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My Childhood


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I think this might come in handy when we are having an argument (in your teenage years) and you probably can't think of myself as ever been just a kid. When I think about my childhood it always makes me smile, I had an awesome one. Back in the day we didn't have smartphones and my mom didn't even wanted us to grow up watching TV so we didn't have cable until I was in like 7th grade. This was probably the smartest decision ever because that made me use my imagination and it has made me a creative and resourceful person. There were also no video games in the picture until I was about 12 years old; I had a Super Nintendo, so we were either playing with our dollhouse (my uncle Beto built each Balcazar family with girls a dollhouse), acting up a play or playing outside, keep in mind I grew up in Mexico where you can always go and play outside. 
I remember putting on a bathing suit and going outside to dance in the rain (rain in Mexico is usually pretty warm so you don´t get sick) and then been wrapped-up in a towel with warm hug from mom.
I remember going swimming, collecting seashells and building sand castles in our beach house, jumping from the biggest tree trunk in the park and thinking I was so daring for doing so. 
We loved playing dress-up; me and my sister; I liked to be Wonder Woman and she liked Snow White, and we both liked to be queens so we took turns been royals, I can't tell you how many coronation ceremonies my mom had to witness every weekend. 
We had a lot of pajama parties, always a guest in our house, kids coming and going.  
We had a ton of toys (I played with My Little Pony, Carebears, Barbies, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, etc.) but we used our imagination too; to build tents out of sheets and couches in our grandparents house, to write plays and then act them out, to draw and to color, even the walls in our house (mom wasn't a fan of our murals). 
We ran outside and played hide and seek and other fun Mexican games that I will teach you one day. 
My mom read to us every night before we went to sleep and I loved her stories, the usual fairy tales, Greek myths, Oscar Wilde´s children stories and whatever she could find that will make our heads travel.
We used to go to this movie theater that was so big and long that whenever it was intermission (they used to pause the movie so people could go to the bathroom or buy more candy or popcorn) kids would go running to the screen (there was a big aisle that finished in a hill) and back and we ran and ran until we got tired. 
Our grandparents spoiled us; let us eat what we wanted; ice cream before dinner, hotcakes for breakfast, spaghetti and meatballs after watching "Lady and the Tramp", my grandfather made chocolate appear like it was magic, my grandma was my confidant and the smartest woman I knew.
We traveled, every summer we had a trip, usually with the whole family, it was crazy and awesome too,  I wish I could get into that minivan again and take a last trip anywhere as long as we are together.
My childhood was exploring, running, laughing, loving, eating, dancing and playing. I wish nothing less for you.

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