I remember at 5

I remember it was about the time I started kindergarten that I finally stopped sucking my thumb.

I remember my parents painting my thumb with icky tasting stuff to get me to stop. I remember being promised a Strawberry Shortcake doll house if I stopped (I had a Strawberry Shortcake quilt on my bed at one point). I remember hiding in my parents walk-in closet and sneaking my thumb sucking so they wouldn’t know I was still doing it and I could get that doll house (I was a closet sucker). I remember a man in the neighborhood who really annoyed me and I did not like him because he always thought he was being so clever and asking me if my thumb tasted good and if he could have a taste. He was stupid.

And then about the time I started school I just stopped and never really thought about it again. And I never needed braces either.

I still remember my kindergarten teacher explaining to someone that the other student must really like what they had done if they were copying them. Copying in kindergarten was considered a compliment. I’ve told a few students that myself from time to time (while also telling the copier that I want to see what they can do on their own and what their ideas are).

I had my tonsils taken out that year too. I remember being in the bathroom with my mom and the lights were off and she used a flashlight to look at my tonsils and then she had to show dad when he got home.

We took a tour of the hospital and I got to see the waiting room and the operating room and the recovery room so that I wouldn’t be scared when I woke up.

We stopped at Grandpa’s house on the way to the hospital and Grandpa and Dad gave me a blessing.

I got to do some crafts while we waited. The nurse who took my blood told me that some people have green blood right as she stuck me and I remember that being the first time I hadn’t cried at being stuck with a needle (you should see me now!). They asked me what flavor of gas I wanted and I said bubble gum because gum was a big treat in our house. We didn’t get it often, only for road trips really.

And then I was waking up and there was a teenager across the recovery room from me that was throwing up a lot and I wanted a popsicle. I got to stay home from school and eat popsicles and color in work books. It was fun.