Nadreau Name

Yesterday my sisters and I went to the mall in Eau Claire with our Dad for a mini family reunion. The neat and sad thing was that my Dad was sitting there with two of the seven remaining Nadreau men, having a grand old time. Dad is the oldest remaining Nadreau man, having outlived all and past the age when all of them died. So my cousins kind of gravitate toward him, they find him facinating and are very engulfed in his every word. Which is fun to see. They ask him about events that now only he can remember and about Chippewa Falls and about his relatives. I have five men cousins with the Nadreau name, but only two of them had one son each. I'm afraid the Nadreau name will die away. I wish there was some way to keep it alive. I wish I would have named my kids with that name for their middle name or something. It would have been weird but at least that name would be out there somewhere. Funny when you're a kid how you feel things will always be the same. I wish I could go back and talk to all of my relatives who passed away. I would really listen to every word they say and treasure more moments. I have lots of them in my memory and I treasure all of them.

Childhood Games

Ok and speaking of games that I played as a child, in the Fall in our neighborhood there was a church with a big lot with lots of trees. So the leaves would fall and we kids would get racks and make a big "pie" and play "Cut the Pie". So much fun, there was also a church bell that hung down low so we could ring it. At the time I couldn't understand why adults would get so upset that the bell was ringing and chase us away. In the Winter we would go to the ice skating rink. My sister was a big outdoor girl and we weren't allowed to leave until I had my math homework done. She would "help" me do it and really did it all for me and off we'd go. We played "Pump, Pump, Pull Away" and we'd play "Whip it" I never wanted to be the last person, who would go flying into the snow bank. I've always been something of a whimp.

For some reason I was thinking about my old neighborhood where I grew up. When I was little the whole neighborhood of kids and there was A LOT of them would play night games in the Fall. We'd play "Kick the Can" and "Moon Light Star Light" I remember it seemed every night we'd be playing there would be the smell of leaves burning. OR there use to be a dump where everyone brought their trash down across from where Super Valu is standing now and Semi's park there now. But they would burn the trash and the whole town smelled of it. Ahhh...the memories. Those night games were the best.

Easter Clothes

When my sisters and I lived at home and especially when I was very small. My mother would buy us Easter dresses, gloves, hats and purses and shoes. It was always so fun to get our new Easter clothes. I always thought I was as beautiful as my sisters and felt so pretty. I remember one Easter in particular. My mom got me a light pink dress, white hat with long bow ends hanging down, white gloves and white anklets with black patten leather shoes. Sid got the same thing only in blue. Mom always dressed us the same, much to my sisters dismay. I always thought it was so neat to look like my big sister because I thought she was so pretty and I wanted to be like her. That's when we lived in the house across the street from where I do now, so I had to have been about 2. I remember a dress that I got for Easter when I was 12. It didn't look like Sid's. By then she was 15 and that would have been horrible for her. :) But the dress was yellow with white decorations and white shoes with big heals. They were important shoes. (the kind that make noise when you walk, click clack, click clack). Anyway, my grandma died and I wore that to her funeral. After a while the shoes bottom of the heel came off and it was hollow. I loved them even more because I would wear them to school and walk down the hall and they when CLIP CLOP, CLIP CLOP. It would just echo down the halls. I thought I was so so so so cool and important too :)It was great!!!

Memories

I've been told that I should reminisce and write about memories. So I will do that. Keep in mind though my life has been very ordinary and not very exciting. But here goes.... My earliest memories are when I was a baby in the crib. I must have sucked a finger or thumb and my mom put "Thumb" on it and I was falling asleep and put my falange :) (Thanks to "Bones") in my mouth and screamed. My mom came running upstairs to give me a drink. I was probably 3? I also remember when I lived across the street from where I live now. The house was torn down years ago, but it had a large wrap around porch and I remember looking up the stairs and thinking how steep they were. I was 2. The basement stairs from that house went to the neighbors and their sons used them for stairs to their tree house. As a two year old how would I know that those were the basement stairs, but I did. I was a strange child :) I also use to play in the street in the sand with trucks and tractors. And we would rake our leaves into the street and I played in the pile of leaves in the street hiding in the pile from the cars. I just shutter now when I think of it. In this day and age a car will whoosh through the leaves to watch them fly. Why was I allowed to play in the street? It was a different era. Wow.

It's been a LONG LONG time since my last post. I can't seem to find much to say. I look at everyone else's posts and get excited to see updates on them. But yet do nothing. I even had myself convinced I forgot my password. So when my "Gift from God" told me I needed to update, I tried and low and behold I got in. Aren't you glad? My girls are so smart they can even put pictures on theirs. I'm sure I can figure it out, but yet I don't. :)

Let's see, what on earth can I talk about? hmmmmm.....there is nothing there! I will try to think of something and post again....yep I sit here and think.....huh NOTHING. Sorry

Grandbabies

My life this past Saturday was very eye opening. I was given the opportunity to watch my seven grandchildren. I had 7 kids 7 and under. Three of them 1 and under. I had the usual AWWWWW moments, I had 9 poopy moments. I was a referee, cook, maid, bath giver, face whiper, treat giving grandma. My kids are amazing. They do this every day! I am still (and it's Tuesday) so tired, I had to drag my hinder out of bed to go to work. (I think I heard it hit the ground) I plopped down in my chair and am thankful I can just sit and use what's left of my brain. Just think....25 years ago, I was doing that every day. What a difference 25 years makes. But even with all the work that was involved I wouldn't change anything. I love each and everyone of them, more every day. I feel my heart will burst with love. Everytime from the oldest down, Tanner called me Gram (a name he just made up to call me). I'm Grandma to the rest, down to Bodie who gives me his amazing kisses, to Jack smiling his amazing smiles to our youngest Lydia for when she smiles at you, you feel you have won the biggest prize of all.

Thank you to our kids and their spouses for the gifts of our grandkids.