The Age of Innocence

My sister asked, so innocently, to remember the age of 4:

I don't "remember" a whole lot, but I can think back and imagine from what I know now. We lived in a nice little house in Taos, NM with my Mom and my step-dad (it's weird to write that since I have never really considered him my step-dad, but that is the best way to describe it). I had my fourth birthday and a mere 8 days later, my sister was born. I don't remember the birth, but she was born at home. Not sure where I was, but most likely I was there or maybe with friends.

From that house and that time period, I remember the old white appliances in the kitchen. I had stuck Valentine's stickers over most of them. The fridge, the stove - come to think of it, those were the only appliances we really had, unless you count the black stove that sat in the middle of the living room that was the only source of heat for the house.

I remember the huge tree in the front yard that I loved to climb. When you got under it, it was almost dark and you could look up and see all the branches, with very little light shining through. I would climb on the lower limbs til I got high enough that I was scared. I climbed on anything and everything. That is why my Mom built me a jungle gym. Maybe that way I would quit climbing on the furniture. She also put me in gymnastics.

I also have a memory of that house of the backyard. It had a huge backyard. As you stepped out the back door- the only door we really used, the first thing you saw was of course the Volkswagen. I can't remember what we had then, it could have been a bug or a van, I think we had both at times. Definitely a van. The next thing you saw was a tepee - a full size real tee pee. I don't know why, but we had fun playing in it. Back way in the back of the yard was an old adobe building that was partially eroded. There was no roof and no doors or windows. It was very open and most of the time it scared me. Now I don't know if this is really a real memory, but I have always thought of that house in this way. At a certain time of the year, that house would fill with ladybugs. In my memory, you would walk in and parts of the walls would be almost red. I love that memory, so if it isn't real, I don't want to know.

So that was The Age of Innocence at 4.

Next time The Age of Innocence at 14 requested by Flying Piggies.

And then The Age of not-so-Innocence at 21 requested by Mrs. Mogul.