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I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Thing 1 and Thing 2

Happy Columbus Day! If you haven't signed up for my blogfest and gift give-away, click on the pumpkin above!

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It was the summer we were eleven and twelve that my cousin JohnJohn and I were christened Thing 1 and Thing 2. It all started because my sister, Erva, and JohnJohn's sister, Frances, kept harassing us.

I'm sure you can easily get the picture. They were older, wiser girls. They knew everything. There wasn't a thing we could do that they couldn't do better. They whispered and giggled behind our backs and we were sure they were whispering and giggling about us. They ordered us around.

There came a point when we decided enough was enough. JohnJohn, being twelve, took the lead. 

One night Erva and Frances were getting all dressed up to go out. Their hair had been in curlers most of the day. Thick ruffled petticoats made of scratchy nylon net were shaken out. Two inch white pumps were checked for scuffs and polished. Modest amounts of make-up was being applied.

It was a big deal.

Step one was getting Erva's attention and luring her into JohnJohn's room. As she opened his door a paper cup full of water fell on her head. Oh, she was furious and near tears. Her hair was ruined! How could we!

We, of course, were laughing with delight, ecstatic that the plan had worked. We also raced out of the house to avoid being smacked on the rear by an irate 15-year-old. We danced around and kicked up our heels in the back yard.

Erva's coif wasn't completely ruined and my Aunt Ninina, after reprimanding me and JohnJohn, made what repairs she could. But her hair was not exactly what she had hoped it would be.

However the night was young. We still had to get back at Frances.

Back then in Puerto Rico there were plenty of huge bullfrogs, as large as my two hands. They were all over the back yard. After the girls left for the party JohnJohn and I gathered up at least a half dozen of the monsters and put them in a paper bag. We put the bag on Frances's bed.

We were sound asleep when screams echoed through the house. Everyone got up. Frances had gotten into bed only to discover a large wet area and, on my god! a frog had somehow gotten under the top sheet and she had touched it with her feet.

Frances hated frogs, particularly those great huge beasts. And these guys had peed their way out of the paper bag and were hopping all around her bedroom. We found them among the shoes, under the bed,  and trying to hide in various other places. The sheets had to be changed and the mattress turned....

And that's when JohnJohn and I won the title of Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thank you very much. It was the beginning of my journey into being The Rotten Kid.

Here we are a few years ago. Thing 1 and Thing 2. The Cat in the Hat remains my favorite Dr. Seuss book.













Where you ever given the name of a character from a book?

17 comments:

  1. I love Dr. Suess! I'm really glad that I didn't live with you -- I'm not too fond of frogs myself!

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  2. Love love love that story. I can only imagine the frogs. Giant monster frogs hopping around the room, peeing to get out of the bag. You two were more than THINGS, you were devils. cute devils, but devils nonetheless.

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  3. I love this story. I mean, YOUR story, not TCITH, which I have cheerfully hated since my younger sister brought it home from school. I was APPALLED by Thing 1 and Thing 2. :)

    I like The Sneetches and Horton Hears a Who. AND of course The Grinch.

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  4. Okay, now the Rotten Kid moniker is really starting to make sense. You guys were baaaad. :) Love the photo.

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  5. What a great story, and a fitting title for two rotten kids. Older siblings can be such a pain ... I know being the youngest in the family.

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  6. Now that's a great story. I don't think I ever had a nickname at all...

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  7. I used to find Dr Seuss really creepy as a kid, but like it much more now, ha! Hmm. I can't think of any 'character' nicknames off the top of my head, but I'm sure there were some!

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  8. Love it, you mischief maker!

    I don't think I was ever given a nickname after a character!
    I also just joined your blogfest. I'll mention it on Twitter with a link to the sign up!

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  9. Love that story and I'm a big fan of Dr. Suess. I'm not sharing the character name, too embarrassing. :)

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  10. Shades of the plagues of Pharaoh!
    Frogs in the house not good.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  11. OMG, you're a hoot! I bet it wouldn't have been as much fun if JohnJohn wasn't in on it with you. Double the trouble, double the fun! Hahaha!

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  12. What a great post! I don't think I was ever given the name of a character from a book, but I have called two of my characters Thing 1 and Thing 2. Love them.

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  13. This was brilliant :-)

    My twin daughters were thing 1 and thing 2 when they were younger :-)

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  14. In retrospect, that really was a good one - and Mom, the ultimate instigator would have approved! You know, of course, that under other circumstances, I would have helped you to collect the frogs.

    Love,
    Erva

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  15. Oh, you were worthy of the title--your pranks are legendary!
    Nope, I never was named after a character. I kept a looooow profile.

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  16. Oh my, the bullfrogs! I would've run screaming from the room too. You are definitely thing 1 and thing 2!

    Character from a book? Well a disney character - Bambi, because my legs are very bendy...

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  17. What a hilarious story! I don't think I've ever been given a character name, but I wouldn't mind being Thing One or Thing Two. : )

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