SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD, Nov. 19,1977

BY Audrey (KentuckyPine)

MY WEIRD WORLD


SEVEN YEARS AGO my life changed considerably.
There I was, in the kitchen, minding my own business,
making Christmas candy, as a matter of fact. Suddenly
there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that was
unmistakable. No. 5 beastie was on her way.

Mickey has never been one to "go along with the
program" There I was in the middle of peanut brittle
and she began fighting her way into the world. She hasn't
stopped since. Which is not entirely her fault, it's not
easy being the youngest of five. You have not only two
parents, but four siblings to yell orders at you.
In the beginning, the other monsters thought she was
"cute" and all those other adjectives attributed to
newborn babies. That was okay as far as it went. But
when it came to feeding, diapering, or just plain looking
after, the four "big" kids didn't want to be around.

POOR ANNETTA. She was the mother figure since I
went to work when Mickey was just two weeks old.
Annetta was seen so frequently with Mickey hanging off
one hip, one of her teachers asked her if she planned to
hip bring the "growth" on her to school.

In all honesty, her brothers and sisters loved Mickey
from the beginning, even if they became annoyed now
and then. It's not easy to love a baby sister when she gets
into your make-up, toys, treasured souvenirs, shampoo,
school papers, and the various items that are of great
value to growing kids.
But, in spite of all her mischief, and the invasions of
privacy, Mickey was and is loved by her family.

I SUPPOSE EVEN MORE now that she is 7. She's
beginning to realize some of the things she's supposed to
be responsible for and although that responsibility has
not grown to its fullest proportion, it is indeed growing.
We all need to be reminded now and then that we were
once Mick's age, and made the same goofs as she did, a
result I suppose of the age difference of eight years
between her and her youngest brother.

But Mickey, my love, my carbon copy, we all love you.
However, if you get into that which doesn't belong to you
one more time, somebody's going to rip your head off. I
don't know who, they're in the kitchen drawing straws!
Happy Birthday'