My First Christmas Stocking (wow, it should have had a hairbrush inside it!)
Life is full of "first times"...that first slow dance, that first kiss, that first ice cream cone, that first time you see the Eiffel Tower in real life, that first bruise, that first broken heart.....so many first times. What is so important about these first moments? Is it the newness? the unexpected? the not knowing what the experience will be like?
One of my favorite songs by Of Montreal is "Let's Do Everything for the First Time Forever"
Will you kiss me again so I can pretend we're kissing for the first time. Because when we kissed for the first time I was distracted. I couldn't believe it was true that I was truly really finally kissing you. Will you hug me again so I can pretend we're embracing for the first time. Cause when you held me for the first time I lost my senses. I couldn't believe it was real. Inside I was laughing and dancing like peppermint eels
May we dance again so I can pretend we're dancing for the first time. Because when we danced for the first time I was so nervous. I could hardly stay on my feet. My felicity must not have been very discreet. Will you give me your hand so I can pretend I'm holding it for the first time? Let's do everything for the first time forever. And if forever you are my friend I'll never ever feel unhappy again
I love that idea of doing everything for the first time....forever!
Last night I went home to play baseball with the nieces and nephews and eat dinner. When April and I walked into the door we saw old boxes my mom was trying to go through. We sat down to help her and found all these old photos that I haven't seen in a long time. Some of them not preserved so well, but all of them full of memories. April and I kept saying, "Wow this was the first time I did this.....and this...." and there is magic in that first time!
What first times do you still have to look forward to in your life? What were some of your most memorable "firsts"?
First times make life exciting!!
My first swing. This was replaced the next year with a huge tire swing that would define a childhood. My mom said I wore that hat around for about 3 months straight.
My first mudbath (thought you can't tell by the shadow, but Audra looks worse). We had just gotten home from church, in our Sunday dresses and I decided I wanted to play in the mud. Audra ran in after me, and we both slipped and slided all over the place. My parents never yelled at us, never told us not to get our dresses dirty, they just laughed and whipped out the old camera.
My first time helping to plant the huge garden that would feed us all summer and fall. I basically just followed every move Audra (five years older than me) made. I've helped plant this same, huge garden every year that I have been in the same country.
The first big family reunion on the Davis side (yep, my mom grew up with the name Betty Davis) with a professional photographer. I just remembered that I got to spend days and days in the water, one of my favorite places!) We laughed so hard last night at my dad's tennis shoes and wool socks and swim trunks...he's always had, eh, um, problem, shall we say, putting clothes together.
The very first camping trip with my entire family, meaning the caboose, Brooke was all of two weeks old in this photo (Audra is holding her, my mom is taking the photo..and yes, that is me, always posing with a mullet/perm I'd like to forget about.) We'd also get our yearly supply of firewood to keep us warm for the winter.
The first time my mom saved up enough money to buy all her kids (one to be born later) brand new clothes for very official and professional photos (both things a rarity of my childhood.) I remember not being impressed with the man taking these photos, he kept using all these manipulation tactics to get us to smile. He annoyed me and scared my kid brother to death, David burst into tears right after this.
My first time rowing a boat. I am at the head, my sister, Audra in the rowing position in this photo, but she actually turned it over to me during part of the outing!
Dressing up for my first Opera in the first dress I ever sewed for myself (in the fashion of Jane Austen, who I was obsessed with at this time).
35 comments:
These photos are so fun! You were a cute little kid.
I just got back from my first trip to Barcelona (landing there and driving right out doesn't count!) and I LOVED it. That is the only first I can think of, and now I'm going to take a nap.
Love the notion of doing everything with a fresh perspective and first-timer attitude. I think the best part is not realizing you may be experiencing something for the first time until you are pleasantly surprised or shocked by it. It makes life exciting that something new and amazing could happen that is right around the corner!
I have an obvious "first" coming up in a few weeks that I am both anxious and excited about. But I think one of the things both Dave and I are MOST looking forward to in having kids is experiencing their firsts with them, while remembering our own. How fun to be able to relive things (albeit in a completely new way) again!
