Looking back at October 1980

October 3 -- Kelli was very lucky she didn't get stepped on this morning. She was saved by my dream [I have always been a very vivid dreamer]. I dreamed that our family only had two single beds, so I was sleeping in one with Abbi, and Bruce in the other with Kelli. When I woke up, at about 6 AM, I was half still in my dream, so I was feeling around in the bed for Abbi, but of course, it was Bruce in the bed [because the dream was quite wrong about the beds, actually]. But, weird, I thought I could hear a child--I looked over the edge of our big king-size bed, but no one was on my side, or at the foot of the bed. I lay back down, but I could still hear a child breathing. So I looked on Bruce's side of the bed, and there on fhe floor between the bed and the wall was Kelli. There wasn't much room there, and Kelli took up all the space there was. I knew that if Bruce bounded out of bed, he would jump right on her. So I woke him. He bent down and picked up the alarm clock which was right between Kelli's legs, and didn't even notice her laying there. Good thing he didn't discover her with his feet!

First time at Disneyland. October 4, 1980. Sorry the light was bad in the picture.

October 4 -- We went to Disneyland with Grandpa and Grandma C. The girls got in free because nobody is three yet, not for ten more days. Kelli really enjoyed the day--her eyes were two round saucers and her mouth hung open in amazement. She was rather awe-struck! Interview with Kelli: She was Mickey and Minnie Mouse dancine and singing. She saw bears dancing, too. She like the bears--they were kind of funny. Kelli didn't like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" because she got wet! Kelli saw Tigger the Tiger dancing around. Winnie the Pooh nearly sat on Kelli's head, which she did not like. She saw two doggies--Pluto and Goofy. She saw a kangaroo. Did she have fun? "Yes. I rode on a boat and a train. I went by TWO trains."

Kelli and Abbi with Grandma C. at Disneyland

October 10 -- When Kelli woke up at 6:45 this morning, she was surprised to find Grandpa and Grandma L, Cory and his friend Ryan Harris in our living room. [They arrived for Abbi's second birthday! What an awesome treat for her!] At first, the girls acted quite shy, but then were very happy to see Grandma. We went to the beach, even though it was a cold day, because Cory and Ryan wanted to swim in the ocean. When we got there, Kelli wanted to go in the water, too. She didn't really like being relegated to the sand with bucket and shovel. So, Bruce took her wave-chasing with him and that made it better. Then we went to the tide pools on Point Loma, and Kelli and I tried hard to catch up to Bruce, Cory and Ryan on the cliffs. But the waves were getting higher and higher, and I am really a chicken at heart, so Kelli and I had to go back to solid ground, and watched the seals in the research lab with Abbi and Grandma. Then we went to see Cabrillo Monument and the Star of India [a sailing ship] before going home. Ryan and Cory slept in the girls' room, and Cory kept calling me and saying, "Myrna, could you please tell Kelli to be quiet? We're tired!" Everyone wanted to sleep, but Kelli had other plans for them. Finally, after everyone in the whole house was asleep, she settled down, too.

October 11 -- we all went to Sea World! The favorite activity for the girls were the whale strollers they got to ride in, and Cory got a big kick out of pushing them! Kelli's favorite show was the seal show, and her favorite activity was the dolphin and whale petting pool. Another lady bought and gave to Kelli a tray of squid to feed to the animals. Kelli tried hard to feed them, but the only one who seemed to want her fish was a great big whale. He came right up to her and opened his mouth wide, but she was too scared of him to let go of her fish. She backed away from him, still clutching the fish.

