Uhhh - Betty Please Explain!

[NMarti]

Okay - lets see if I get this right - jump from the swing, land on boxes, break arm, rush to ER.:eek: Wow - looks like they at least had fun!

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/view_img.php?id=9949

Sometimes mom's gotta go with the flow. ;)

[Wendy]

Betty ...

Oh I bet the kids loved it !! :) ... you have done a great job on turning it into a page !!

Wendy

[BettyC]

I laughed when I saw your comment, Nancy! Never did have to take him to the ER in his whole childhood. But I just loved to play with the kids, so as he jumped out of the swing, I'd build the tower higher and try to snap a pic with the old Rolleicord (sp?). We were having a great time! He's only started to wonder about this now that his children are 4 and 6 yrs. old. So I thought that this might put it to rest! I certainly hope so!

(I was actually a very strict conservative Mom--not many shades of grey in our house!)

[Norm F]

Lol. I'll bet you never tried it yourself though!

[NMarti]

Betty
My mom would put us in a barrel and let us roll down the hill. May be why I get so motion sick now.:rolleyes: There were 9 of us kids and we had at least one trip to the ER about every 10 days. My trip was when I got "speared" playing war with a bamboo spear we made and the tip broke off in my leg. I got blood poisoning and ended up spending a week in the hospital. Mostly it was just stitches for the boys (although I had that twice).

[BettyC]

You're right, Norm--didn't try it myself!

Nancy--what great stories you have! So many siblings. C'mon, you know that had to be the best childhood ever! I never had a brother & that's probably why I was such a pushover for my son. Sons can sure get a mother to laugh!

One school holiday I took our young kids back to Brand Park in Glendale, where I grew up, rolling down the sloped lawns in front of Brand "castle." I just KNEW what a treat was in store for them! Well, ya can't go home again, as they say. Those slopes weren't half as big as I remembered them to be! But we still had fun....

[Norm F]

Betty
My mom would put us in a barrel and let us roll down the hill. May be why I get so motion sick now.:rolleyes: There were 9 of us kids and we had at least one trip to the ER about every 10 days

Nancy,

If I had 9 kids I would also put a few of them in a barrel and let it roll. ;) It must of made for interesting times growing up. I only have two and I know i got close to my wits end a couple of times. Your parents must have been saints.

[Robyn]

Betty......what a wonderful story-telling image. I just LOVE it! :D

Scrapbooking certainly is a unique way of preserving today's moments for tomorrow's memories. I know I'm always whining about it's not my 'thing', perhaps I should keep at it. I have a 2 grandsons, 14 and 4 yrs., and 2 granddaughters, 11 and 2 yrs. It's mainly 2 yr. old Sally that loves having her photo taken. Jack at 14 yrs would run a mile if I said I wanted his photo to make a scrapbook page!!

[juneandbob]

Lets see , ahhh the 70s! the bee gees, disco,close encounters of the third kind and bettys evel knievel training school. i remember it well.:) GREAT PHOTOGRAPH BETTY. i bet you both have good laugh. thanks i needed this. boB:) :)

[NMarti]

Norm
Yeah I'm not sure how they did it. Would probably explain my father's zest for the brew.:rolleyes:

Betty,
It was wonderful - a very different time then. Play all day in the sun, go jump in the creek and play hide-and-go-seek till well after dark. Make lightening bug jewelry, camp under the stars without fear of abduction, fight over everything but always there for each other. I really do miss it.

[Norm F]

Norm
Yeah I'm not sure how they did it. Would probably explain my father's zest for the brew.:rolleyes:

Nancy,

My Dad was like that to, but I hadn't even considered it might have been my fault...til now. :( Cheers!

[JRR]

We used to climb up a tree and jump down onto a burlap bag filled with hay (the "bag swing")...all 3 girls! Not one photo...very insighful of you to take photos of the playtime event.

[Red Sky]

We used to do swing jumping contests, something only a kid could do. I only jump for my glucosamine now. And jokes about fiber are no longer funny. I guess I'm getting old.:(

[Grant]

Ah kids and a box and a tree what could be more fun. Now days people seem to be so scared to let them explore. When I was a boy slid out of a tree and cut myself so badly I required 12 stitches. We were living in the boonies in those days and my granny did the job on the kitchen table. A bit of crying a slice of apple pie and I was out playing in a very short while. To this day I still have the scar and I am as proud of that as if it had been a Hapsburg duelling scar. I really believe that this sort of adventure is worth the risk. But call me crazy :D

--

[BettyC]

It's fun to hear all of your different stories about the good times!

[karen donnybrook]

Grant,

I am with you. The adventure has gone out of childhood now but perhaps it should be re-introduced. It helps in the development of children both physically and mentally.

[MarkN]

I use to do stuff like that (jumping off the swing) as a young boy ... but, I think that was back before ER's were invented :D

Never really got hurt ... was no place to go if you did :D

[Bayla]

If I had 9 kids I would also put a few of them in a barrel and let it roll. ;)

Well Norm I do have 9 kids & haven't been tempted yet:) But I've got some great pictures of at least six of them rolling down a hill, and I taught them to swing jump just as I used to do.....and yes, there has been the odd ER visit, well when I say odd let me clarify it...I mean 3 or 5 or 7 or 9 or maybe 11 - we've had broken legs,wrists,arms,collarbones, a shoulder blade, a knee cap & two concussions (one was me - I fell over iceskating) but we've had an awful lot of fun too, and I hope that my kids will remember that when they're old & grey and are looking back to reminisce.

Betty, thank you for that picture which brought back memories of my own childhood....

Bayla

[BettyC]

Bayla--you're very welcome! Wow! Nine children! That's wonderful! My son married a girl who is the youngest of six, and I just love to hear the stories she tells!

[Norm F]

Well Norm I do have 9 kids & haven't been tempted yet:)

Wow! Good for you. I have four brothers and four sisters so I know what a large family is like. Personally, I was convinced that I wanted to stop after one. Eventually, my wife and I agreed on two and that was the end of that.

[NMarti]

Norm
I'm one of nine (7 brothers, 1 sister) and I wanted to stop at one but fate (and a few too many drinks) chose two. I chose to nip fate in the bud after that. I wasn't going to try to equal or best my mother under any circumstances! :D

[mom to 4]

Nancy:

Your comments about growing up...camping under the stars without threat of abduction.....etc....mirror my childhood,.......

Grant: re: post #14 (I think).....:eek: OUCH!!!!! :eek:

[Norm F]

I wasn't going to try to equal or best my mother under any circumstances! :D

I don't know how they did it. We grew up in a 1,040 square foot bungalow. My dad was a city bus driver and we were all raised on a single income. Mind you, there was 35 years difference between the oldest and the youngest so some were moving out as others were coming in.

I like my life! :D

[NMarti]

Norm
There were 7 kids in one bedroom of a two-bedroom 1100 sq ft house, plus one in the baby bed and one in the basinette in my parents room. Yeah I don't have a clue how they did it. My dad was a laborer in the construction trade so he didn't even work year round. My 2100 sq foot house now is crowded with one kid, two dogs, a bird and a husband. I cherish my space now!:p It's amazing to me how they coped and we always had what we needed - not necessarily what we wanted - but never went hungry or were without a place to sleep.

Wow Betty - I guess this just shows how powerful an image and the treatment of it can be. It sure brought up a lot of fond childhood memories here.

[BettyC]

It was wonderful that you all shared memories of your large families with the rest of us! Hard to top those! Great times!