While I was thinking back on firsts, I kept remembering my kids' firsts. This week, The Boy has finally learned to properly pronounce his Rs, so now he's repeating words like car and park, etc. My Banana Girl was thrilled about her first bowling experience a couple of days ago. My Prodigal Daughter has her first car. My City Girl is starting culinary school. All incredible, exciting firsts for my children, but strangely, firsts for me, too. I mean, I know how to pronounce my Rs, bowl, drive, and cook... but to have a child experience it... it's hard to explain... I'm not living through them, so much as I am living just watching them.
I love that you sewed your own Jane Austen dress. That's so D'Arcy... at least I imagine it is... :)
Such sweet pictures! I love them. You chasing after your sister all the time reminds me of ME, chasing my brother, (five years older, mind you), everywhere. I just adored him. Actually, I still do!
I love firsts. First kiss, of course. First love. First real home of my own. There are so many. And there will be many more to come!
Such sweet pictures! I love them. You chasing after your sister all the time reminds me of ME, chasing my brother, (five years older, mind you), everywhere. I just adored him. Actually, I still do!
I love firsts. First kiss, of course. First love. First real home of my own. There are so many. And there will be many more to come!
(sorry...hit the publish button twice by accident...)
YOur idea of forever firsts reminds me of that movie 50 First Dates, with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. She lost her short term memory and woke up every morning to a new life. I love the ending of that movie.
And it is true, I barely remember my own firsts anymore. I am so much more focused on my kids firsts than mine. I think it's a period of life. I really can't wait until the first day without diapers.
I like your idea of reliving your firsts...it suits my short-term memory perfectly!
Wow, that was so fun seeing all those pictures! D'Arce, I am completely addicted to your blog. How did you do that? It's almost like magic...
Kia ora D'Arcy,
I love that photo of your dad, he looks like a fair dinkum Kiwi bloke. Looks just like an outfit I might put together on a Saturday which would make Tara cringe. Tara would say I am clothes challenged as well.
Old photos are so amazing. My mom sent me over 3 albums of photos from my childhood and they still make me laugh and cry and I haul them out often. So many of those people now gone, my dad, my brother, grandparents, my beautiful great aunts and uncles. The memories still are there.
I hope even as we get older we still get to experience many new firsts, as you write even the old ones again. Just a bit ago I was home thinking about Tara and she walked in the door and my heart skipped a beat. Kia ora D'Arcy, have a lovely day!
Rangimarie,
Robb
Chelle--I am so glad that you finally got to spend some time in the big B! When you got off of the airport did you have a random guy from Ireland talk your ear off like we did last time? Ah, the memories!
Guess what other first we get in just a few weeks! Buenos Aries!!!
I seriously was singing songs from Evita all day driving through the canyon. Yeehawww!!
Stina, I can't imagine anything feeling better that seeing the world through your child's eyes and all their new firsts. I am sure the first time Theo says, "Momma" will be a moment that will never be duplicated or forgotten.
I can't believe you are going to make it to book club! Seriously, we should have chosen something so light and beautiful for your first month of mommyhood. I think i suggested "In Cold Blood"....I am really sorry about that.
I think P.G. Wodehouse is in order for November's meeting!!
Sugar I am so happy that the Boy can pronounce his R's...but a little sad too, because I just think it is so adowable when they can't say it!
(One of my nieces favorite books that I read to her right now is "Hooway for Woodney Wat"...about a shy little rat who can't say his Rs.
Yeah, Jane Austen is totally me, still is, although I tend NOT to dress like her anymore ( I am much too hip for that now! ) But there was a point when my roommate and I would memorize whole scenes between sisters (she Elinor, me Marianne, she Jane, me Elizabeth) and act them out. We really got a kick out of it all!
Rowena--I did love that movie, except for that weird man/woman who worked with Adam Sandler's character...but the chemistry between those two was amazing, and the ending....perfect!
I bet G had a first eating his Dino food the other day...so clever!
Jenn...I am magic...and I believe in posting subliminal messages on here....my first goal....get every one addicted....my second goal....get everyone to agree with me (ahem...you are making that goal difficult by the way)...my third goal.....take over the world...or maybe just the Sunday school! (ha, inside joke, ok!?! Not funny?)
Robb!
I love that Tara makes your skip a beat...that's incredibly romantic.
Good thing she is there to help you dress in the mornings!
makes your HEART skip a beat...is what I meant...obviously.
