Personal Childhood Web

My father, Barry Riggs: I am his only biological daughter. He has always taught me the importance of communication and perception; the quotes I always use from him are "Communication is everything" and "perception is reality." My husband has heard these statements so many times. He tells me how proud he is of me for graduating college, getting married (in the opposite order), and uprooting from my family and my comfort zone to succeed in a state halfway across the country. He has supported every decision I have made, and when I ask him for advice, he tries to see every angle and help me see it as well. He taught me how to look at things objectively and from all sides and to weigh both sides of the coin. Today, I live closer to him and he looks forward to our weekly conversations and my weekend visits home. I will teach my children the same lessons about communication and perception, as they still influence my daily work ethic of remembering to always consider how a situation looks from the outside.

My father's high school, senior pic (a more recent one is posted on a previous blog)

My mother, Cathy Riggs: I am her baby. I got to do things sooner in my life than my sister was allowed in hers (my sister and I are 8 years a part). I still sit on my momma's lap sometimes because I will always be her baby! She has helped me financially over the last few years, and it took a lot of courage for me to ask for help. She is always been willing to help however necessary! Every night, growing up, mom would tuck me in bed when I was going to bed. We are talking about through high school, she would pass by and hug me goodnight. But I just remember even in middle school, if I went to bed before she did, I always went to her office and asked her to come tuck me in, and she did. As a married woman, my relationship with her has grown tremendously and we are able to talk about things we have never talked about before. Although, some of her approaches I wish not to repeat, (like don't ask, don't tell type things with alcohol, smoking and sex) I value those small times of her tucking me in at night, and our humorous times, like the first time I peeled potatoes. She comes from a farming background and she always has an answer for me about cooking/kitchen things. She also was a Mr. Fix it tomboy, so she is the first person I call when I have any type of maintenance issues around the house or with technology.

My sister, Shannon Ellis: I was the spoiled one. She is eight years older than me, and we are so very different. My parents had to learn real quick that what worked with her may not work with me, and just because she was the quiet, studious type, I was NOT! We have had our share of resentment issues over the years, but Sissy has always been willing to listen to my troubles and offer advice. Especially when I have had issues with my parents, she always had a little insight to share about something I never knew about them. Over the last few years, I have learned so much more about my parents that I had NO CLUE about. I am my parent's child--that's all I can say. My sister is single and she is looking forward to my husband and I having our first child so she can spoil him/her as a fantastic aunt. We are still very different people, but we have a special bond that no matter how much time has gone past, I can always call on her to help in any situation.

me, my mom and sister

Debbie Martin, my babysitter: I went to Debbie's from when I was 6wks old till I was 12. From about 6:30/7ish each morning till 5:15 each evening, and then various days when we were out of school until I was about 15. She had an in-home child care, and she lived around the corner from the house my parents moved from shortly after I was 6wks old. I grew up with the same kids there for years. She instilled a sense of discipline in me. She practiced time out, and she had 2 small carpets for such. One was in front of the sink and the other in front of the back door. I think it took one time sitting on a carpet that I knew I didn't want to be there again. Over the 12 years I was there, I learned some tricks of the trade with having small children in the house. She kept snacks and cereal in the cabinet under the sink and all the cleaning products above. We were only allowed to watch tv in the evenings, and on special days (once I was older), I was allowed to play on the computer, or ride my bike up and down the street while the little kids slept, or play pinball. On even more special days, I got to ride in her husband's, Herb, classic car he kept in the garage. It was so loud! I cannot tell you any more information about it, that's all I remember and know. I learned the importance of daily routines, expectations, and rewards while at Debbie's house. She practically raised me when you add up all that time I spent there. Today, we still keep in touch. She is no longer in child care, as she is older, but she is a grandmother, so that still counts too! Around the holidays, we send each other Christmas cards and write about the updates. I sent her pictures from my wedding, and she keeps me posted on the people I grew up with while in her care. She fostered my desire to work with children, she'd let me help out with those smaller and younger...she really got me started on my life course!

Katherine Peters, my friend: Katherine and I lived 2 houses apart from when I was 6mos old till she moved when we were 12. She was my first best friend. We grew up together. We got the same bikes, we played together in the cul de sac every weekend, we slept over each other's house...we did it all together. We had a huge falling out in the pre-teen year...the pre-puberty time. Middle school drama. Whenever I think about my childhood, I always think of her. She taught me friendship. One time, we played hair cuttery. I cut hers first, made her bob lobsided. Then, she took a HUGE chunk from the back part of my head off, and tried to cover it up with the other hair. Her mom was so mad at me for cutting hers, and my mother was so mad at them for being mad at me when she had taken such a chunk off mine...it was a lot harder to fix than getting a trim professionally done on the other side. We reconnected during college, and it's nice to know we had such an important relationship back then, that we are still connected today. We keep up through facebook and laugh about all our funny childhood stories. She is the reason I value my close friendships so much, I guess. The good ones are scarse, so when you find one, keep it.