What do you remember?

[Annasmom]

What do you remember from when you were five years old? I have very vivid memories of kindergarten, of the house where I lived, of my toys and books, of events my parents thought were important (a tornado, school activities, games.) I don’t think I would have known what state or country I lived in, however, or my telephone number. My passions were writing and music, and still are.
My grown sons exhibited most of their important personality traits by the time they were five. One was adventurous, a risk-taker; the other was more home-loving. Both were creative, one was fascinated by rhythms and the other by songs. Anna at five showed many characteristics I would have expected to remain with her. She was extroverted and friendly, a bit of a drama queen, unusually generous (especially for so young a child). She was a writer of letters even before she could write words, and she was beginning to learn to write a few words and her first name. She was more interested in drawing and painting than in making music. She loved plants, flowers and animals.
There is another matter which occurs to me. When my sons were five and two years old, they spoke no English at all. But within six months of our returning to the United States, they could speak nothing but English. Their memories of their birthplace far away seemed linked to the language they spoke there. Only a few very vague memories remained with the son who was five, and hardly any stayed with the younger son.

[Dr. Doogie]

I remember very brief snippets of things such as being in kindergarten (I cannot remember teachers names or what they looked like). I do recall the JFK assasination (not actually hearing when it happened, but I recall the funeral - we were made to watch it on TV). I also remember little bits of my family life (I recall that I believed that my father's job was to somehow make my bananas break when I tried to peel it - don't ask!)

I recall those because I had some continuity in that period of my life - four / five / six and on without any traumatic events that would have altered my rememberances. Since we do not know what has happened to Anna, it is possible that she was subjected to a type of brainwashing where her earliest memories were explained away as fantasies by whoever took her. She may very well have only the fainest of memories of her life before the abduction, and may not even believe that those memories are real. I sincerely hope that this is not the case, but fear that it may be.

[HeartofTexas]

I remember many things from my early years... having a tonsillectomy at age 2 and getting to eat lots of ice cream to make my sore throat feel better; learning to blow my first bubble; the tail not squeaking on my teddy bear I got for Christmas when I was 2-1/2, learning to tie my first shoelaces, etc. I remember breaking my arm when I was about 5 and having to wear a cast all summer. I remember summers at the beach and the ocean. I remember building sand castles out of sand buckets and then making designs on them. I remember hating split pea soup with a passion. And I remember crying when my brother told me watermelon seeds would grow inside me! I remember everyone talking, from age 2 onward, about how extroverted I was and how I never met a stranger. I also remember searching for hours at my grandmother's house for 4-leaf clovers. Still to this day I love searching for things! I hated getting dressed up for special occasions because I always found a way to get dirty (and get in trouble). I also remember crying, when I was about 4, when I found out my brother would have to go to war when he grew up. I don't think I had a clue what city or state I lived in, and probably not the street name. By the time I was 7 I knew my phone number, but not when I was 5. Coincidentally, I still remember that phone number to this day. I also remember what the outside of our house looked when I was 5 and also the exact layout of every room in the house, right down to my bedroom closet. I would say I'm pretty much the same person today, with the exception that I now love split pea soup.

[mjak]

My earliest memory is when I was 2 and sitting in a stroller at the public Library while my 4 year old sister attended story time. It was a one room library so I got to hear and see story time too and I loved it, lol. I loved it so much that I grew up to be a librarian :).
I can recall the library which has a dark interior and stain glass windows. I can recall the nursery school I went to. I remember a finger puppet show the teacher put on and my favorite rocking horse. I remember the physically disabled child who lived next door to me that I would play with. I was maybe 5 then. I remember the apartment I lived it. I do not remember my phone number but do recall the address.
However, I lived at the address until I was 12. I remember driving my toy tractor into a wall and splitting my head open, lol. I was about 4 then. I remember dropping a brick on my foot and breaking several bones. I was probaly 4 or 5 then.

mjak

[natasha-cupcake]

I remember the house I lived in and it's approximate room lay out (although to be fair, I was seven when we moved). I remember many, many specific incidences of playing with my brothers and sisters and the neighborhood kids--playing in the empty lot next door that we thought was a jungle, or in the next door neighbor's attic that was full of toys or under the lattice covered porch of another neighbor; hours and hours of splashing in puddles of melting snow in the early spring time... I remember getting a few nickels for allowance and running to the candy store on the corner to load up on goodies.