Um, just love that song, thanks for posting it, I've been meaning to get it from you! That will be my first for tonight - first time I heard this song - on the Denver trip! Hope the rest of your night tonight was, well, not horrible. Thanks, you! :)
D'Arcy - these photos are TOO cute! The mud bath is my favorite! (For obvious reasons.... since you read my posting from last night...) :-)
What a precious little girl you were!
I love firsts too.... and I'm GREATLY enjoying experiencing life through all the firsts my children are experiencing. It's so much fun to "come along for the ride" with them!
Robb - your comment made me laugh about being "fashion challenged"... my husband suffers from this malady too. There have been many times he's come down the stairs and I'll just quietly shake my head (or if it's REALLY bad I'll see "Can you please try again?") LOL. :-)
Doing everything for the first time forever? What a truly beautiful thought. Thank you, and have a great weekend.
Who's the cutest little girl? D'Arcy is.
Those pictures and your concept are truly great.
I'd love to go to church this Sunday but I have a meeting at 10:00. Darn! The museum is open late on Wednesdays, otherwise it closes at 5, at which time I am usually still at work. How does this Wednesday sound?
D'Arcy - love that photo of you on the swing. Doesn't that just say everything about childhood firsts (remember spending a whole summer swinging when Dad rigged up an old plank for us).
i love of montreal and i can't believe i'd never heard that song before! heading over to itunes now...
D'Arcy
If we really think about it every moment is unique and will never occur again.
The philosophy of doing everything for the first time forever is a brilliant ideal, yet how often do we experience that sensation?
My view is that truly enlightened people get close to achieving this ideal. There is an aura about them, a radiance of soul that makes one smile in wonder. You possess that in each of those photos as a young girl.
Each Christmas is a first for me - each one uniqueley beautiful but also framed by a tinge of sadness for Christmas pasts long gone.
Each sunset is new for me, the dance of orange hues mixing into after glows of purple and yellow.
There are so many others, and this post will push me to experience new moments as often as possible.
I love the camping pics, many of my firsts were camping with my older brother and Dad. Catching my first fish!!!!
My Dad was always fashion challenged and I reckon I am as well. I like comfortable camping clothes and relish not worrying about what I look like.
Cool post D'Arcy.
Love the first exercise and the photos that go with it. You seem to have a happy family and many fortunate and fun firsts.
I had to come back and add--because I've been wanting to say this since the first time I saw your blog--what is the story behind that red dress in your sidebar? I LOVE that dress. I come back here sometimes just to see it.
I love these childhood photos. What a beautiful girl you are.
skippy, sounds like I need to make a CD for you. I remember playing a lot of tunes that were quite out of the ordinary from random bands that you just didn't know, so I didn't know if you really liked them or not, but if you did, then there is a CD coming your way.
Why don't you come and hang out with me and we can put one together for you!
HWHL--I think it's more endearing when a man IS fashion challenged, don't you...somehow if they know how to put an outfit together better than I do then I start to worry about what I look like in their presence too much....not that I don't want to look nice.
Michelle! We are ON for Wednesday! Give me a call!
dadoftwo, thanks for stopping by!
Kate--Swings and Wonder Woman...that's what childhood is about!
Gustav: I love the point you made that "every moment is unique and will never occur again." That is a true statement that speaks to the soul.
I'd love to see a photo of you catching one of your first fish. I can only imagine the excitement in your little boy heart.
Life is full of first, but also of familiarity. I think it is the magic of those two combined that really bring wonder into life!
mapelba--it's probably my single favorite dress in teh whole world. I found it on one of the vintage spots i frequent. And were it not made for a 5 foot 2 inch woman with a 20 inch waist, I would have bought it. I will one day, make myself a dress that looks exactly like this and wear it in Paris.
What a great idea for a post. I love your pictures and your dad's getup :) That's a rare mother who will let her kids mudslide in their Sunday clothes -- that probably accounts for your spontaneity.
I am told that I loved doing dishes for the first time. So much so that my mother ran out and bought plastic dishes so I could wash them without breaking them. Apparently by the second time I realized that dish washing was a chore and not an adventure and it became poor Mom's job again.
However, I have to say that in my old age I've decided I almost like doing dishes, and I certainly hate it less than most any other type of cleaning. I can wash dishes while pondering the meaning of the universe. And even if I don't discover the meaning of universe, at least I have a beautiful pile of clean dishes to show for my time :) So in my case, there was some magic in the 5,863rd time.
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