Since Sheri is 2 years-old, she stays at the hotel with a babysitter. She gets to skate next year, when she can skate as fast as me. I like our dressing room at this place (Civic Center in Philadelphia) it is bigger than the one we were in last week. I have room to play doll's under the table. I'm almost dressed so I stop to have a snack. I still need to find my other white glove. Everyone is talking and laughing. I love being here instead of stuck in the hotel room with Sheri crying all night since she misses my mom.
There is a man in our dressing room tonight from the newspaper. Dad is telling him the story of how we started skating in the Ice Follies. It is the same story he tells over and over again. Three years ago, no one in my family could skate. My dad sold land in Provo. Before that he sold hamburgers in a Little King franchise business and before that he ran a Boys Ranch. My sister, Marilee, wanted some skates for Christmas. So, my dad bought her some. Since my mom drove us all with her to lessons, we all started lessons. Except my dad. And then one day after the show had come to the Salt Palace he called them up and told them he had three little blond ice skaters. They called my dad back. Marilee, Lara and Monet also had been singing with Our Gang singers and learned how to sing three part harmony. My dad had started skating too and so my whole family - except Sheri - joined the show.
I turned four-years-old in Bangor, Maine, and had my party at a restaurant where they brought out a huge chocolate cake with sparklers on it - I had never seen such a cool cake in my whole four years of life! lol Since I am all ready, I ask the man that is writing things down if he wants to go downstairs and watch Cookie Monster from backstage with me. I love Cookie Monster and he sometimes gives me rides on the ice behind the curtain before he goes out to skate. I have to keep sniffing since my nose keeps running (I am pretty sure I had allergies even back then!) and finally use my dress so it doesn't run down my face. I remember just waking up from the nap dad make me take even though I wasn't sleepy. So I am kind of hungry. Since I love cookies (still do) I get one from the bag that Adam said are his, but they are for everyone, mom says. I almost take a bite but then I remember that I should share because the man might be hungry too. He doesn't want one so I eat it all.
I ask the man if he wants to see my autograph since I just learned how to sign my name and he says yes. While the man is listening to my mom and Marilee talk about the time mom fell down, I see the book mom was going to read me before my nap. It is my read-along version of Bambi and I always cry when Bambi's mom doesn't make it out of the clearing. I tell my mom that she forgot to read it to me and she says, "Later, honey..." She says that and then forgets. Lara will read it with me though. I can almost read by myself from listening to my tape recorder and turning the page when the chime rings like this...
I can count to 10 all by myself though and the man asks me how high I can count. So I ask him too. I'm still hungry so I grab another cookie, but he still doesn't want any. Adam's nose is still bleeding and he is standing over the sink so that all the blood can run out. If it all runs out he will be dead, I think to myself. Marilee hears the music before ours playing and my dad says "It's Showtime". My dad is wearing his one-piece garments so he hurries to put on his costume. My tights are twisted and falling down so I try to fix them by pulling them down and readjusting them. Mom has time to tape my curls to the side of my face so they don't fly back when I skate and we all hurry downstairs to do our number.
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This story from my childhood is easy to be descriptive about what I remember because luckily, there happened to be a reporter there as well. You can read Pete's version of the story here, however my version includes how I felt. :)
