Childhood

From left to right: Allison, me, my cousins Jeff, Brad, and Blake, and then little Dylan-head.

Let's just talk about this for a second. DON'T USE SUN-IN 13 YEAR OLD SHANNON. JUST DON'T.

Also, Dylan, you were the cutest child ever. 

I have realized lately that I had a really awesome childhood. Thinking back on being a kid, I have a lot of really great memories. I don't know if I think they're really great/funny because I was there, or if they really are that great/funny.

When I was 16 or so, I walked into the garage to get in my car. My brother was skateboarding in the driveway on his little portable ramp. He was listening to his iPod and couldn't see or hear me where I was. Each time he reached the top of the ramp, he would make a noise. It sounded like this, "BAOW!" He would screw his little 8 year old face up and make it each and every time. I had to sit down on the garage floor because I was laughing so hard.

One night at dinner Allison screamed. When asked why in the world she was screaming, she explained that her hand had been under her leg and she saw her fingers sticking out, and she didn't know whose hand it was. My sister is very special.

We were in Hawaii when I was in high school when my sister decided swimsuits were now to be called "chimsuits". We still call them that.

Dylan came home from school one day when he was in the 2nd grade or so. He was so giggly. He said that they figured out all of their names backward at school that day. He, Allison, and I's were boring. Nalyd, Nosilla, and Nonnahs. My parents' were much better. Gerg and Eener. But then Dylan pulled out the prize winner. His friend Jason Stratman. Nosaj Namtarts. We still giggle about this every time we see the kid.

We grew up watching Wheel of Fortune during dinner.It was always a contest to see which family member could guess it first. 99% of the time it was my dad. One night, Allison got upset and told my dad that she wanted to let her win "JUST ONE TIME". Poor Al.

When I was little, I was terrified of skeletons for some reason. So each night before bed, my mom would tell me, "Shan, skeletons are just bones in your body, they don't move". Which now makes no sense at all because our skeletons are what enable us to move, but it made me feel better.

My dad travels a lot for his job. A lot a lot. Always has, still does. So he would call us from wherever he was that day and tell us airplane stories. Usually they involved someone farting and smelling up the entire plane. They were the best part of my day.

When we would go visit my cousins on my mom's side (pictures above), my dad would tell us bedtime stories. Not just any bedtime stories. These were "blood and guts" stories. Someone's head was always getting chopped off by a helicopter and blood went spurting everywhere or someone was eaten by vicious sharks so that their intestines came out. My cousins are boys, so they loved that stuff. I just sucked it up to be cool.

There are so many more, but I just wanted to share a few. I've been incredibly blessed with an amazing family. Sometimes we try to kill each other, but it's out of love.