to be a kid

it is interesting how much some of us adore our childhood.
and whether or not we decide we loved those growing up years
they make us who we are.

or maybe they are who we are, because we are always ourselves.

i grew up on

the simpsons, rice, toad-in-the-holes, riding mattresses down the stairs, stuffed animals, pet fish that i was mostly afraid of but still named things like Zeezrom and Oreo, Clifford books, Arthur, The Lion King (watching, playing with the toys, reinacting scenes on the staircase and in the backyard, leaning up the couches to recreate Pride Rock), elaborate themed birthday parties, advanced reading groups in 2nd grade where they thought we could monitor ourselves but we just giggled about reading the word "buttocks" in a book, performing at talent shows, inventing species (Shmites) and then pretending to be them.

i remember the unconventional things that became tradition:

yakisoba noodles while camping, singing happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Eve and eating ice cream with a candle in it (we stopped when my sister decided it was a bit sacrilegious), popcorn and orange slices, getting pizza saturday nights and fighting over leftovers on Sunday

and all the things we, thankfully, outgrow:

apparently when i was little i told everyone i was a boy
i remember writing the name of my first crush on the bottom of my sneakers with a heart around it
i used to be shy
i also obsessive took the skins off my peas, each one individually.