Ollie Hopnoodle's Got NOTHING on Us!!

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(This one is long, but I think it might be worth the read - - -)

Friday's Favorite Family Foto

This fun Friday Meme is sponsored by
Deborah over at Pictures, Pots, Pens.

This was OUR Ollie Hopnoodle vacation. Lest you are CLUELESS about Ollie Hopnoodle, just watch this:

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Well, that was us, minus the smoking and lawn ornaments, when we took our last "all together" family vacation before our chicks began to fledge. There is a better scene about "peanut butter and jelly sandwiches" that I really wanted to show you - - - but alas and alack, I couldn't find it on You Tube.

Keri (top photo) had just graduated from high school a few weeks before we headed south to Florida for some fun in the sun. Kelly, in the bottom photo, was just heading into high school. The two of them had a very close and endearing love/hate relationship at the time.

The first thing they did - - - in the far back seat of the van, because the two younger ones were in the middle seat, was to create their own language that no one else could possibly understand - - - - and so it began - - - riding along in our automobile, Beach Boys blasting from a cassette tape, and a foreign tongue that sounded like serpents hissing going strong in the way-back seat.

Next Kelly began shifting - - - at will - - - between characters of his own creation. I believe he had started some of these prior to the trip - - - but on the trip they developed and flourished into real, live, laugh until you cry, entities.

There was "Howie" - - - an elderly hard of hearing gentleman who never understood what you said, but instead heard each word as a rhyme of the original. Howie could never seem to land in a chair or a hammock without tipping it over.

Then there was Michael Michelle - - - let's just say Michael had a tad more estrogen than one would normally wish in a son.

Jungle Dump also came with us, totally uninvited, on that trip. Jungle must have been a close kin to Forest Gump - - -

And last, but CERTAINLY not least was George. George was a happy, harmless, witless boy who lived in the orange traffic barrels along road construction sites with his mother, (uh - - - that would be me) whom he affectionately called "Kingda." If KELLY was about to get into trouble, he miraculous became George, politely telling "Kingda" that he was sorry. I'm here to tell ya - - - Kingda simply COULD NOT discipline George effectively under those circumstances!!!!

One day on that trip, Kelly became George in a Pizza Hut and simply would NOT become Kelly again. I don't think it helped that all of us were laughing hysterically at him - - - his Grammy and Aunt Jeany included. The poor waitress thought we had all taken leave of our senses, which was of course EXACTLY what Kelly (George couldn't have figured that out) wanted.

But I digress - - -

While in Florida, we spent several days at the Disney World Campground. GREAT campground, by the way, for all of you who camp.

All day as we walked around the Magic Kingdom, each child asked for various mementoes. Hubby, who is a real sucker for such things, kept letting them get whatever their little hearts desired.

Each one ended up with quite a collection of Mickey and Minnie Mouse items - - - - each one that is, EXCEPT Kelly. He picked out one tiny plastic Mickey. As his siblings got more and more things, I distinctly remember asking him REPEATEDLY, "Kelly, don't you want something else??" To which he kept replying, "No tank you, Kingda."

Oh the swelling of this mother's heart with pride! I had SUCCEEDED with training ONE of my children to be frugal, unselfish, and giving. What an honorable and noble little son I had raised. My buttons nearly burst with pride, UNTIL - - -

We got back to the campgrounds and started taking pictures. That little scamp had REFUSED all offers of bigger and better things so he could, as seen above, hold that tiny little Mickey up in each picture and later be able to tell people, "that was ALL I GOT." Oh, I SHOULD have had a CLUE when he snapped THIS photo - - - holding the camera in one hand and his teeny tiny little Mickey out into the picture with his other hand - - - just to have proof later.

Here you see PART of the haul the other kids made. Korie, on the left, with her Mickey AND Minnie and Kyle's Mickey too. Kyle on the right with some optic light toy in his right hand and his Mickey clenched tightly in his left.

And here's Keri, in the hammock - - - see her sandal shod feet - - - taking a picture of her three siblings showing off their loot - - -

The two babies, Kyle left and Korie right, innocently and totally unaware that - - -

A crazed mad man was bearing down upon them ready to strike at a moment's notice - - -

A mad man who is still clutching his TEENY TINY TOY tightly in his right hand (do you see it?) so he can be SURE to point it out when he gets home.

Meanwhile, just what were the PARENTS of these darling children doing???? Well, the MOTHER figure was aging significantly while she struggled to keep order, but the FATHER figure was totally clueless, relaxing in his lawn chair, sipping his coffee at the end of a long and tiring day.

Let's take a closer look at that MOTHER FIGURE, see her neck tendons popping out - - - -

I believe she's saying: "KELLY, give me that camera. Give me that CAMERA! GIVE ME THAT CAMERA!!!"

Too late.

Be sure to tune into this same station on Sunday when you will hear, and see, the continuing saga of "THOSE" Broyles Children.


(Later addendum: Dear bloggy friends, my family has been having a HAY DAY in the comments reminiscing about this vacation. PLEASE do not let that deter you from joining in - - - we WELCOME your input and comments. In fact, go ahead and READ their comments, they have added even MORE fun to the post.)

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