Me (middle with polka-dot skirt) holding my little sister at her Minnie Mouse birthday party with my friends The Xavierite
I still remember the old days like it was yesterday, being picked up from pre-K riding in the back of my dad’s five speed manual, red Toyota Celica, jamming out to 2Pac with the windows rolled down, fixing my makeup with my cell phone shaped makeup palette on the way to get some Bug Juice from a near-by gas station.
My dad was an 80s baby, I think him being a teen in the 90s is what made him a fun dad. He had, and still has an obsession with Nintendo. I remember when we’d stay up for hours past my bedtime playing Mario, Mortal Kombat, racing games, and more on his Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
I still remember the sound the games made when you blew on them to get the dust off before inserting them into the system, and the loud buzzing from the console waiting for it to start up.
My dad was a twenty-something year-old father and worked long hours as a carpenter, so he always came home late from work. Therefore, I enjoyed being able to spend some time playing games with him when I got the chance.
On his off days, my dad and I would stop by Toys “R” Us to see if there were any games we could play on my Wii, or any DVDs for sale. I always chose something Barbie or Monster High related for movies since I had a bit of an obsession at the time.
I may have seen my dad as the fun one but my mom was always cooler to me (don’t tell him). She has always been really creative, especially when it comes to party planning and crafts. She’s a do-it-yourself kind of gal.
I’d always have the coolest birthday parties. I remember my mom staying up past midnight decorating and making homemade party favors, she would even sew me clothes to wear. She was fashion obsessed like I am now too, and I got it from her.
I had a fashion, tea party once. There were lots of her homemade biscuits, muffins, cakes, teas, and lots and lots of clothes. My mom had known some ladies who sold clothes and jewelry, so they stopped by and brought their collections for us to look at. We could buy stuff too if we liked anything and I love to shop. It was like heaven for seven-year-old me. It was one of the coolest parties I’ve ever had.
We used to make a lot of my friends birthday presents too; dresses, stuffed animals, cool princess accessories and even room decorations. We would spend hours upon hours crafting and listening to 90s dance music.
I used to steal all my mom’s clothes, I wanted to be as in style as she was. I also loved shopping with her. We would go for hours and just play dress-up with whatever we wanted to try on.
As a kid it gave me an adrenaline rush. How many outfits can you try on in each store? I had to find out.
Another peak memory of my childhood was when I was obsessed with Selena Gomez and my mom stood in line with me for seven hours, while she was pregnant with my sister, to see her speak at the mall about her new movie, MonteCarlo.
It was a dream come true. My mom and I crafted a huge sign to show Gomez my admiration towards her. I was right behind the fence with a huge grin on my face and the fact that my mom did that for me is unforgettable.
Strawberry picking was another one of my favorite memories. Strawberries were always my favorite, so that pretty much says it all. My mom, sister, and I would drive to the nearest farm we could find that has strawberries and spend the day eating them as we walk and talk. We made a day out of it.
A lot of my interests and core memories sparked from my parents. Whether it be music, creativity, or core memories, I’ll always miss when I was experiencing the first spark of it all.
My childhood shaped me to be who I am today and I still reminisce about those days, wishing I could go back and feel the wind through my hair in my dad’s old car, dance around with my mom when making little crafts and baking, or just enjoy being a kid again before life got real.