. My dad put a card on my forehead and told me to guess what it was. I guessed it right. It was weird and he was amazed. I felt loved.
I tried to run away from home often. I'd get out a bag and start to pack. Very slowly. Until I wasn't running away anymore.
I LOVED my black church shoes.
In kindergarten, I was suppose to do a dot-to-dot. I connected all the numbers. How ever I wanted. I had to do it again and I cried because I didn't understand how to do it.
I went to preschool in the upstairs of a big house on the next street over. One time we were playing with the playdough when we discovered one of the kids peed on the playdough. We couldn't play with it anymore. A boy who lived there said he would drop the kittens off of the balcony. I didn't like that.
I lived at 1890 Condie Drive and my phone number was 966-7053. I can still hear the "tune" to both of those.
A pipe in the street broke one time and a neighbor boy ate the mud that was gushing out. He then threw up and it was pink.
We had big trees in the mow strip. The mow strip was full of awesome "granite" rocks. We'd use it as chalk and in the fall my dad would rake big piles of leaves to jump in.
My dad made a popcorn and lemonade stand. We had a toy sale and sold popcorn and lemonade too.
We'd ride our bikes around the block. We lived on the "big block" and usually rode around the "small block" across the street. Every once in a while, we'd get to ride around the big block but we had to be quick.
I wore a purplish bikini and a white coverup with my friend Kimberly Vanadrigum. She had cute brothers Jason and Derek. They "liked" Jolie but not me. We would write checks in her basement on her parents old checks. When John and I bought our first house in Bountiful 20 years later, we ended up living across the street from Carol......Kimberly's mom.
I never felt liked. Funny I remember that. I still have that same struggle.
My cousin Jamie came to primary with me one time. We played hang man in class. Before any letters were guessed, I solved the puzzle. "The Articles of Faith". Jamie sat in her dress with one leg on each side of the chair. I was upset because it wasn't lady like.
I was babysat at Aunt Sandy's and Aunt Ruth's. I pooped my pants one time at Aunt Ruth's and told Jamie and Jennie not to tell. They told. Ruth cleaned it up. She's a saint. We ate watermelon and talked about all the mice in their house. We played barbies and one time went out back with the dogs. We climbed on top of a shed or dog house or something and couldn't get down. Jolie made it down. I was alone and I cried. And cried. And cried. No one would help me but people laughed because it was simple to get down. I see that now. But not then. I was traumatized. :) I had to take a nap on my aunt's Ruth's bed one time and my x-uncle Robbie said he would use a belt on me if I didn't go to sleep. I went to sleep but woke up when he came in the room and he accused me of not sleeping. I was scared. He was never mean to me. He just liked to scare me.
Aunt Sandy would let Brandon and me 'race' with the butter to see whose would melt first when we made rice krispie treats. We had macaroni and cheese and mush on toast. I didn't like the mush on toast. Uncle Brian got mad at Sandy for spraying windex on and washing the tv while he was watching it. We would take turns sitting on Uncle Brian's lap when we drove places. We caught grashoppers in the church parking lot across the street.
We collected potato bugs. Roly polies.
We would drive up to the cabin with my mom and her sisters. We were all in Sandy's station wagon one time and we drove the mom's crazy. I remember them getting really mad. My mom and Sandy brought their sewing machines to the cabin. They made us shirts and barbie clothes and bedding for our barbie beds that grandpa built and grandma painted.
We did crafts a lot with my mom and her sisters.
Jolie, Kelly, and Brandon went for a walk and came running back saying they were chased by a moose. I believed them for over 20 years and was afraid to ever go on a walk at the cabin because I didn't want to get chased.
I rode in the back of Ruth's red bug to the cabin one time. We got there and the bridge was washed out. We had to turn around and go home.
My mom and dad almost got divorced when I was 7. It was around Christmas. My dad cried. My mom cried. Eventually they got back together and we moved to Bountiful.
When I was 8.