I remember going to kindergarten on the first day and standing in the office with my mom, holding onto her for dear life. I vaguely remember what my kindergarten teacher looked like--young, pretty with short dark hair. We had a student teacher, also, in kindergarten whom I loved. Funny, I can't recall at all what she looked like, but I remember that I called her Mrs. Washing Machine. I remember that I loved painting on the big easel and building with the giant red cardboard brick blocks. I remember hiding in a grassy spot under a fire escape in the school yard during recess. It was sunny and peaceful and I didn't want to go back into the classroom. I vaguely remember a bit of a panic when the teacher couldn't find me.

I remember watching workers pave over our small dirt yard with cement (probably at four years old) and then some time later, riding down the small incline of the yard on my tricycle just to crash into our garbage cans. I knocked out my front teeth and had to go the the dentist. I remember hallucinating there (nitrous oxide, probably) and thinking that the dental nurse was a wierd Martian lady--she was all green with little antennas and she kept floating around the ceiling while urging me to spit.

I remember my grandparents coming to visit and bringing lots of food and clothes. I remember visiting them in NYC and sitting on my grandma's fancy couch. I remember the ice cream truck coming every afternoon there, and swimming in her neighbor's little above ground pool. I remember parties in my grandparents garage with yummy food and grandpa watching the Yankees on TV while listening to the Mets on the radio.

I remember a lot of things. Mostly warm and happy feelings, but a lot of specific things, too. I doubt I knew my address, but I knew how to spell and write at least my first name, before Kindergarten ever started. I knew what my surroundings looked like, I knew who my family members were, but most of all, I knew who I was and that I was loved.

[HeartofTexas]

Such lovely memories, Natasha. You did indeed seem very loved.

[mysteriew]

I don't remember hardly anything from that age. I only vaguely remember where we lived at that age, and no particular events, what little I do remember is really really vague. Of course I am sort of an exception.

[Dr. Doogie]

Of course I am sort of an exception.
Don't feel alone there, Myst. I am amazed at the depth of memories that people have been posting. I feel like maybe I got shorted on the 'ol memory chips inside my head.

[rideforfun]

I remember moving to a new house at 3. I remember moving again at 5 and can recall lots of detail about that house, room layout, yard, playing. I remember putting letters on a board and asking my mom what they spelled while she did the laundry. I remember lots of detail about our pets. I have good memory of going to school but can't remember what the teacher looked like but I sure can remember her name. I knew my first and last name and probably my phone number (my dad worked for the phone company and we had phones in every room including the bathroom and I loved to dial). I remember learning to tie my shoes at 5. I remember routines -- breakfast, dinner and bedtime and family games. And, my interests and basic personality are the same. I was in love with horses from the age of 2 although we didn't have any and I've had horses now nonstop since I was 12. I couldn't stand being told what to do as a kid and still can't. I like adventure, passionate about reading, funny, outspoken, stubborn, love to get things done and all those things are still very true. I can remember detail about the people in my life at that point. I have good detail about people who died when I was very young or moved away so I feel like I have memories that are pretty strong even when they weren't reinforced as I grew up. I remember special things like birthday rituals and Christmas traditions from that age.

So, if I was thrown into a different world at 5 I would have some memories to go on. But, if someone took me away from my family and lied to me and told me my family was killed or something I would have believed them.

[smile22]

i remember my first house. my bedroom even other rooms in the house. i remember when my peddle on my triycle fell off i had one of those plastic bikes. i remember my strawberrie shortcake pool my dog. i remember my preschool the trampoline, sliding down the slide playin in the sand box, playing inside with the pretend house and kitchen. i remember my dad taking me to the local cornner store getting the newspaper in the morning. trips to the ice cream shop, spending my summer weekends with my grandparents at their cottage in ri. i remember how my grandpa used to pick me up on friday around 1ish then we would head over to my grandmas work wait for her to get out and head to the beach. how he took me on the sand to collect shells that my grandma would wash and i would paint with nail polish. when he passed away 2 years ago that was the first thing i remembered. i remember moving to my grandmas house beacuse our house was still being built. i remeber how my kindergarten teacher was older how before snack time we would put our heads down on the table and she would play a record of some ballet music or something. i remember visiting some lady at this school when i was 5 beacuse i needed to get tested for school ( special ed) sometimes ill be bored and start to sing a song i never heard before then ill go find it online and downlode it most of the time my mom or dad told me it was a song i loved when i was little. i remeber being in my two aunts weddings and also my uncles wedding i remember my dresses i wore how my hair was this was before i even saw the pictures. i can remember stuff about other people that they have forgoten about like 2 summers ago i was telling my grandma who was visiting about a party we had at this now closed resturant she was the only one who remember it but couldnt figure out what the party was for.

