Preschool or Early Years

Preschool or Early years

My early years before starting school were split living back and forth in both Moscow and Buhl, Idaho, then Moscow again. Upon college graduation my parents moved me and my brother Christopher Lee (born on Christopher Columbus Day, October 12th, 1960 when I was just 15 months old) to Buhl,  where my dad worked for a few years at the Jr. High teaching history and coaching basketball. We returned to the U of I in Moscow for my dad to complete a Master’s Degree (he has degrees in Business, in School Administration and in Counseling) and my brother Steven David was born (September 26th,1963) there in Moscow too. We lived in many different Moscow homes. I remember 1) the apartment complex with many buildings and children living there called Blaine Manor, 2) a home on the west side nearer the university and the butcher shop in Johnny’s Market (pictured) where my Grandpa Marv had worked. It had a basement with only a paneled playroom finished and 3) our nicest home that I remember in Moscow was a white single story next door to the Goetz family who had 4 athletic sons on sloping 6th Street north of the City Park on the east side of town. I remember the neighbor’s worn grass and a pole-vault pit, basketball hoop and other sports equipment and having to go through 1 bedroom to get to another in our house.

Johnny's Market where Gpa Marv worked.

I had two imaginary friends that kept me company wherever we lived during those pre-school years. Sixey and Goggy ate with me, slept with me and took blame for any mischief. They were my constant companions and I had to forever tell my parents where to sit to not squash them. Not sure what made them go away...

Story my mom shared: My first movie proved to be my first "showing". It was very hot at the movie and I was too young to enjoy it, so I decided to make myself more comfortable piece by piece. Pretty soon I ran out of pieces and felt much better so I took a little stroll down the aisle to the center front where more eyes were on me than the movie and my parents wouldn't claim me.

Other clear memories of events during those early years:

*Walking home from Kindergarten and my umbrella blowing inside-out in the wind. 

*Telling my mom, by accident, what her Mother’s Day present was and hiding under my parents bed in embarrassment where I found a roll of lifesavers between the bed frame and the mattress. 

*Being cast as the lead girl in the Kindergarten play about a visit to the zoo, but at the last minute being switched for some unknown reason to be a hyena instead and not even getting to hold my hyena picture which was much better than the one I was assigned to hold. I was wearing a pretty pink dress my Grandma Helen gave me and family members had come to watch, so disappointing.

*Being so upset about how my cousin Tom was feeding my brother Steve while babysitting. He was watching TV and letting the milk go all over Steve's face, so I tipped over the rocker, took Steve away and locked us in the bathroom where I could feed him until my parents got home.

*Going along with peer pressure to feed Chris a bug.

*On Sunday nights getting to watch Johnny Quest at the Tunnicliff’s house on a color TV. Our television was black and white.

*Getting a dog, a collie, when we lived in Buhl. Other dogs growing up were, Missy a Chiguagua mix that had many pups, Mr. French one of the pups we gave to my Grandma Helen, Sir Champion a Wire-hair Griffin and Zonkers a mangy mongrel abused dog given to me by a child who came to do activities while I was working at the park.

*Living in Moscow and getting to see grandparents. 1) Saw the Crosslers the most. They lived in a big 3 story house on a hill with a 3 tiered backyard and a view. The Hardings lived in an old wooden house with a big porch and a stove that stilled used wood to cook food. 3) The Meyerhoeffer’s house was across from a small park and seemed very formal, but welcoming. We went there least.

Below are some photos I found in a biographical story I wrote in grade school:

Chris and I with cousins (Gpa Art's daughter Patty's children)