Monday, September 01, 2008

Things Don't Change

For the past few months, my mother has been exorcising me from my childhood home in Austin. Every time we drive up, we drive back with boxes and boxes of stuff. You see, I am the Queen of Crap. I hoard things. I like to save everything. I have a problem throwing things away.

Combine that with two houses and two apartments and 23 years, and that's a lot of crap. The worst part of it is I've been collecting it since infancy. A lot of the stuff I didn't even know I had because I wasn't old enough to remember. So, this weekend, in celebration of Labor Day, my mother made me go through all my baby stuff.

Normally, I could wax on and on about how looking at my baby shoes and tiny outfits made me thing about how far I've come and how different my life is now (it didn't.) I could jabber about it's strange feeling grown and adult (I still eat peanut butter every day.) I could talk about how I look forward to using some of these hand-sewn blankets for my own children (Ten years, people. Ten years. Any ogling relatives--ten years.)

Instead, I realized I haven't changed a single bit. I'm still the same person I was when I was three.

Not only did I discover books I had written about creatures, I discovered I still write about the same topics. Most of the books were about Mr. Bunny, which I illustrated with a tux, but I also had a character named Rolly. I think some of my most profound prose was:

"Rolly is hungry.

'Mr. Bunny, do you have anything to eat?' Rolly said.

'Yes, I do," Mr. Bunny said.

Rolly was very fat. He ate dinner. They lived happily ever after."

I swear, it's all true. I also had such wonderful literary creations as "Mr. Bunny's Song", which stated: "Mr. Bunny made a song. So mi re do. I like you. You're cute."

My other other novels included, "Mr. Bunny!," "Mr. Bunny Goes on a Trip," and "Mrs. Bunny," all written and illustrated by Miranda R. Pike.

I even dedicated a book to the Easter rabbit.

And you wonder why I write about bees that bake pies and GLUGS (Ginormous Lime Green Unusual Gnat.)

It was also a great comfort to know my habits hadn't changed. Apparently, when I was a child I was so busy reading and creating things that I wouldn't go to bed until I literally fell over unconscious. I would beg my poor parents to read the same book to me for hours.

At first, they were delighted.

Then they wised up and created a "storyboard" so I could learn my bed routine. They posted the pictures below on the board and wrote out the steps for me. So for you, my Invisible Friends, I have posted the Internet version up here.



First, I would have a snack.





Then I would pick up my toys.




I would brush my teeth--nude, of course. And with my everlasting pooch in full display!





Then, I would take a bath. With bubbles. Lots of bubbles. I loved bubbles.




I would pick out my favorite music tape to fall asleep to.



Eventually, after begging my parents to read a dozen books to me, I would pass out.



Because even back then,




It was all about me.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Precious! Yup...you do the same thing when you are up here visiting. BUT, you do go to bed and pass out quite nicely now...no coaxing or cajoling. So see, you have changed a BIT.

Clumbsy Cookie said...

That's too cute! You have such creative parents! And isn't it kind of conforting to know that we don't really change?

Judy said...

This was just the best story! Thanks for sharing!

Cynthia's Blog said...

Fun that you have your routine on film!

A.C. said...

Haha... the everlasting pooch... baby fat, MY A55! I never got rid of mine.
When I moved out my Dad packed every last remnant of me and put it in the garage to sneak into my car every time I went back home for holidays etc...

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

You were so cute!!! My parents were the opposite. I don't have anything from my childhood so I envy you and all of your childhood souvenirs.

Thanks for sharing your pictures!!

Marie Rayner said...

I loved this Miranda!! You were such a cutie. I really enjoyed this glimpse into your past! It's not hard to see that you have always been a writer. I love that your parents encouraged you the way they must have, for look at you now! I really wanted to go to art school, but my mom wouldn't let me. I shall always wish that I had . . .

Lore said...

I have one big smile on my face (see it's this :D BIG!). Love the fact that you dedicated a book to the Easter Bunny and that your parents made you a storyboard. Preacious, simply precious memories!

grace said...

oh my--your "everlasting pooch" made me laugh out loud. great story. :)

Marjie said...

This is so nice! My parents never stayed anywhere for more than a year, so there is nothing left from my childhood except one picture. I told my kids I'm staying in this house until they carry me out in a box (and it had better be mahogany, dammit), and then they can collect all their crap. Until then, they can bring their spouses and children some day to see all the stuff they kept through the years (and a picture from every year from birth through high school hung on the wall...that was a lot of frames). Aren't we all packrats if we have the chance, and don't we all love to have our connections to the past?

Marjie said...

Oh, yes, and I don't think anyone changes, either; I know my children certainly didn't!

Prudy said...

You were tooo darling. That's so wonderful that you have saved everything. It will be mint when you're famous.

Anonymous said...

It's all precious crap right? I'm the same way, can't throw anything out and I hoard dishes and dishes and I can't get enough.

Your baby pics are darling..just keep being yourself!

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