There are some wonderful times in my life and some not so wonderful times that have happened through the years. Apparently I do my best thinking while I’m driving, so this is what I came up with while I was driving back to the apartment (which we are now out of!) today.
My earliest memory is from when I was about 3 years old? Apparently the earliest memory and the more you remember from your childhood shows that you had a good childhood, and I did. I remember when my dad’s youngest brother, my uncle Dean opened the washer at my aunts house and said “good night, thirteen!” Get Smart was a popular show then, can you tell?? 
Thirteen then became my imaginary friend. Yes. I know. Lame name! But, technically, I didn’t come up with it.
I remember being petrified each first day of school in a new school. My dad is in the military, but we were one of the lucky ones. I only moved schools 3 times (Kindergarten to grade 12) and then off to university. I suppose I was nervous going BACK to university once I became a Residence Advisor and a Senior Residence Advisor of 2 different residences. I began as an RA in Dennis House at Acadia University and Chase Court.
Before I was a residence advisor, I lived in the same residence as Adam. Shortly after Christmas Vacation, the residence had a HUGE keg party. I had never seen someone with alcohol poisoning before that night. I was not involved in said party, I didn’t know anyone in that residence yet (since I had just moved in after Christmas). I have never seen someone that shade of grey before. I knew alcohol poisoning was serious, but little did I know in my naive first year that I’d encounter it again.
When I was a Residence Advisor and then Senior Residence Advisor, I told ALL of my students that I considered everyone to be 19 (legal drinking age in Canada, eh) until they proved me otherwise. I wouldn’t just walk around asking for ID’s unless I needed to. Therefore, don’t break the rules, I won’t come after you. During my second year of being an RA in Dennis House, there was a party that happened in a common room. I wasn’t on duty that night, but, I was called. We all had to take CPR and First Aid Training- which is a good thing. Especially when you have to look at cuts, broken bones, dislocated stuff, you know, you get the idea. There was this girl I’ll call “P”. She had a habit of overindulging. In fact, she had already been written up for alcohol related problems 3 times that year. I actually had to use my CPR skills. Something I hope to NEVER have to use again. When the paramedics got there, they resumed CPR and I broke down later. That’s how I roll. I take charge AND THEN break down. The kicker though? “P” came back the next day- after getting her stomach pumped- and JOKED about it. She wasn’t allowed to drink anymore after that.
Obviously the births of both my children were pretty spectacular days. (And of course my wedding!) Lauren’s was fairly uncomplicated and Jillian’s was nerve wracking, but I still wouldn’t change those days.
The only thing that was more scary then the “P” situation was when Jillian stopped breathing. Twice. Once at 11 weeks old and once at 16 weeks. They have a lovely acronym for them. “ALTE”= Acute Lift Threatening Event. Adam saw that and said “When isn’t it ACUTE when it’s life threatening?!” Both times, I was alone with the girls and managed to stimulate Jillian back into breathing. Apparently reflux in preemies is serious business.
And last but not least (for those post anyway), Jillian’s date of diagnosis. October 22nd, 2009. I don’t think I’ll EVER forget that date. It’s amazing how your whole life changes once you have a diagnosis, regardless if it’s a terminal illness or not.
So, to spur conversation with my commenters (please. I beg you! I love you all! ) Let me know your most favourite moment and something that will stick with you forever.
Oh! And be sure to check out Adam’s review/giveaway HERE (Closes tomorrow!!!) and check back tomorrow for a new review and giveaway of the video game kind!
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Oooh videogame! I am there!!
My earliest memory was when I was almost 6, and my dad didn’t build the terrirum (I can’t spell) thingie that he was supposed to while my mom was in the hospital giving birth to my brother. I think that’s when my world crashed down and I wasn’t the princess anymore. HAHA!
My best memories are the birth of my children. I can remember pretty much everything about them.
I don’t know if I have really… other great great moments that stick in my head. Lots of little ones. I think I live a boring life.
Thank goodness you knew CPR!!!! And P is just crazy.
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One of my earliest memories is from when I was 5, for our school Christmas Concert we were all allowed to come in our pajamas. We were going to Germany to visit my grandparents for Christmas, so I wasn’t going to be at the concert, I was so upset. I got to bring them to show and tell, but still not the same. Weird how I remember that 30 years later!
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Great post Cheryl. I would say that my favorite memory would be a toss up from all our trips to Arkansas (We had a lot of family there that we only seen one a summer if we were lucky) with my Grandma and Uncle or Seeing the birth of my youngest niece (obviously having Owen was a great moment that’s just given lol) I mean she was the first time I got to see a birth from the other end and it was just amazing.
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Hmm, I have a collection of memories from before I was five (I know because we moved days before I turned 5). Though I can’t tell which is the oldest, a funny one that I remember is from the summer my parents put a pool in our backyard. They had guests over and I really wanted to go swimming. I was told to go in the house and put my swimsuit on and they’d take me. So I ran in the house grabbed my swimsuit and started putting it on. The problem was that the swimsuit I grabbed had straps that crossed in the back like an X. Since I was four, this didn’t help in making the swimsuit ‘easy’ to put on. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor BAWLING because I really wanted to go swimming but I couldn’t get the swimsuit on right and because we had guests I didn’t want to walk out with it only half on. Apparently I was a modest 4-year old.
Eventually my Dad came to see what was taking me so long and fixed it for me, but I remember feeling like I was in the kitchen FOREVER!
Also, you know I have ideas about who ‘P’ is….
Actually I’m pretty sure I can guess in one try! lol
Hmmm…fav. memories: giving my speach about being a sibling of a ‘disabled’ person. I, being the youngest speaker at the conference (??-under 10), was the only one to offer to speak first and when I was done speaking and was returning to my seat on stage, the next speaker, who was somewhat (10+ yrs) older than I was at the time, softly whispered to me that she wished she had’ve gone first. The other speakers had similar comments once I was seated again. Apparently they felt that their speaches were no longer up to par.
When Kyle and I accepted an award for Spencer. What I remember most about that evening though is not going up on stage but instead mom crying about the music video for “Standing Outside the Fire” (by Garth Brooks-not @ you Cheryl!!) which they played at dinner. (mmm beef stroghanof
) She had never seen the video before that night and having Tim with us, she was moved.
(again not @ Cheryl but anyone else — at the time of this event, my family was providing respite care for persons with various special needs/differently abled persons. Tim stayed with us a lot and has Down Syndrome like the boy in the video. Also, Kyle is my brother\Cheryl’s brother-in-law
)
AND … of course, the arrivals of my neices (Lauren, Jillian, and Jane–>Kyle&Emily’s) and nefew(George–>also Kyle&Emily’s). I LOVE being an auntie!!!
Hmmm – this is hard!
My favorite moments … well, I’m assuming that the births of our kids are a given and our weddings days, etc., so … let’s see … I would say my college graduation was pretty high up there. The first time I saw the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. When Zoe made a goal in soccer and came in first in a swim meet. When Helena snuggles with me on the couch. When I first held Ollipoppers.
Moments that will stay with me forever … my mother’s horrific yelling. My car accident. The day I couldn’t hide the truth anymore from my family. The day I left my abuser. The day my first husband left me.
What does its say about me that it’s easier to recall those moments than my favorite moments?
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Favourite moments – standing on the great wall of china, seeing my girls do something for the first time
I had no idea reflux caused ALTEs. scary.