My beautiful boy in his Nutcracker bunny suit at age three.
I’ll never forget being in a community production of Nutcracker with my son. He was the infamous bunny (it’s a Balanchine thing.) I had two roles: party guest and rodent.
I would take my son to my ballet class and he would play with another three-year-old named Katherine Bottoms. Her father is actor Joseph Bottoms and her mother was an amazing dancer who had danced with New York City Ballet.
While we moms took class, the children played together.
One day, I spotted my son lying on the floor in the dance studio. Katherine had tackled him and was on top of him.
“Promise that you’ll marry me!” she told him. It sounded more like a threat! Finally, he agreed and she got off his chest. I’m not sure if she kissed him. Of course, he ended up marrying another Catherine, who goes by Buff.
I remember having a young love. I was also three. My neighbor Victor was four and my brother was five. (Photo is me with my brother.)
One day the doorbell rang. My mom answered and Victor was standing on the steps.
“I’m sorry, Victor, Bobby is at school,” My mom explained. My brother had started kindergarten that week.
“I’m here to ask if Elizabeth can come out to play.”
“Oh!” my mom answered surprised. I do remember this happening, but I also remember my mom’s retelling it to the neighborhood coffee klatch with lots of laughter.
Victor and I played together most days. Victor ended up moving. When I was in the third or fourth grade, he came back for a visit. We were at an event with music and dancing. Maybe it was a wedding or a church social?
Without a word, he immediately grabbed my hands and twirled me around the dance floor until it was time to leave.
What memories do you have of young love or early friendships?
These are both such precious stories, E.A., and the pictures!! 🥰 My best friend in kindergarten was a boy named Danny Gelfi. I don’t remember any G-rated romance, but I remember always wanting to sit next to him and spending recess counting lady bugs on a huge bush.
Thank you 😊 That’s a sweet story about Danny Gelfi and ladybugs!
It’s funny, I don’t think I’ve thought of that kid since he left after 1st grade, but gosh that memory rushed backed quickly! So fun!! 😊
It is fun! I don’t know what brought on my memories of my son and Katherine or my next door neighbor. But I enjoyed thinking and writing about them.
Stories like this are so sweet. I wonder if kids are still this naive today? I have this feeling that they know way more now than any one of us did when we were that age. My best friend for years was the neighbor boy Pat. We played together all the time and he always seemed to end up in the same classroom as me at school. He moved at the end of our 6th grade year. I still wonder sometimes whatever became of him.
I hadn’t thought about it, but you’re probably correct that kids today aren’t as naive as we were, or even my son was who is now 31. Your friendship with your neighbor sounds so sweet. It’s too bad he moved away. Also when friends moved back then, we said goodbye and that was it. I didn’t know where Victor moved to. There wasn’t a way to stay in touch like there is now.
Are all stories of young love so similar? You memories activate my memories and I remember mooning over a boy in 5th grade, all the girls had a crush on the same guy. I’m not sure he even knew or cared. I wonder what Richard Chargin is doing now? With four kids of my own, someone was always in love and someone was always broken hearted. Such a sweet post. Hugs, C
Maybe Richard Chargin is unemployed, heavy, or divorced. Wouldn’t you like to know? Facebook can help you with that quest. These memories of first love are fun to remember. 💕
Ohhh…so sweet. I remember…even though we moved a lot, there was always a sweet boy …or two…who were wonderful distractions. Hmm…Michael, Evan, Rick, Scott, Greg, Andy…
I love this post…thanks for sharing! 🥰
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Boys were so sweet at that age. My son thought my name was Sweetheart when he was three. My heart melted every time he called me that. Victor was a great pal. We’d play with his Lincoln Logs and he’d play Barbies with me.
Ohhhh! Lincoln logs! I loved those! 🥰
My brother had a set, too, so I got to play with them all the time.
🥰❤️🥰
😊
Oh, such wonderful photos and sweet stories. I love it, Elizabeth. It makes me think of the kid up the street that whenever I’d see him, he was always smiling. I was thinking he was just an exceptionally smiley kid until I heard his older brother tease him about his crush on Miss O. Oh, that explains it! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words. Oh how adorable! A neighbor who smiles because of Miss O. Enjoy that for now! It might get trickier later on.
A sweet story. Your true love returned for one last dance! Cute bunny costume, very fluffy.
Thank you. It was so funny that we never spoke a word but danced around the room. Our parents thought it was so cute.
What a sweet story of young love. ❤️
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
💕💕💕
😊
Early friendship, not so much. Later I’m life friendship…. volumes
I had more friends later like in high school and college, plus when my kids were in school. Now it’s quieter. My closest friends live in other states.
I had a crush on Dale in 3rd through 6th grade. I “showed my love” by beating him in the 3rd grade spelling bee. And in 6th grade, I wrote a story about him being a werewolf, which really made him mad!! 🤣 He was so cute.
You gave me a good laugh! That’s so funny how you treated your crush.
Lovely to remember playful and innocent childhood memories Thank you for the post <3 <3 <3
Thank you for reading and your kind comment. 😊
Welcome 🙂
All I know is I got my parents got called into the school when I was in Kindergarten because I kept chasing a boy in the school yard and kissing him.
Haha! That’s adorable.
Sweet story and wonderful photos, Elizabeth. Your son is adorable in that bunny photo. I remember a boy I used to play with when I was five years old. He lived on the block, but I don’t recall his name. 🙂 I also had a crush on Brian Darling in 6th grade, but like Cheryl said, every girl had a crush on him. Fun to rewind the clock. 💞
I don’t know why these memories popped up, but it was fun reliving them. I love the bunny photo as does my DIL! There was always one guy that all the girls had a crush on.
Nice memories.
Thank you!