Never Grow Up
Sophie Gibbons
It was finally Saturday after a very long week of school, watching tv, playing, eating snacks, and you know…the basics for an average seven year old girl. My dad finally put me and my sisters into the car and we drove to my Nanny and Poppy’s house. We jump out of the car, leap over the small puddle, and race to the doorbell. We all hid behind my dad’s back pretending we couldn’t come. “The girls couldn’t make it today, sorry,” my dad says to Nanny as we giggle from behind. We jump out and laugh while my Nanny pretends to be surprised. We give Nanny a hug and kick off our shoes and throw our jackets on the sofa. We skip into the living room and there is Poppy, watching tennis, in the same Holy Cross baseball cap, in his huge, comfy chair. I go sit on his lap and we all wave goodbye to my dad.
Poppy and I had this game, as we would watch Serena Williams dominate her opponent he would ask me funny questions. He would ask something like what sport is this or what color is the ball. If I got the question right he would ask another question and nothing would happen. If I got it wrong, he would tickle me until Nanny told him to stop. Now that I look back I realize how fun and silly this game was to play. After I caught my breath, Nanny called us for dinner.
First, we had to bring Poppy his buttered biscuits, then his orange soda with no ice, then hot dogs and baked beans. He always said I could be a waitress, I giggled and hoped one day I would become one, I always had a blast playing kitchen with Nanny. We would make rice crispy treats, cookies, lemon cakes, but the best thing we would make for dessert was jello. Nanny had this warm touch that I adored, she made all the time in the world for me, my sisters, her seven children, my 24 cousins, and going to church. The list could go on forever. She made me feel so special. She made strawberry jello with her in the kitchen special. We would boil the hot water in her old kettle, once it started singing, we added the jello packet and the boiling water into a bowl. I mixed and mixed and mixed until Nanny added the cold water. We put the warm, strawberry mixture into the fridge and then joined Poppy in the living room. We cuddled up to watch the new Cinderella action movie while eating sundaes and popcorn, me and Poppy’s favorite. After that we went to bed. Me and my sisters in the spare bedroom that never failed to give me a good rest, and Nanny and Poppy in their room.
9:00 a.m. rolled around and I woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon and the smell of buttery pancakes, runny eggs, and hot chocolate. My favorite breakfast. Nanny already made her way to early morning church and Poppy is already on his third cup of coffee. He always would let me drink the last couple sips that were filled with sugar, very tasty. We watched some more tennis while we finished up our breakfast.
We all put on our Uggs and coats and went outside on a walk. The air was crisp, the leaves crunchy, and the grass was chilled. Poppy sat on the bench reading his book, while me, my sisters, and Nanny walked around the neighborhood skipping and doing cartwheels. We sang and raced until our hearts were content. Looking back, a walk around the neighborhood doesn’t seem so fun, but Nanny made it the best; it’s hard to explain, but Nanny made us feel like we were the only kids on earth. I loved it, I loved her, I loved it here.
When we all came back into the house Nanny made more hot chocolate to warm us up. After we finished, Nanny and I headed to the bathroom so I could play with her makeup. Poppy was in the main bathroom shaving, he took a glob of fluffy white shaving cream and dabbed it on my nose, then my forehead, then my cheeks, and next thing I knew it was smeared across my face. I giggled and skipped away, to the other bathroom where Nanny was.
She took a warm wash cloth across my face and put some white cream on my face so it wouldn't get dry. Nanny took out her makeup and I gave her some nice bright pink blush and lips. She acted like she liked it, I am not so sure it was very pretty but it made me happy. She put the lipstick on her finger and dabbed it on my tiny lips. She told me, “With makeup, sometimes less is more.” She then took a soft fluffy brush and dipped it in the rosy blush, she smoothed it on my cheeks and I felt so beautiful. She took her hairbrush from one of her drawers and brushed my soft, wavy curls. She took a pink ribbon and tied it around my two pigtails.
As we joined everyone in the living room it was time for lunch, Nanny made us a plate of sandwiches and chips. Mine was turkey and mustard, my little sister’s was salami and cheese, and my older sister's, Nanny and Poppy’s were tuna. I’m not a big fan of tuna. Smells too fishy.
Nanny and I played tic tac toe in the kitchen while eating our jello we made. She always let me win and we laughed every time I won because she said she could never beat me. She poured me and my little sister a bowl of Cheeto puffs as we watched Cinderella in the bedroom. I loved sleeping over Nanny and Poppy’s house, we always just watched movies and our stomachs were always full. The only bad part about it was getting picked up. My mom and dad knocked on the door and me and my sister ran into the bedrooms to hide while the adults talked. My mom comes into the bedrooms trying to find us and tickle us to death when she finds us. Everyone sits on the big couch and visits.
The time comes that we have to put on our coats and Uggs and get going. I give Poppy a big hug and head to the door. I give Nanny a big hug and yell, “Love you, we will see you later!” We walked out the door and Nanny walked to the window and rolled it up. We waved and said goodbye again.
I wish those days were still here, you don’t know how special a memory is until you can never do it again. I miss Nanny and Poppy every single day, I miss how special they made everything, I miss how they made me so happy. But I am happy I still have the memories of sleeping over their house and the family parties they threw, and just about everything. Sometimes, I wish I never grew up. Everything was better when I was little, everyone was still here, and everything was just simply better.