[hoping4truth]

I remember my grandparents house. The color, the layout, the storage off to the side. I remember th big back yard, I remember the lumber everywhere and my grandpas table saw (he was a carpenter). I remember that he used to bend the nails down so I wouldn't fall on them and hurt myself. I remember my mom's dog, chaquita. She was old and blind. There was another furry dog, but I don't remember it. I remember playing with my dog Jasper and hiding in his dog house with him. I remember watching MTV with my uncle Randy. We'd lay on our stomachs in front of the TV, and he'd turn up the TV really loud (made my grandparents angry) and I remember my favorite music video was 'I want my MTV' by the Dire Straights (If you can't tell, I was born in the 80's). I remember that we would play around, tickling and fighting with each other, and on the day of my Uncle Bob's wedding, my grandma tripped over us and got a black eye. We felt so bad!
I remember sitting in my red rocking chair and "reading" a book, I didn't know how to read, so I made up stories with the pictures. I remember looking through my grandmas jewelery box and playing with her jewelery.
I remember wandering around my neighborhood by myself. My little world consisted of My grandparents house, on top of a hill, and a bunch of patio style homes down below the hill. I knew everyone in that little grouping. I don't remember their names, but I remember what they look like, though.
I remember one day, my mom fixed me some macaroni and cheese, and she left for a minute and forgot to give me a spoon, so I rolled a chair over to the silverware drawer to get myself a spoon. The chair rolled away and I fell and broke my arm.
I remember that I fell asleep on the bus that took my home from pre-school. I remember I woke up and I was in the bus, but everyone was off of it but me and the driver. He was surprised to see me, and he took me back to my head start building, and they called my grandpa. I didn't know my address, then. I just knew my neighborhood. (there was a body shop across the street to the north, and the patio homes to the south, but I don't know what was to the east of it (their house was on a corner). I remember riding in his truck with the windows down, and him telling me not to fall asleep on the bus again, because they were worried about me.
I remember one day, I fell asleep behind a box (I was mad at my mom for not giving me a cookie or something, so I ran and hid, and I fell asleep). I remember I woke up because there was a lot of noise and I came out of my spot and my mom was talking to the police. I came out and they were all worried about me. I guess they thought I fell into the canal behind the house - but my world was so small - I don't think I even knew the canal existed.

Wow. I didn't even think I could recall that much!

[smile22]

[QUOTE=hoping4truth] I remember my favorite music video was 'I want my MTV' by the Dire Straights (If you can't tell, I was born in the 80's)QUOTE] omg i remember that song. i was and still am a big 80s fan i remember when i was little and my aunt who worked for NBC localy. she had this nbc long shirt coat of some sorts i had that on with a baseball cap on backwords and i was dancing to footloose which was one of my favorite songs when i was little. i also remember one day my michael jackson tape didnt work anymore so my dad pulled out the record just so i could dance to my other favorite song beat it. i still have my old teddy rumbskin doll the one who had the tape player attached with the storys and my very first cabage patch doll. which my parents said took them weeks to get beacuse it was just when they hit the market and they had to be on wating list to get one. remeber those record players that i think fisher price put out? i remeber mine and i also remeber geting the matching tape player as well

[SherlockJr]

http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/earlymemory/memoryform_cont10.html

[reportertype]

I remember learning the alphabet with little blow-up letters; some of the clothing I had -- a pair of brown knee-high boots. I remember burning my leg while trying to climb into a vehicle (a Suburban, I think.) I remember some TV shows, but not all of them. (Banana Splits!)

I knew the town and state and address but not my phone number.

I remember the first time I realized children were abducted; my mom showed me a picture of a missing girl who was just a bit older than me (I was about 5) and I remember what she looked like and that she was from Washington state.

[Dr. Doogie]

I remember the first time I realized children were abducted; my mom showed me a picture of a missing girl who was just a bit older than me (I was about 5) and I remember what she looked like and that she was from Washington state.
It wasn't Delia Cly, was it? Just kidding...

[MagicRose99]

It wasn't Delia Cly, was it? Just kidding...
:eek: :laugh: :rolleyes:

[SherlockJr]

This woman remembers at the age of 4 or 5....


I am a white female age 47. Kidnapped from my front yard abt.1958-59, age 4-5,in France-Germany. May be Muller or Mueller. Entered U.S. 1961,age 7. Restaurant in French Alps may hold clues. Perps were the late Boyd and Christine Cardin Murphy.

[smile22]

This woman remembers at the age of 4 or 5....


