Today's Remembering word is the letter G. There are three things from my past that the letter G brought to mind.
I'm remembering Games today. Being the uncoordinated runt who was always picked last for softball at recess, I was never any good at sports. That never bothered me, though, because I knew if I were picking, I'd pick me last too. But I was pretty good at other games. Games like kick the can, hula hoop, hop scotch, hide and seek, jump rope, and red rover.
There was a concrete slab in front of our school perfect for drawing a hop scotch grids with colored chalk. I loved hopping one one foot, then two, then one, bend down and pick up a rock, and keep on going. I was pretty good at tossing that rock just so to the number it needed to be on. I'd look forward to the recess bell just so I could rush outside with my friends to hop, hop, hop.
As we got older, we graduated to the much more aggressive game of Red Rover. "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Deanna right over" I'd run as hard and fast as I could to break through the joined hands of two members of the opposing team. I loved playing that game, even if I did usually end up getting hurt.
Even though it was a pain to haul around, I'd take my hula hoop with me every chance I could. I can still remember the feel of the hoop around my waist, then hips, then knees, then shimmy back up to under my arms, and then over my head, and back down again. When I got tired of those antics, I'd roll the hoop out with just enough wrist action for it to come right back to me. Boy did I think I was something.
Jump rope! There are so many ways to jump rope: alone, alone and then someone jumps in with you, with a skipping step, one foot, keeping two feet together, fast, slow, with a friend on each end, turning the rope for you. We'd sing song "I like coffee, I like tea, I like Deanna to come in with me." Then the two would jump together, the second person saying the rhyme. Then the first person would run out, and we'd start all over.
I'm remembering Games today. Being the uncoordinated runt who was always picked last for softball at recess, I was never any good at sports. That never bothered me, though, because I knew if I were picking, I'd pick me last too. But I was pretty good at other games. Games like kick the can, hula hoop, hop scotch, hide and seek, jump rope, and red rover.
There was a concrete slab in front of our school perfect for drawing a hop scotch grids with colored chalk. I loved hopping one one foot, then two, then one, bend down and pick up a rock, and keep on going. I was pretty good at tossing that rock just so to the number it needed to be on. I'd look forward to the recess bell just so I could rush outside with my friends to hop, hop, hop.
As we got older, we graduated to the much more aggressive game of Red Rover. "Red Rover, Red Rover, send Deanna right over" I'd run as hard and fast as I could to break through the joined hands of two members of the opposing team. I loved playing that game, even if I did usually end up getting hurt.
Even though it was a pain to haul around, I'd take my hula hoop with me every chance I could. I can still remember the feel of the hoop around my waist, then hips, then knees, then shimmy back up to under my arms, and then over my head, and back down again. When I got tired of those antics, I'd roll the hoop out with just enough wrist action for it to come right back to me. Boy did I think I was something.
Jump rope! There are so many ways to jump rope: alone, alone and then someone jumps in with you, with a skipping step, one foot, keeping two feet together, fast, slow, with a friend on each end, turning the rope for you. We'd sing song "I like coffee, I like tea, I like Deanna to come in with me." Then the two would jump together, the second person saying the rhyme. Then the first person would run out, and we'd start all over.
The neighborhood kids played kick the can and hide and seek a lot. Occasionally we'd get to join in. The can would sit in the middle of the street towards the top side and one team would start kicking it to get it past the other team to the end of the street. Some of the older boys were pretty rough and tough, making the game a little dangerous. Hide and seek was a blast, having an entire neighborhood to hide in. That was one game my parents absolutely didn't like, because kids were running through everyone else's yards. It sure was fun the few times we joined in, though.
I'd play card games like Old Maid and Slap Jack for hours on end. By the end of a rowdy game of Slap Jack, my little hands would be as red as a tomato. It was always fun to see who could pop the most Tiddlywinks into the little plastic cup. Although I wasn't very good with the Yo Yo, my older brother could "walk the dog" and take a "trip around the world" with the best of them.
What games did you play when you were a kid?
Oh, by the way, my other Remembering G words were GoGo Girls and garter belts. Aren't you glad I chose games?
I'd play card games like Old Maid and Slap Jack for hours on end. By the end of a rowdy game of Slap Jack, my little hands would be as red as a tomato. It was always fun to see who could pop the most Tiddlywinks into the little plastic cup. Although I wasn't very good with the Yo Yo, my older brother could "walk the dog" and take a "trip around the world" with the best of them.
What games did you play when you were a kid?
Oh, by the way, my other Remembering G words were GoGo Girls and garter belts. Aren't you glad I chose games?
10 comments:
I just remember all the neighborhood boys wanting to play basketball ALL THE TIME. I hated basketball, but I wanted to play with my friends.
Dropping by from A to Z. First year participating.
Brett Minor
Transformed Nonconformist
I grew up in the kind of neighborhood where we played games all day. Hide and Seek, Tag, Red Rover, bike rides, softball, roller hockey. We were ALWAYS playing games.
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Ah... games played with OTHER kids!! (and not electronic toys!)
I played "Horse" and "21" at the Basketball court, and Wiffleball, and frizbee golf. Sometimes we even played Whiffle Golf and "Chip and Putt" at the nearby par-3.
Hide and Seek... "Throw rocks in the creek"... We even played "School" sometimes..
Oh so many memories! All the kids in the neighborhood played together after school - until dinner and afterwards if there was light outside.
I was never good at games. I hated board games of all types because being in a house of all brothers and me the only girl, they were out for blood! Consequently, I shy away from all games now! :)
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Oh! Thanks for the reminder about jumping rope. I LOVED that so much. We all got really excited about it after a team came to our school to put on a program. We tried so hard to replicate what we saw. Hours of fun, I tell you.
I LOVED your post! Brings back memories. I was the same way, I might not have been picked dead last, but I was certainly close, despite all my efforts. And I loved the alternatives like you. I'm sure jumping rope was one of my favourite activities.
Have fun with a-z.
I loved this post. Brings back so many memories. I was a tomboy and could keep up with the boys as far as sports go. And we used to play hide and seek around the neighborhood almost every night in the summer...our yard one night, friends the next. I used to climb the tree out front of our house to escape everyone. :) Tiddly Winks! Loved that game. ;)
Thanks for sharing your memories and bringing back some of my own.
When I was little (very little) I had a hairline fracture in my hip, the doc's fixed it and I was in a caliper (not fun) for a good deal of my younger years, when I got out of the device (I swear it was a torture device from the middle ages), I wasn't allowed to play sports, my mother would go spare, I hated it, I wanted to, but wasn't allowed.
I loved kick the can -- all the kids in the neighborhood would meet after supper and we would play till it was black dark. Capture the flag was another favorite for the twilight. Great memories!
Wow, you definitely had a lot of fun playing games.
How about Red Light, Green Light? Mother May I? We also played a game, I can't remember what it was called, but it was similar to Hide & Seek, but the people that would "hide" would have to try to make it back to "base" before being tagged. "Base" base usually a street light, and we'd play that game until it was too dark to see anyone.
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