October 13 (a Monday) -- We had a joint birthday party at Stefani Sadler's house for Jerry Sadler, Rachael Wardaugh and Kelli, because all three will turn three on October 14! [What are the odds of three children in a Sunbeam class all having exactly the same birthday?!] We played games--tried to anyway!-- and sang songs. Our treat was ice cream cone cupcakes that the children got to decorate themselves. Each child got a couple of presents to open [we rotated the buying between the three of us moms and asked the guests not to bring gifts; we thought it was a little much since there were three birthday kids]. Kelli's present was a Sesame Street Record and a book "Thumbelina." Then, we all loaded up and went to Bishop Russell's house (he is a dentist) to sing "Happy Birthday" to him, because he shares the same birthday with our little Sunbeams. The bishop really enjoyed our visit! The children who came to the party: Marisa, Jerry and Annalee Sadler; Rachael and Tommy Wardaugh; Kelli and Abbi; Todd Hellyar, Janet Hill, Chad Laughlin, Kevin Newkirk, Rhonda Clark and Geoff Allred.

Children displaying their decorated cupcakes. You can see Jerry's hand, then Rachael, Kelli, Chad, Marisa, partial views of Tommy and Todd, then Abbi and Geoff

        Back: Suzy Wardaugh, Kevin, Jerry, Rachael, Kelli, Janet, Front: Geoff, Abbi, Todd, Tommy.

Three birthday kids and friends! Back: Kevin, Jerry, Rachael, Kelli, Janet -- Front: Chad, Todd, Tommy.

Kelli holds up her present. You can also see Rachael to Kelli's right, Geoff in the background, and Marisa in front.

 

 Chad and Abbi. She is enjoying the wrapper paper and bows.

October 14 -- was our family birthday party for Kelli and Abbi. Grandma C. made the birthday cake, and Uncle Michael, Auntie Arlene, Jenna, Lance, Grandpa and Grandma came over for dinner, and then cake and ice cream. It was a lot of fun, although Kelli had a problem because Jenna and Abbi both wanted to play with her present, and she wasn't about to let them! But when Bruce and Michael helped them to all play together, we heard the sounds of happy laughter again, and that was nice!

Grandpa C. with Abbi, silly Uncle Michael with Jenna, Arlene with Lance, Kelli, and Bruce

Abbi and Kelli unwrap gifts.

Abbi, Jenna, Kelli

Abbi has two candles, Kelli has three: Just before "Time to blow!"

Candles are licked off, time to cut the cake! Notice the Shamu shirts from our Seaworld visit earlier.

October 17 -- Kelli was drawing on the new birthday blackboard (given to the girls to share) and called and said, "Mommy, I made an F!" And she had! She had drawn a clear and distinctive "F". And then she drew an "O", too!

October 19 -- Kelli has started to call me "Myrna" so I tried to explain that we show respect to our parents by calling them "Mom" and "Dad". I said, "I know that my mom's name is Pearl, but I don't call her that; I call her "mom" because I love her." Kelli said, "Me, too." I said, "Oh, do you love your mommy, too, Kelli?" She said, "No, I love Grandma Conrad, too!"

October 20 -- Kelli can now write F, E, H, T and O. She tried K but it was a little hard for her. 

Chad Laughlin, Marisol Cortes, and Kelli get into the Halloween spirit.

October 27 -- [Wow, I threw a Halloween party!] Today was the Halloween party that Kelli and Abbi have been so excited about for so long! I made Kelli a witch's hat and long black hair, and she was really an adorable little witch! She was not at all scared by any of the masks and only laughed at her daddy as "Monster Man," When we played "Pin the tail on the black cat" and it was Kelli's turn to be blindfolded, she exclaimed, "I can't see!" Everybody laughed because that was the idea!! After she got the tail placed, she took off the blind fold--well, the tail wasn't in the right place at all, so she moved it! When we went to bob for apples, Kelli reached in and grabbed the apple with both hands to bite it!  It was a lot of fun, and I am sure both girls will enjoy going halloweening with their daddy on Friday! [Okay--so now I call it trick or treating; but in 1980, I called it what I grew up calling it: we went "halloweening" back then, just FYI.] Friends at the party: Marisol Cortes, Joanna Bonilla, Yesenia Sastoques, Randy Gillenwater, Danielle Glander, Will and Kay Sargent, and Chad Laughlin were all there to enjoy the fun!