Sophie Gibbons
It was finally Saturday after a very long week of school, watching tv, playing, eating snacks, and you know…the basics for an average seven year old girl. My dad finally put me and my sisters into the car and we drove to my Nanny and Poppy’s house. We jump out of the car, leap over the small puddle, and race to the doorbell. We all hid behind my dad’s back pretending we couldn’t come. “The girls couldn’t make it today, sorry,” my dad says to Nanny as we giggle from behind. We jump out and laugh while my Nanny pretends to be surprised. We give Nanny a hug and kick off our shoes and throw our jackets on the sofa. We skip into the living room and there is Poppy, watching tennis, in the same Holy Cross baseball cap, in his huge, comfy chair. I go sit on his lap and we all wave goodbye to my dad.
Poppy and I had this game, as we would watch Serena Williams dominate her opponent he would ask me funny questions. He would ask something like what sport is this or what color is the ball. If I got the question right he would ask another question and nothing would happen. If I got it wrong, he would tickle me until Nanny told him to stop. Now that I look back I realize how fun and silly this game was to play. After I caught my breath, Nanny called us for dinner.
First, we had to bring Poppy his buttered biscuits, then his orange soda with no ice, then hot dogs and baked beans. He always said I could be a waitress, I giggled and hoped one day I would become one, I always had a blast playing kitchen with Nanny. We would make rice crispy treats, cookies, lemon cakes, but the best thing we would make for dessert was jello. Nanny had this warm touch that I adored, she made all the time in the world for me, my sisters, her seven children, my 24 cousins, and going to church. The list could go on forever. She made me feel so special. She made strawberry jello with her in the kitchen special. We would boil the hot water in her old kettle, once it started singing, we added the jello packet and the boiling water into a bowl. I mixed and mixed and mixed until Nanny added the cold water. We put the warm, strawberry mixture into the fridge and then joined Poppy in the living room. We cuddled up to watch the new Cinderella action movie while eating sundaes and popcorn, me and Poppy’s favorite. After that we went to bed. Me and my sisters in the spare bedroom that never failed to give me a good rest, and Nanny and Poppy in their room.
9:00 a.m. rolled around and I woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon and the smell of buttery pancakes, runny eggs, and hot chocolate. My favorite breakfast. Nanny already made her way to early morning church and Poppy is already on his third cup of coffee. He always would let me drink the last couple sips that were filled with sugar, very tasty. We watched some more tennis while we finished up our breakfast.
We all put on our Uggs and coats and went outside on a walk. The air was crisp, the leaves crunchy, and the grass was chilled. Poppy sat on the bench reading his book, while me, my sisters, and Nanny walked around the neighborhood skipping and doing cartwheels. We sang and raced until our hearts were content. Looking back, a walk around the neighborhood doesn’t seem so fun, but Nanny made it the best; it’s hard to explain, but Nanny made us feel like we were the only kids on earth. I loved it, I loved her, I loved it here.
When we all came back into the house Nanny made more hot chocolate to warm us up. After we finished, Nanny and I headed to the bathroom so I could play with her makeup. Poppy was in the main bathroom shaving, he took a glob of fluffy white shaving cream and dabbed it on my nose, then my forehead, then my cheeks, and next thing I knew it was smeared across my face. I giggled and skipped away, to the other bathroom where Nanny was.
She took a warm wash cloth across my face and put some white cream on my face so it wouldn't get dry. Nanny took out her makeup and I gave her some nice bright pink blush and lips. She acted like she liked it, I am not so sure it was very pretty but it made me happy. She put the lipstick on her finger and dabbed it on my tiny lips. She told me, “With makeup, sometimes less is more.” She then took a soft fluffy brush and dipped it in the rosy blush, she smoothed it on my cheeks and I felt so beautiful. She took her hairbrush from one of her drawers and brushed my soft, wavy curls. She took a pink ribbon and tied it around my two pigtails.
As we joined everyone in the living room it was time for lunch, Nanny made us a plate of sandwiches and chips. Mine was turkey and mustard, my little sister’s was salami and cheese, and my older sister's, Nanny and Poppy’s were tuna. I’m not a big fan of tuna. Smells too fishy.
Nanny and I played tic tac toe in the kitchen while eating our jello we made. She always let me win and we laughed every time I won because she said she could never beat me. She poured me and my little sister a bowl of Cheeto puffs as we watched Cinderella in the bedroom. I loved sleeping over Nanny and Poppy’s house, we always just watched movies and our stomachs were always full. The only bad part about it was getting picked up. My mom and dad knocked on the door and me and my sister ran into the bedrooms to hide while the adults talked. My mom comes into the bedrooms trying to find us and tickle us to death when she finds us. Everyone sits on the big couch and visits.
The time comes that we have to put on our coats and Uggs and get going. I give Poppy a big hug and head to the door. I give Nanny a big hug and yell, “Love you, we will see you later!” We walked out the door and Nanny walked to the window and rolled it up. We waved and said goodbye again.
I wish those days were still here, you don’t know how special a memory is until you can never do it again. I miss Nanny and Poppy every single day, I miss how special they made everything, I miss how they made me so happy. But I am happy I still have the memories of sleeping over their house and the family parties they threw, and just about everything. Sometimes, I wish I never grew up. Everything was better when I was little, everyone was still here, and everything was just simply better.