.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

July 1972. A Few of Lisa's Baby Pictures

From the Fortress of Solitude
Overlooking the Pleasant Grove

Dear Clan,
Tonight was Parent Teacher Conferences. I had one parent darken my door. I'm lovin It! Normally I wouldn't have parents on parent teacher conferences because I direct the Space Center. But, I volunteer to teach the school's gifted math class in the mornings so that obligates me to visit with any parent that has a desire to see how their little Johnny and Missy are doing.
Really, the hardest and most challenging thing about working with the math gifted is their talking. Gifted children like to babble on and on and on and on. They like to think of themselves as little adults. They have opinions about everything and sincerely feel us 'real' adults care about those opinions. As a teacher It is my job to foster those opinions, but I don't have to really give them much credence. I'm good at looking at them eye to eye and making them feel like they have my undivided attention when in reality I'm one thousand miles away.

Tonight I bring you a few snapshots of little Lisa Larke taken a few weeks after her birth on July 5, 1972.
Here she is in the arms of 15 year old Kim sitting on mom and dad's bed. Kim was just out of the shower which explains her attire and hair. I'm sure she'd want that made perfectly clear.

Here she is just after getting her nappy changed. I don't remembe why I put the bag over her head. It was just one of those things to make the picture interesting.

And again in Kim's arms fast asleep.

And finally throwing a tantrum in her swing. I loved that swing. It was the only thing that was 100% effective at getting her to go to sleep. The problem with the swing was the wind up mechanism. I'd put Lisa in the swing, she'd cry a tempest for a bit then mellow and finally drift off. The swing went back and forth only as long as the wind lasted. Sometimes one wind wouldn't be enough to get her to sleep so we'd have to wind it again as she was drifting off. That extra wind was the real challenge. Our challenge was to wind it up again without the noise waking her up. It was a challenge because the crank was so loud. I remember cranking that thing slowly - ever so slowly hoping not to stir the sleeping beast. I was successful 50% of the time.

Now for a confession. We must all ask Lisa's forgiveness for this.

If we wanted a good laugh (the rest of the brothers and sisters) we put Lisa into the swing and let it put her into a deep sleep. I'd gather my siblings around the swing when it stopped, place my hand on that obnoxiously loud crank, and wind that thing as fast as I could. The sound shocked her awake. You should have seen her eyes - they'd get as big as saucers, and she'd quiver like she was made of jello. Then the air intake; she'd go into momentary shock, want to cry but never had enough air because we scared the wind right out of her. We'd laugh while she'd attempt to suck in enough air to scream. Of course there was a price to pay. She'd finally let loose an ungodly sound and then we'd deal with it - so we didn't do it often; only when we needed a good laugh or when friends came over. You know, something to do when you were board.

Simply,
Victor

2 comments:

  1. Oh Vic........That explains so much about me!!! My entire life I have never had a typical human "fight or flight" reaction when I am scared. I always wondered why!!
    If someone surprises me my reaction can be anywhere from the complete and utter loss of leg function or, on some occasions, I have been known to just hit the floor in a helpless puddle of mush and black hair! I am always startled in very unusual circumstances. When Bob, or anyone else for that matter, is in my house and enters a room I am in without giving me ample warning of the impending intrusion it will scare the living H*!# out of me. To avoid the scolding (saying it nicely) I have been known to give, Bob now announces when he's about to enter a room as to avoid the "Lisa freak out fit"!!
    Funny, I usually can't catch my breath for a few seconds to even scream! It's such a delayed reaction, that I can be looking at Bob (or whoever it is) for a couple of seconds and then about fall over!!
    Funny thing is, I would've done the same thing! It is a sick and twisted thing, the Williamson sense of humor. I wouldn't have it any other way!

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  2. I did the very same thing to Joe, Jake, Camille and Candace. Awesome!

    Kirk

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