what was the best story you made up as a kid? i remember telling an elaborate mr. worm story to get my sister to pick the worm up (she was two and thought they were icky).

-- Anonymous, January 07, 2000

Answers

As the eldest of four, I was able to blame my younger sibblings for things, I couldn't have possibly done, for I was too old.

-- Anonymous, January 07, 2000

When my sister was three and I was seven, we were outside playing in the yard and pretending our porch and our walkway was a house. Erin (my sister) got the bright idea that one of the round bushes was a chair, so she sat down on top of it. The branches gave way and she left a huge gaping right in the middle. I told her to tell my dad (who was a fanatic about the yard looking nice) that someone else did it. When my dad came outside and asked what happened to the bush, Erin told him a monster did it. Yeah, of course he believed her. He demanded to know what had happened, and she told him that I was the one who told her to tell the monster story. So I got in trouble for not setting the right example.

Thanks, Erin.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2000

what is it with parents assuming that the eldest children will "set a good example?" that is SO MUCH pressure! sure, it'd be nice if all older children encouraged the young 'uns to be good, holy kids, but what fun is that? i was given so many guilt trips just b/c i was born first, of which i had no control. arg.

i remembered my little sister (A.D., who is now 21) covered herself in motor oil and ran around outside until mom caught her. she claimed that she thought it was the same as tanning oil, but we both knew she just thought it felt good on her body, which is why she did it. this is the sister that would run away from mom in the store and take off all her clothes and hide in the racks... we had to play "find the clothes" so many times... ;)

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2000

I loved lying as a kid. I think I was about 4 or 5 when I invented the story of the Beebinoosus Snake- a rainbow colored creature whose bite would shrink its victims. To prove this, I would "run" into the kitchen on my knees and scream that I had just been bitten.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2000

My dad was always strict about time. "When you say you'll be home by 5:00, that means you're *in the door* by 5:00!" So one rainy day, my brother and I were late for dinner because we fiddled around at the park down the street for too long, and when we walked in the door we were greeted with an angry "Where have you been?" or some such thing. Before my older, wiser brother could speak up with something a bit more convincing, I launched into this wild tale about jumping in the puddles on the way home... and there was a giant crab in one of them!!! And it grabbed my foot and wouldn't let go until we were late for dinner!

My brother just covered his eyes and did the I-can't-believe-I'm- related-to-you head shake.

Mom and Dad laughed so hard they forgot to be mad. So, you know, mission accomplished, I guess.

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2000