Author: sychela

My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary this weekend. Congratulations! In honor of their many many years of wedded bliss, I thought I would write 35 one-sentence family memories/inside jokes. (Unfortunately, I have no memory of the first five, well maybe eight or nine, years of their marriage, so this is going to have to pick up around 1988.)

(I have not planned this out, so this is an experiment to see if I can get to 35. Here goes.)

(Oh, also, this is going to skip around in time a lot. I’m not doing this chronologically or anything.)

1. Playing the Un-Game and my mom doing a cartwheel into a potted plant.
2. Being completely confused the first time my dad shaved off his beard (“Who is that strange guy in the living room?”)
3. Giggling at hearing my brother singing loudly in the shower…and then the flash of realization that that meant everyone could hear ME sing in the shower, too.
4. Going camping at Patrick’s Point and seeing giant elk.
5. Going camping at Gualala and almost getting really lost when we were all on a walk.
6. Having dinner at the Times Square Olive Garden and my mom getting tipsy on red wine.
7. Having the whole family together for a surprise 60th birthday party for my dad.
8. My parents making the drive out to Davis for my very first Picnic Day…and it poured rain the whole time.
9. Having a family debate about something, and my mom insisted, “Is that each, or apiece?” and then for a moment all four of us stumbled over that.
10. During cleaning days, learning very quickly not to say in a whiny voice, “What should I do NOW?”
11. The need to ask my parents every night to check and make sure the toilet seat was down so the cats didn’t fall in. (Cats are probably smarter than that though.)
12. Getting caught writing love letters to my fifth-grade crush.
13. They stocked up on delicious snacks (like bottled frappuccinos! very desirable in high school) for me and my friends who were staying over after prom.
14. Eating sunflower seeds on road trips.
15. The Oktoberfest at church – games and handmade goods and fall colors and peanut brittle.
16. One weekend when Drew and I were staying in Lakeport, we had artichokes, and we ate in the living room. We put the bowl for leaves on the floor in the middle of us and we all just threw leaves at it. After dinner there were leaves everywhere. That’s kinda gross, but it was a fun and relaxing evening.
17. Picking blackberries in the dry creek.
18. Getting paid a penny per rock we picked up out of the garden – counting up those rocks and then marking them on a chart on the fridge.
19. Also the “dishes” chart on the fridge – whose turn is it tonight?
20. Watching Armageddon with my mom and she asked me, “Wait, are you CRYING?” at the end. I think she was making fun of me.
21. Going caroling with people from church.
22. Going to see The Phantom of the Opera in San Francisco for Christmas…just because I loved it so much.
23. At camp, when they were in charge, they would always put me in the “good” girls cabin. (It really was better.)
24. Also at camp, pulling off the “Chez Rubber Soul” mornings: servers, menus, and line order breakfast for all the campers and counselors.
25. Helping my mom teach summer school.
26. Hanging out in my dad’s classroom after school, and playing Lode Runner and Nintendo.
27. Easter morning sunrise services: a lesson in dressing in layers.
28. Building a (short-lived) treehouse in the back yard.
29. Measuring the height of the water on the back step, and keeping an hourly chart, each year when it flooded. I used to get so disappointed when it started receding.
30. Speaking of floods, parking down the street and wading home in rainboots was fun.
31. So was sitting by the wood stove after a bath while my mom brushed my hair. It used to be really long.
32. We had heating vents in our rooms, but we never used them – but sometimes I liked to turn it on, because the smell was so novel. I think it might have been a vaguely gas-stove smell? I liked it. It made me feel cozy.
33. Calling my parents at 2:00 am to tell them they had a grandson. (“Okay, that’s it, see you tomorrow!”)
34. Walking to the farmer’s market down the street from our house.
35. Every time they come visit, they have more photos they took of things B would like: pigeons, dogs, recycling bins, signs, etc. I like that they do that.

I know an anniversary is kind of just between the two people celebrating, but I wanted to point out all the good things that have come out of their 35 years of marriage. I for one am very grateful they got together and are still together.

You guys are good role models and great parents! I love you very much!