I am a white female age 47. Kidnapped from my front yard abt.1958-59, age 4-5,in France-Germany. May be Muller or Mueller. Entered U.S. 1961,age 7. Restaurant in French Alps may hold clues. Perps were the late Boyd and Christine Cardin Murphy.

do you have any contact info i would love to help this women maybe she would like to join ws and we could help her find out who she is?

i had another memory of my childhood i was five years old i had gone through tests at school beacuse i was having a hard time learning. i was classified as having a learning disability. anways one day i was in my bedroom and i was reading a book all by myself you know those dr sues books. My mom thought i was singing a song but when she saw that i was reading the book all by myself she was shocked.

[Mygirlsadie]

I remember 5 years old I lived in Fort Knox Kentucky I got my first puppy named Fluffy my parents got a divorce and my first day of kinder. I got a brand new bike so that morning before school all dressed up in a brand new outfit my mom let me ride down the sidewalk one time, I fell busted my head open and had to be rushed to the ER for stiches.... 5 was a pretty busy year for me lol

[Gina_M]

I remember my kindergarten teacher's name, and that she had a lot of allergies. We only had 5 kids in my kindergarten class, so I remember their names too. I loved to read, recite nursery rhymes, and sing. My mom and I made audio tapes of us singing together, and of me reciting nursery rhymes and reading out of a children's book. I also would recite my full name and address on the tape. My mom told me later in life that she made sure I memorized my name, address and phone number in case I was ever lost or kidnapped. I loved Halloween, and that year I dressed up as a nurse. I had a little fake medical kit with a plastic syringe and everything. The year before, I had been Holly Hobbie during the day at preschool, and a witch at night. My mom thought the witch costume might be too scary for the other preschoolers. My grandparents pretended to be afraid of my witch costume that night. That's the earliest Halloween that I actually remember. I also remember my mom making cupcakes for my class.

[kyresearcher]

I only have a few memories from age 5, well it's been so long since I was that age. My family lived on a farm and Dad had built a wooden sled that he used to get from one barn to another. We had 3 barns, and instead of walking he would hitch the horse to it and he would stand on it with reigns in his hands, while I would sit on the back of sled. I remember when he walked I would follow him and try to step in his exact tracks. He took us to a church play at Christmas in the road wagon (we didn't have a car) We were all covered up with quilts and it was snowing real hard.
I would wait in my front yard for my Aunt to pick me up on Sunday morning for Sunday school.
Mom was sick all of my life, very poor health.
Dad worked in Louisville, Ky during the week and came home to the farm on weekends. He stayed with his sister, I remember going with him and staying for a week.
An adoptee whom I been received an email from brought back another memory that I had forgotten. She wrote "I and others were riding in a VW bus and the parakeet got loose and flew all around and flew out the window. I was devistated." This caused me to remember the parakeet my Aunt had when I visited with her that week. It hated me and would fly around me but once it perched on my shoulder and reached over and took a bite out of my lip. I am so glad she shared that with me as it brought back that memory.
I was asked to be in a school play and recite a poem before I ever entered school. All this happened at age 5 or before.

[itsreenw]

Hmmm...I remember going to kindergarten in Okinawa when my dad was stationed there. My favorite shirt had pastel squares on it and tied in the front. I remember the wooden cars that fit together like a puzzle and I remember my mom waiting for me at the bus stop. I remember coming to the states and starting in my new kindergarten class. My teacher was Ms. Latham. She wore too much lipstick and her perfume stank. But I was her favorite.

I also recall the morning that I was walking the 3 blocks to school. There were lots of kids walking alone back then. A man in a sky blue hatchback car like a Mach I, drove up and ask if I wanted a ride. He was of hispanic descent and had on a plaid shirt. I will never forget that. Ever. I ran across the street and knocked on the door of the 1st house. The man drove off laughing.

If Anna is still alive, she would remember being snatched away from her own yard and her kitty. She may not know if the memories are real but I bet she remembers.

[GraceBlue]

I remember a lot. I remember when I was 3, I was in the hospital for 9 weeks with meningitis. I also remember being pushed in a wheelchair and wheeling myself in the hallways of the hospital. I lost all of my hearing to meningitis so I am profoundly deaf, I remember the sound of a piano and that is the only 'sound' I remember hearing. I remember certain books and toys I had. I remember going up to my grandparents cabin and swimming in the lake with my cousins. I remember the very first day of speech therapy, I screamed my head off when my mom left the room. I remember the speech teacher's musky breath and how she gave me a Pepperidge farm gingerbread boy after every speech class. I remember my mom telling me she was having a baby and telling my mom she was having a girl, not a boy and my mom replying by saying it could be a boy but I refused to listen to her. I remember my sister being born, visiting my mom in the hospital. I remember the look on my mom and my grandmothers faces when they recieved a phone call from a friend of my aunt telling them her 2 year old son had drowned. I remember my grandfather who died when I was 4 1/2, I remember all the flowers in his room and there was a small smurf stuffed animal in one of the bouquets, he gave it to me before he died. I remember moving from one house to another and my mom asking me which room I wanted (in the new house.)
I remember a lot more things but its just too much to type!

