Excerpts from a letter sent by Dale to "the next generation" several years ago.
When David was a little boy, he didn't have many of us around. By the time David was talking a lot, Sue was in Kindergarten and the rest of us were much older. So he was kind of on his own. He went to Head Start the summer before he started school This was like a summer school for young children. The children went to the zoo, to the beach, and to the park. They played games and learned to be around other children. David liked this a lot. When David was at home, his older brothers and sisters didn't let him do very much. But when he started to Kindergarten, he learned to do a lot of things very quickly. Right after David started to school, I moved out of the house. I came back about a month later for a visit, and I was really surprised at David. He had learned to use the telephone, he spoke very clearly to his friends, and he wouldn't let anyone else in the bathroom with him anymore! Sometimes the youngest children don't get a lot of practice doing things by themselves. Older brothers and sisters always want to help. When I saw how much David could do, I was very happy for him.
When Sue was a little girl, Mom decided not to cut Sue's hair. Sue had very nice hair for a little girl, and she didn't fuss when Mom combed it. (I think Mom learned how to comb someone else's hair better than when Cathy was little-every time Mom combed Cathy's hair, Cathy cried.) So everybody in the neighborhood knew who Sue was-the little girl with all that hair! We all lived with Uncle Bob and Aunt Betty-and their five children-for three months while our parents weren't getting along. (This was before David was born, so there were only ten children in the house.) Sue stayed with the oldest girl cousin, Janet, who was exactly nine and a half years older than Sue. All the rest of us kids had to go to school, but Sue would stay home with Aunt Betty and welcome us for lunch and after school. (Seven of us went to school just across the street from their house, so we could come home for lunch.)
Norm was a very cute little boy when he was little. Like many children, he had trouble with learning how to say some words. To this day, I remember "Hambuducks" and "Dink." Hambuducks are what you can get at McDonald's, and a Dink comes in a glass when you're thirsty. One day, when I was in the fifth grade, our teacher had us line up at the water fountain, maybe after recess. Without thinking, I said to another fifth grader, "I can sure use a Dink now." I turned red, because I was afraid my friend would think I talked that way all the time. I was just used to talking like Norm when we were at home. I especially remember one time when we were visiting at Uncle David's house. For some reason, Norm decided to entertain us, and that made six or seven kids laughing at Norm's antics. He was acting like a rabbit and other animals, and seemed to enjoy getting us to laugh. Of course, there's also the time that we were at the restaurant, and Dad ordered some cottage cheese. (In those days, only Cathy and Dad liked the stuff.) Poor Norman thought it was vanilla ice cream on Dad's plate, so Dad let him have a bite. What a horrible face Norman made! And of course, when we had dessert, Norm wouldn't even try his ice cream that day!
In my mind, Gary and Cathy were always together before they started school. I know they were a year apart, but they played well with each other. I remember coming home from first grade and Mom having me tiptoe to the bedroom. Cathy and Gary were playing "Johnny Boots and Johnny Beans," a couple of cowboys who were always helping each other out. I think Gary had a pair of rubber boots, so he was Johnny Boots; that means Cathy was Johnny Beans. Up until then, this oldest child had always figured he could claim any younger child as his rightful playmate; this was the first time I realized my siblings had lives of their own that didn't necessarily include me. Still younger, I remember taking both of them for a ride in my red wagon when we lived in Virginia. In fact, I remember the day Gary came home from the hospital after he was born. Cathy was on the couch in our living room. Dad brought Mom and Gary in from the car. Once, while we still lived in that townhouse, a neighbor girl and I decided Gary needed to be changed. I took his arms, she took his legs, and we lugged him over to the couch, where we could undo his diaper pins and change him. By the way, that is NOT the proper way to carry a baby!
Cathy had the neatest kitchen toys at our next house. I remember a whole wall full of miniature kitchen cabinets and appliances, but probably that's my imagination taking one or two toys and making up a whole bunch more. I do remember she had a working washing machine, however. And at that house, Gary, Cathy, and I would play in little canvas swimming pools that Dad made. And every year, I'd get a bee sting on my foot!
When we lived at that house, Dad and the neighbor men (including the landlord, of course, who lived two doors away) built me a bedroom. It had been the side porch of the house. They put up walls-wood paneling, as I recall-and a nice window, and I actually got my own bedroom. Out of that window, I can still remember seeing the reindeers' shadows one Christmas Eve. I called Mom in, and she told me that meant Santa was getting close to our house, so I'd better get to sleep quickly. I've never been good about falling asleep when I should, and knowing Santa was already on our block didn't help!
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