So Nostalgic...

As a child I lived 2 worlds. I had two loving parents who wanted the best for my brother and I. We lived a meager life at my moms during the week full of early bedtimes, chores, limited t.v., and plenty of leftovers. My mom didn't have much money back then, but she still did an amazing job with what she had. We had the most amazing Christmas and birthdays. She ran a home daycare out of her home so she could afford to stay at home with us. I remember we would all be playing out back and she would every once in a while throw handfulls of gumballs to the daycare kids and she was always coming up with some new craft for everyone to do. She was always doing fun things like that for us. Although coming in for lunch after playing in 115 degree weather just to be greeted with a hot casserole was not always fun, but my mom did what she could with what she had and she did good. Back then I couldn't wait for the weekends when my dad picked my brother and I up and took us to his home where we weren't limited on what we did, had late bedtimes, sleepovers with friends, lunch at the country club, horseback riding at my papa's and junk food gallore. It was like my brother and I lived a double life. Looking back, I'm glad that I had that ballance. From one extreme to another..it gave us character and it helped me as a parent on what to do and what not to do. Although my mom and dad seperated shortly after my brother was born, my dad was still always there for us. He would pop in some nights just to play puppets with my brother and I. Or he would come over and go trick-or-treating with us (even if it weren't a weekend). My dad married a wonderful lady who really stepped it up as a weekend mommy (she even showed me how to wear mascara for the first time..and remove it). My mom married a man whom was good to her and us. They divorced right as I started dating Daryl back when I was 19.
The pictures above are vintage Enchanged Island at Encanto Park when I was two and a half(wheck out my Suri Cruise haircut..who knew that 26 years later it would be the rage for toddlers). The park closed in 1983 and then reopened in a different location at the park with a few different rides. It was really fun being back and watching my children ride in the same rides I once rode in. The cars even had that same familiar beeping sound lol.