[michelle]

I remember when my mom had my brother, I was 3 1/2. I can still to this day picture everything in my head, me and my dad waiting for her then seeing her with the baby ect....Its one of my favorite memories. I also have earlier memories but I dont know if they are real or not. Its one of them things where I was with my grandparents but now they have died and I cant ask them, some things will just come to mind and I dont know if its all real or not. But the birth of my brother, my dad and I laugh about that because he cant believe that I remember that.

[kshamgochian]

Somehow I came across your posting about memories of being five and I have several memories that I would like to share. Anna and I got to wear crowns on our birthday that our teacher gave us and we sat at each end of the small cafeteria style tables while everyone sang happy birthday to us. I remember Anna's clothes. I loved one outfit that she use to wear, it was a dress that was floral printed and had elastic around the neck and wrists (I hated anything around my neck and wrists) and she wore white tights and cowboy boots. I LOVED THOSE COWBOY BOOTS! I insisted that my mom get me some and I remember kicking a boy, Paul Koprack, with them because he was bugging me and Anna on the playground. I specifically remember that our teacher Ruth Rafello sat us down on the carpet while she sat in a chair and told us that Anna had disappeared and was missing - not drowned, not dead, missing. I remember thinking of her running through trees in a dark forest and being lost. If I close my eyes, I can see the piano on the right side of Ruth, the chalk board behind her and thinking that I didn't know what disappeared meant. I remember Anna's laugh, it was infectious. I remember Anna, I remember her.

Kelly

[michelle]

I specifically remember that our teacher Ruth Rafello sat us down on the carpet while she sat in a chair and told us that Anna had disappeared and was missing - not drowned, not dead, missing. I remember thinking of her running through trees in a dark forest and being lost. If I close my eyes, I can see the piano on the right side of Ruth, the chalk board behind her and thinking that I didn't know what disappeared meant. I remember Anna's laugh, it was infectious. I remember Anna, I remember her.

KellySo sad.....:(

[Annasmom]

Somehow I came across your posting about memories of being five and I have several memories that I would like to share. Anna and I got to wear crowns on our birthday that our teacher gave us and we sat at each end of the small cafeteria style tables while everyone sang happy birthday to us. I remember Anna's clothes. I loved one outfit that she use to wear, it was a dress that was floral printed and had elastic around the neck and wrists (I hated anything around my neck and wrists) and she wore white tights and cowboy boots. I LOVED THOSE COWBOY BOOTS! I insisted that my mom get me some and I remember kicking a boy, Paul Koprack, with them because he was bugging me and Anna on the playground. I specifically remember that our teacher Ruth Rafello sat us down on the carpet while she sat in a chair and told us that Anna had disappeared and was missing - not drowned, not dead, missing. I remember thinking of her running through trees in a dark forest and being lost. If I close my eyes, I can see the piano on the right side of Ruth, the chalk board behind her and thinking that I didn't know what disappeared meant. I remember Anna's laugh, it was infectious. I remember Anna, I remember her.

Kelly

Today is Kelly's birthday, too! What a dear, funny scene you described. Ruth told me that the kindergarten class was terribly upset that day and said "but how will she grow up? We want to grow up!" Ruth said that Anna would either grow up here, or in heaven.

[Dr. Doogie]

Today is Kelly's birthday, too!
Of course, how could I have not made that connection!?!? :doh:
Happy birthday, Kelly! :HappyBday

[GraceBlue]

Happy Birthday Kelly! :HappyBday

Thank you for sharing your stories of you and Anna. Thats too funny about kicking a boy!

[Mr. E]

Wow, everybody has such vivid memories of their early childhoods. I remember very little. Maybe it is because we moved around so much when I was a kid. Maybe there's just no context for my memories? My memories come in flashes, like photographs.

I remember that we had to lay on mats to take naps in kindergarten. Whoever was quietest during naptime got a fairy wand from the teacher. Then you got to wake up your friends by tapping them with the wand.

I remember walking to the city pool by myself. It was about a block away, and I had my very own laminated pool pass.

I remember my cousin crying when I got a doll that looked like me for my birthday. He followed me when I took the doll outside with me, crying that it wasn't fair that I got a doll and not him.

