Throwback Thursday: Becky, Age 2 and Age 3

Becky, age 2 (August 1973)

Becky, age 3 (August 1974)

During this time in my life, I lived in St. Joseph, Missouri with both my parents, my brothers and sisters from Mom's first marriage, and our "outdoor" dog:

Glen Burton (age 46, 47)

Beverly Burton (35, 36) 

Jay Kerner (15, 16)

Kitty Kerner (13, 14)

Pat Kerner (12, 13)

Jenny Kerner (10, 11), 

Becky Burton (2, 3)

Tiger (1, 2) 

I named Tiger after the dog on The Brady Bunch, a show I could relate to with its blended family. My sister Glenda (18, 19), my dad's daughter from his first marriage, was in college at MU by this time, and before that she lived with her mother, Shirley. I only got to see her on holidays, so it was always special whenever she was around.

These are a few of my favorite things to do when I was 2 or 3:

--watch TV with my family ("Mary Tyler Moore", "The Partridge Family", "All In the Family", and "The Waltons")

--watch TV by myself ("Sesame Street", "The Electric Company", and reruns of "The Mickey Mouse Club")

--play with my Little People School House

--eat peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches on white bread and Campbell's Vegetable Soup for lunch while my siblings were at school and my dad was at work

--help my mom fold the laundry and load the dishwasher

--have someone read to me from my favorite book I Can't Said the Ant by Polly Cameron

--attend three different story times at three different public libraries each week

--play with my best friend Kristin

--have tea parties with my mom

--have my brothers and sisters teach me, anything, everything

--lie under the attic fan in our hallway and drift off into a glorious nap under the constant whirring noise

--eat dinner with my whole big family at the table and listening to everyone talk

--watch my dad pop popcorn on the stove

--roast marshmallows with my big brothers and sisters in the fireplace in our family room

--explore our back yard with its grape vines, tomato plants, and apple trees

--visit with our next door neighbor, Barbara LaBass, who would give me fresh mint leaves to suck on from her garden and let me give her dogs buggy rides

--color and draw pictures of all the stories inside my head