The Rural Voice, 1981-06, Page 32TIME TO PLANT
V.v.
READY FOR PLANTING
Trees -evergreen and
deciduous and flower-
ing shrubs.
To Homesville
Huron #13
34 56
Bayfleld Conc.
BAKER'S
NURSERY
R.R. #2
Bayfield BAYFIELD
Varna
Opening time Daily
Dawn to Dusk
Closed Sundays
Baker's Nursery
R.R. 2 Bayfield 482-9995
Quality merchandise at lair prices
Barn
Renovations
and Painting
We also specialize in
• Barn renovations
• Concrete breaking
* Sandblasting
482-9161
1E0 J�LCi2
VARNA, ONT.
PG. 30 THE RURAL VOICE/JUNE 1981
GISELE IRELAND
could write
a book
Children of all ages have contributed their talents in art and
ideas for this issue of the magazine. I wonder if we gave the
same opportunities to the parents what kind of material would be
submitted. Every parent has memories of
deeds and conversations that their children
have surprised and embarrassed them
with over the child rearing years. I know
I've had a few goodies that are priceless
to our family.
Most of the things you remember weren't
funny when they happened but in retrospect
could make comedy movies. I like the way
the flavour of children's kisses change over
the years. You start out with pablum and
proceed to peanut butter, chocolate cookies
and ultimately sticky suckers. Then they
change to bubble gum and eventually
strawberry flavoured lip gloss. Bubble gum
also can account for a lot of ruined pants and
skirts in our family.
I like when they start to eat for themselves. A one -year-old
eating jello with his fingers is funny, but an eight-year-old with
the same habit is nauseating. Children have always been famous
for saying things at the wrong time and wrong place: Answering
the phone and telling the caller that mom can't come to the
phone because she's in the bathtub with dad.
I remember church and babies the most. For years we carried
Cheerios and raisins in our pockets to keep the little ones
content. What about those satisfyingly loud burps after feeding
in the middle of a sermon. Then there's the wailing that won't be
stopped and we grab the kid and run. One Sunday our youngest
daughter was teething and very unhappy. Brian tried to console
her over his shoulder and patting her back. She didn't take to the
treatment and sank her chompers into his shoulder and bit hard.
He rose out of the seat, baby and all, and just plain bellowed.
The titters of amusement and silly grins that prevailed for the
rest of the ceremony were hard to bear, along with the upraised
eyebrows of the minister.
As the offspring grow older and impress you with their
maturity you still can't chase away the glimpses of them at age
three dressing themselves anyoldhow. It takes a kid a long time
to put his shoes on the right feet, especially rubber boots. Mine
often traded theirs at school regularly, coming home wearing two
lefts or two rights. Mittens are also a sore spot. At the end of
winter I always put away about 13 mittens with no mate and hope
they will show up through the summer. Funny thing, they never
did. When you bought expensive mitts, they lost them faster and
mitts with cords attached were fought against tooth and nail. No
one wanted to be accused of being a baby.
You could as a parent, write a book about the things children
have said that were amusing or touching. It would certainly be
interesting reading to see what parents would have to say.