I remember going to bed once, walking down the hall, and seeing the silhouette of a man in a hat through the hall window. I got scared and cried, and my parents got upset and said I had imagined it or was making it up to stay up longer. I was terrified that there was a man outside our house.

I remember my sister throwing up and thinking it looked like a brown, chunky waterfall.

Weird the things your brain holds onto, huh?

[Joe Ford]

When I was a wee lad in St. John’s Orphanage, Philadelphia, many years ago (circa 1952), all of us knicker-clad ragamuffins were issued handkerchiefs by the kindly Nuns whose charges we were.The idea, I suppose, was to reduce all those unsightly shiny sleeves we all sported throughout the winter.

For us kids, however, they were mere scraps of cloth that one stuffed in the back pocket of our breeches to keep our bums warm until they were to be turned-in the following week. And woe-be the scruff who failed to produce the said "hankie". The swift descent of an oak radiator brush to the palm of one’s hand was the dreaded reward for failure to present that precious cloth.

Needless to say, the hours before this event there was much scurrying and wringing of hands by those of us that had misplaced or even totally forgotten we were issued the damnable things. Ever the sly little bugger, I had kept mine folded (and unused, naturally) under my pillow all week.

You can imagine my horror as my hand came from under my pillow…empty. Some unscrupulous scoundrel, more clever than I, had made off with the prize.

As we shuffled forward in line to present our unwanted, and in some cases, disgustingly overused hankies I could make out an unsmiling Sister Francis standing sternly aside the growing pile of mostly white cloths as though she were building a great white pyramid to heaven. (I shudder to this day at the memory.)

Desperate times demand desperate measures. Since this was a Catholic institution we had all been dutifully immersed in catechism and the litany of Saints. (A great group of mostly bearded, holy guys that could, and sometimes would, intercede for you when times got tough.)

If I was to have any hope of avoiding punishment for my crime of carelessness it was time to talk to St. Anthony. The saints all had a specialty, you see, and his was finding things that were lost (or in some cases, pilfered.) There was even a little ditty we learned to summon his presence:

Dear Saint Anthony

Please come around.

Something is lost

And must be found.

I repeated this mantra with ever increasing desperation as the line moved agonizingly forward toward my doom. It did not help to have seen two other hankieless miscreants, howling, with tear soaked faces rushing towards the bathroom to cool their hands under a cold water tap.

As the final buffer-boy vanished in front of me, I stood alone in front of a looming Sister Francis, her pile of beckoning white hankies and twitching radiator brush was all that I could see. Where was Saint Anthony? My heart sunk. My knees pounded. My mind raced.

As the practiced swing of that oaken rod arced toward my trembling palms I realized my mistake. I should have been beseeching the patron saint of "Mercy." St. Anthony must have been busy elsewhere…or on sabbatical.

In the years since then I have asked him for a few favors…sometimes granted, sometimes not. If any of you can get his attention, now would be a good time for him to make an appearance.

[SherlockJr]

Joe, that was a well written story! You brought back memories I have of the Catholic nuns in grade school. :rolleyes:

The prayer of St. Anthony is powerful. Another candle has been lit for Anna.

[SherlockJr]

Does anyone in the family know or remember if Anna knew her date of birth at the time she went missing?

[Annasmom]

Does anyone in the family know or remember if Anna knew her date of birth at the time she went missing? I don't believe she did. She would have known that she was five, but I'm not sure she even knew when her birthday was. She was a pretty here-and-now person.

[Annasmom]

On December 7, 1941, my mother and a teenaged relative who was living with us in Leitchfield, Kentucky, were listening to the radio, one of those old-fashioned tall radios with a curved top. I remember my mother saying "This means war." It was Pearl Harbor day, and I was five and a half years old, the exact age Anna was when she went missing.

[SherlockJr]

On December 7, 1941, my mother and a teenaged relative who was living with us in Leitchfield, Kentucky, were listening to the radio, one of those old-fashioned tall radios with a curved top. I remember my mother saying "This means war." It was Pearl Harbor day, and I was five and a half years old, the exact age Anna was when she went missing.
Annasmom, can you remember this article?

Oak Ridger Wins TPA Scholarship
KNOXVILLE (AP)- The Tennessee Press Association announced today two more winners of scholarship awards to high school graduates planning to follow newpaper work as a career.
They are Michaele Benedict of Oak Ridge, for East Tennessee, and David Philpo of McEwen for Middle Tennessee. The West Tennessee winner, Eleanor Jeter was announced last month.
The scholarships are worth $650 each and the three winners plan to enroll at the University of Tennessee next fall.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, can you remember this article?

