December 25th 1976. I was 3. This was the Christmas I received the ‘Sally and Sue’ orange A-Frame lake house complete with motor boat and log campfire. Oh how I loved this doll house! It was sold at a garage sale when I was in highschool and wasn’t really thinking about having girls of my own to pass it on to. I have never ever seen one again and can’t even find reference to it online anywhere. Where are you Sally and Sue?

This was also about the time I have a very clear memory of walking near the Glenbrook Lagoon and a lady telling my Mum what a “lovely little boy” I was. It’s funny what you remember. And I remember feeling rather mad!

Circa Dec, 1978.
Nice look don’t you agree? Christmas must have been approaching!

Left: Me at 21months (1975) watching Here’s Humphrey on the television whilst getting some important ‘work’ done in my orange gumboots.

Right: Christmas Day 1975 (I turned 2 the day before). Loving the red mary janes.

The theme seems to be shoes and Humphrey B. Bear! I actually saw a sit on Humphrey like that in a local Antique shop a little while back…I was tempted purely from a nostalgic perspective and the idea of a ‘copy’ photo setup with Caitlin appealed….then I slapped myself and realised I really had nowhere to put a huge 3o year old stuffed toy (I am sure Rohan was very relieved)! It’s funny looking at these old polaroids, especially now that Caitlin is exactly the same age. Spookily Eloise asked to watch Humphrey earlier.

Humphrey was also in the news as recently as yesterday. Poor old Humphrey, oh how I loved you, it really didn’t matter that you were mute, never wore pants and when you went to sleep or played hide and seek you had to put your hands over your eyes because they would not close….theme song anyone? Altogether now…

What a funny old fellow is Humphrey,
Humphrey the fun loving bear!

When you have kids they’re barely out of the womb and people start looking for family resemblances and wondering who looks like ‘the baby’…

Left: Me in 1975.  Right: Caitlin last week, 2009. This is what happens when you ask for a smile. Eloise was blessed with my hair but Caitlin got my smile haha

I’m a bit short on time today but I wasn’t going to let NaBloPoMo get the better of me! I’m heading out to see Tori Amos at the Regent Theatre tonight so will be home too late to post! I’m really looking forward to it! Back on track posting tomorrow…

While searching for a photo of the ‘knee high nylon socks’ I came across this one. Not exactly what I was after, but a pivotal moment none the less! My first day at Brownies, Mt Riverview, which would have been around 1982.

I was a Warragul, and eventually worked my way up the ‘ranks’ as seconder and sixer and then on to Girl Guides when I was old enough. So many laughs, experiences and good memories. Camps complete with ghost stories, campfires, making damper, toasting marshmallows, constructing shoe racks with a few sticks and knots (essential skills you know!) and sleeping in Bell tents in the rain. I earned my ‘Collectors’ badge for collecting rocks and shells, and my ‘Writers’ badge for penning a poem about the zoo which included a rather good line about a camels hump (my family still tease me about all these years later).

I remember on my first day of Girl Guides when I was introduced to my patrol leader she told me her name was Emily LeBon and I naively believed her!