Full Circle Pumpkins

On Wednesday, October 14, 1987, I awoke to my grandma whispering excitedly in my ear, "Your mom went to the hospital last night to have the baby, Michelle!" I was skeptical. There was a good chance she was coercing me out of bed with a story. Even at the age of five I didn't like to get out of bed. Even though it was a special day.

Today I was going to the pumpkin patch with my kindergarten class.

I remember riding behind the bed of the tractor with my class with anxious anticipation and a little bit of sadness. My mom couldn't come with me to the field trip for obvious reasons and I so badly wanted her to be there. But I couldn't wait to meet my new little sister. For five years I had carried the title of "baby of the family" and I was so excited to relinquish my throne and move up the totem pole. I was later to find out that not only did I not climb any sort of ladder to obtain a more respectable spot amongst my older siblings, but with a brand new adorable baby in the family, I was actually demoted. I was not the oldest, or first girl or the adorable baby. I was simply #3.

After picking a pumpkin and eating lunch with my classmates, we herded back on the bus. On that bus ride I distinctly remember pulling a lock of my brown hair to my nose and breathing in the egg-like aroma. The night before my mother had given me a perm. It was my first one. I loved it. Perhaps it was those aromatic fumes that put her into labor. Of course I wasn't thinking that then. I was thinking about what I was going to wear to the hospital to meet my new little sister.

My circus pants, I thought most definitely. Oh how I loved those yellow courduroy pants with confetti-like designs all over them. I don't know when or how my mom and I decided to call them the circus pants. But circus pants they were.

When I got home Grandma didn't like the idea of wearing the circus pants to the hospital. It was probably due to the fact that the shirt I wanted to wear didn't match, or that I wanted to wear my black patent leather Sunday shoes with the pants. I am not sure. I do remember plaguing, over the phone mind you, my exhausted mother who had just given {natural!!} birth to my baby sister with my very serious 5 year-old complaint that grandma wasn't letting me wear my circus pants and could you please fix it?

I don't recall if my mom fixed it and allowed me to wear the circus pants. Dad-- you'll have to dig up that photo of the three of us holding Rebecca at the hospital to solve that mystery.

But I do remember riding with my dad to the hospital and stopping with him at a florist to pick out flowers for my mom. I remember washing my hands extra good before going into the room to meet my newest best friend.

Today, Wednesday, October 14, 2009 what better way to celebrate Rebecca's 22nd birthday than to join my own little kindergartener on a field trip to the pumpkin patch?

We had a good time.

Happy Birthday, Rebecca!!! Love you. xoxo