Oak Ridger Wins TPA Scholarship
KNOXVILLE (AP)- The Tennessee Press Association announced today two more winners of scholarship awards to high school graduates planning to follow newpaper work as a career.
They are Michaele Benedict of Oak Ridge, for East Tennessee, and David Philpo of McEwen for Middle Tennessee. The West Tennessee winner, Eleanor Jeter was announced last month.
The scholarships are worth $650 each and the three winners plan to enroll at the University of Tennessee next fall.
Imagine your finding this story--it must be from 1953! The amazing thing is that in those days $650 paid full tuition for a year and still left money for books and meals! One of the things the San Mateo Sheriff's officers asked me in the interview Tuesday was whether there had been television and newspaper coverage when Anna disappeared. I remember a friend who had come to stay with us asking if I would speak to a television crew which had come out to the farm, and I said I couldn't...so I really have no idea what was on television that night or following (we could barely get TV anyway.) I have the stories which were in the local paper, but never knew whether other papers picked up the story.

[Cubby]

I'm not sure I can relate this to age, but will do my best for "5". I've read by age 10 most childhood memories earlier than 3 disappear.

KG-. My teachers maiden name and that she married during the school year. Her married name started with K. The ABC circle which was part of the tiled floor. One color in the circle, a sierra brown. The friend I walked to school with.

My grandfathers second wife who he was only married to for a year.

My great grandmother, who we called "tickle grandma" because she spoke no english and tickled us all the time.

Visiting a family friend in my favorite pink dress and someone making fun of it, but no recollection of a name or face. They were tenants at the time.

Maybe TMI - trying to help potty train my younger sister by sitting on the back of the toilet seat and having her sit in front of me. I remember yelling mom come look at us....

Much younger than 5. Squeezing between my parents for a hug when dad came home from work, in front of the stove while mom was cooking dinner. I wasn't much taller than waist heigh.

Preschool- Stepping into our neighbors VW bus ( red and white ) to go to preschool. She was my preschool teacher and my mother watched he rson during the day. He called my mom Auntie Mommy and we had a nickname for him.

My dads old 63 Chevy, and getting my tongue stuck on the car window just after we pulled into the garage. Not sure when he traded in for the paneled station wagon.

How I got a scar on my knee..... falling on some funky green and red tiles near front of the door.

Old furniture throughout the house.

My baby mobile. Don't ask how, I recall pictures, and I recall seeing it. My son too asked about his mobile almost 2 years after he was out of his crib. He described it "going round and round".

An old Cubs/Bears reversable jacket that I wish my folks would have saved. Cuddly Duddly, old local tv shows.

The light fixture that hung from my window when I looked out the window waiting for santa.

My great Aunt's Christmas parties. 3 square windows on the front door of an old bungalow and kids piling up fighting for a spot to look for Santa. My hair being curled in bobby pins or pink cushion rollers.

Some old tv. I recall mom and I fighting over watching Bozo Circus or Days of our lives. They both came on at noon.



hth-

[RobinH]

I too remember many things from when I was younger, in fact, as far back as 3 years old. But now I need to ask myself "Why" I have these memories, and the answer is simple. I had a lifetime of pictures that were shared throughout my life that hold all these memories. I have a family that shares all of these memories also. I have wonderful parents who continued to talk about things that I did that made them proud, and that is how I believe I was able to retain these memories. What if I had lost my family and all of the photos at a very early age? What if all of a sudden I was with a new family who did not share any of my memories, and in fact told me that my memories were lies? What would I remember then? My guess is, I would stop talking about those memories and find a way to make new ones, eventually pushing all of those early memories to a place in my mind where no one knew they were there, and eventually even forget them. Survival is a hard thing for adults, let alone a child.

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

That's right RobinH...excellent point. Many peoples memories are because of the countless pictures, and the retelling of stories over the years. If a person was taken from a loving home and not allowed to talk about their past, I'm sure many (if not most)memories would be lost.


I have a great long term memory, I could write a book about things that happened between age 4 & 5, though my older sister can't remember anything. (Unless there is a picture of it) When we get together to talk about old times, she can remember about 1/10th of what I can. (Tough she can remember every boy she ever had a crush on! :D LOL)

[Rhett]

Well I just want to say that I cannot remember anything until I was much older, maybe seven. Altho I wasn't abused per se I was in an abusive environment. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was ill my entire life. My father and mother fought constantly and he was abusive to her at times when he was drunk. I also remember my mother telling me, "what happens or is said in our home stays there." Maybe I blocked it all out and have just simply forgotten because I wanted to. I can see where Anna might not remember her life with her real family because there are so many things that go into shaping a child's mind.

