Now that my mom and dad have passed, our childhood home has taken on a direction. That home is only distantly related to me now, but I don't want forget the significance that home holds for me in my memory and life today. Much of my dedication to the concept and experience of home came from the deep experiences of home at that little green house on 6 Rochelle Street, experiences that can be summed up, in part, by one of Nana Pratt's favorite poems, Home, by Edgar Guest.
As I think about my life in my childhood home, these are my most significant memories.
Move in day
I remember the day we moved into 6 Rochelle Street. Mom and Dad were so, so proud of buying this home. They paid cash for the house since they had the chance to save money because they had been living with my dad's parents, Nana and Papa, in the second floor of their three-decker on 209 Pilgrim Ave. Move-in day was ever so exciting. The neighborhood trio, Eddy, Perry, and Randy, greeted us upon arrival and included us in their cowboy game. The neighbors including the Jernberg's, Mrs. Butterfield, The Chapmans, and the Mullins' family were welcoming though Mr. Greenleaf was a bit worried about having a family with young children next door. Mom loved the garden the former owners had created in the back yard. Dad took time to update the house, and Mom and Dad bought some new furniture. It was a joyful time.
Rituals
There were many beloved rituals at 6 Rochelle Street. In the morning, many of us gathered in Mom and Dad's bed to snuggle. I remember loving to watch Dad ready for work and begin his day. Mom often made us hard boiled eggs, dropped eggs, pancakes, French toast and/or friend bananas on toast for breakfast. There was cereal and oatmeal at times too. Mom baked a lot as well so we often had sweet breads like banana bread, blueberry buckle, or a coffee cake too. We always had delicious homemade foods at our house.
During the day we played a lot and/or went to school. We loved to play games with the neighborhood kids all over the little yard. My favorite game was Capture the Flag, but we played baseball, football, kickball, tag and so many more games. We loved to ride our bikes and other wheeled toys down the street with the neighborhood kids too., and inside we often made forts in all corners of the house. My favorite childhood toys were Fisher Price Little People, blocks, and art supplies. We had a ping pong table in our basement, and often had ping pong games and tournaments after dinner. There was a TV down there too, and we had our weekly favorites. My favorite shows included The Flinstones, Greenacres, I Dream of Jeannie, F-Troop, Hogan's Heroes, and I loved the old movies on Sunday afternoons.
My dad came home at the same time every night, and every night Mom made a delicious dinner that typically included meat or fish, a potato, other veggies, bread and butter, salad, and a dessert. Dad sat at the head of the table and essentially held court as he discussed a newsworthy or religious story or theme. One of his favorites was the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible. After dinner, Dad usually took his tea and dessert into the living room to read the paper, while Mom cleaned up. Then Dad would often walk down to the YMCA for a swim leaving Mom to manage a family of rambunctious children.
During the days when Dad was at work, Mom led an easy going home. Sometimes in mid day she would give me a quarter to walk down to the local store to buy her a candy bar. Of course there was extra to buy myself and others candy too since candy bars back then were five cents. Mom also often had coffee parties at the house in those days. During the coffee parties, Mom's friends and their children would gather at our house to enjoy coffee, something sweet, and conversation while the children played.
When we started school, we had to walk home for lunch and then back to school for the afternoon session. Mom would serve us lunch and we had a chance to talk about our day for a few minutes. One day, when Mom had run out of milk, she tried to trick us by filling our lunch time cereal bowls with baby formula--it wasn't long before we guessed that it wasn't milk. We had a lot of laughs.
Babies
When we moved into 6 Rochelle Street there were three of us including Chrissy, Paul, and me. At Rochelle Street, Peter, David, and Michael were born. I LOVED the babies and sometimes wanted to usurp Mom's role and pretend that I was the mother. Our house was always a busy place. Pediatricians, at that time, made house calls, and I remember the doctor visiting and providing the baby check-up on the dining room table. We all gathered around to watch.
At our evening meal, our table was full with six children, a mom, and a dad. We all had our special seats at the table and that's where we sat each night. Mom was tired by the end of the day and couldn't wait to be done with the meal and the clean-up. That's why when we had to leave the table during dinner, we'd declare, "Save my plate," since if Mom thought you were down she would swiftly take the plate from the table to clean up.
There was inevitably a squabble at the end of the meal about who was to clean up. Dad would shout a few commands while most of the children ran from the kitchen. Mom usually completed the clean-up. For better or worse, we had few responsibilities in our home--it was a very free and spirited household.
Holidays and special occasions
Mom and Dad loved holidays and special occasions. We often spent those special times with relatives at our home or their homes. Our traditions included delicious foods, games, lots of talk and laughter, and overall good times. We looked forward to those special times including our birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and holiday cookouts too.
Bedrooms
Our bedrooms were our special places in the house. I shared a bedroom with my sister, and the boys shared a bedroom too. Later on, the oldest boy in the family had his own room while the three younger boys shared a room. Mom made the time to decorate our bedrooms nicely, and in the early days we had regular bedtime routines.
The challenge of school expectations and a busy house
As we moved from a family of young children and babies to a family of young children and teens, our home's tenor changed. At this point, Mom went back to work so she wasn't home during the day to manage the home events. I was also working at this point so I was rarely home during the day too. I believe that mom's work day ended when the younger children's school day ended, and I know that she often spent that time carting kids from one activity to another since my younger brothers all played hockey and were involved in some other sports as well. Mom enjoyed the independence and extra cash that working provided. She worked for many years before I was born as well at the Court House, but the fact that she was busier and home less, meant that some of my siblings found themselves in some challenging after-school activities, the kind of activities that led to some family stress as well. When dad talked about that chaotic time later in life, he said that he was caught by surprise because life had changed a lot, and world presented problems he didn't really know how to deal with.
Some of the simple squabbles at that stage of life included what shows we would watch on our one tv, who got to talk on the phone and for how long, what chores needed to be done and by whom, and who got to use the car. Some of the more challenging conflicts involved alcohol and drug use as well as other risky behaviors. Our placement in the family, our years at home, what was going on in the city and country, and our own personalities created different experiences for each child in our family home--in fact, I'm sure there's much that I don't know about my own siblings' life at our little green house.
Nana
Nana lived across the street. I used to run across the street after dinner and spend several hours with Nana most nights during my young life. I loved the peace and quiet at Nana's house. I loved her attention too. My sister also engaged in this activity. Later in life, for a short time, and when I was in college and post-college, Nana lived at our house for a few years.
The church
Our house was right up the street from the church. The church played a big role in our lives--it was a place for spiritual growth, social gatherings, religious education, and some conflict too.
Indian Hill School
Our childhood elementary school was mostly a joyful place with dedicated teachers and a giant playground. It was a focal point of the neighborhood.
Neighborhood Traditions
There were traditions in the neighborhood that brought people together. The little Brattle Street Market was a gathering place. Halloween was always an exciting neighborhood event including the elementary school parade and trick-or-treating at night. The church hosted the Bayberry Fair which was a fun community event, and of course there were the endless hours of after-school, weekend, and vacation play that all the kids in the neighborhood engaged in.
I'll return to this post to update and add more about my childhood home. Onward.