[Annasmom]

Well I just want to say that I cannot remember anything until I was much older, maybe seven. Altho I wasn't abused per se I was in an abusive environment. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was ill my entire life. My father and mother fought constantly and he was abusive to her at times when he was drunk. I also remember my mother telling me, "what happens or is said in our home stays there." Maybe I blocked it all out and have just simply forgotten because I wanted to. I can see where Anna might not remember her life with her real family because there are so many things that go into shaping a child's mind.
This story makes me really sad. The good part is that you turned out OK anyway.

[shipmatekate]

What do I remember from age of 5
I remember our house very well, the big window seat that looked over our side yard. I rememeber catching rainwater in buckets with my grandma so we could wash our hair with it.
I remember when my younger brother came home from the hospital, I was 3 and a half, and I just could not figure out why my parents thought he was a good idea! I remember riding my tricycle around and around the back yard, the swing set in the back yard, my older brothers playing with their friend. I remember my Woody Woodpecker coloring book, and how much I loved it! I also remember my first day of kindergarten, walking down to the school with my mom and being greeted by Ginger, a boxer dog that lived a few doors down.
I remember my dad and a neighbor installing a gate in the fence between our homes so we wouldn't have to walk around the block to get there.
It really is amazing how much I remember. I also remember certain classmates and neighbor children. I remember the local market "Little Red Rooster" and walking over there with my mom in the summer to get ice cream. I remember our record player and mom listening to Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall and singing along. I also remember Hank Williams albums and listening to them. I used to sit in fron of the TeeVee (it was off) waiting for Jack Benny....

Sheesh.....

[Sable]

Two of my earliest memories:

Being at the beach with my mom and my aunt. I was sitting at the edge of the water trying to fill a plastic cup, when I started to get sucked in. I thought I was going to drown. I couldn't remember how old I was at the time, and when I mentioned it to my mom she was surprised that I remember it because she thinks she was pregnant with my sister at the time. If it happened while she was, then I was only 2 years old when it happened.

This one is a little fuzzy. I remember being in my grandma's living room, and someone coming in the front door with a baby. I'm almost positive it was my mom coming home from the hospital with my sister. I was at least 2 and a half at the time. My sis was a preemie and was back in the hospital again shortly after being born, so it could be a second home coming.

As far as momories from when I was about 5 years old...

I remember "Princess Zero". We had a strip along the wall of the classroom that counted the number of school days. On every day that ended in zero, she would bring in something that was shaped like a zero, like Oreos, and hand them out to everyone. On the 100th day everyone got two of whatever she happened to bring, and that was the last day she came.

I remember all of my classmates made leprechaun traps, and we set them up around the room. The teacher held up a paperbag and said she caught one. She showed us the empty bag, and said it got away. After we set the traps, she put in a Smokey the Bear movie and turned off the lights. I remember seeing my trap down while the movie was still playing and telling my teacher. She said I had to wait until the movie was over. After the movie everyone checked to see if they had caught the leprechaun. Of course no one did, but everyone got a few of those chocolate gold coins.

I remember story bags. They were blue drawstring bags with a book and either a puppet, a tape, or something else that was related to the story.

I remember my teacher handing out a paper towel to each student and a worksheet. She poured lucky charms on everyone's paper towel. We had to sort the different shapes, and write down how many there were of each shape. After we sorted them, we got to eat them.

I remember walking with my mom down the hallway of the building my sister's preschool class was in. I can remember looking at one of the art projects she did. It was a bunny painting with cotton balls for the tail.

I remember easter egg hunting with my sister at someone's house. I think it was a family friend's house or maybe a distant relative's. We were hunting for real eggs, not the plastic ones my mom and grandma always used.

I remember meeting the girl that turned out to be my best friend until the end of 7th grade. We were in the hallway by the school office. I'm not sure what was going on at the time, but I remember other kids being there. I think we were all sitting on a bench. For the longest time I thought this happened in first grade, but I found a photo from kindergarten (i think it was "field day") that she was in. It's entirely possible that we were in different classes and didn't actually meet until first grade.

I remember sitting in a circle with the rest of my class mates and watching this really cool thing that, I think Josh's mom, was doing. She was making rainbow swirls in a bowl of milk with food coloring.

This one might be a bit later than 5, but I remember a Fourth of July when one of us kids (Jim's daughter Laura, I think) set the plastic table cloth on fire with a sparkler.


Wow...I remember a lot more than I thought I would. lol

[phylliyum]

I'm not sure I can relate this to age, but will do my best for "5". I've read by age 10 most childhood memories earlier than 3 disappear.

I learned that in cognitive psych last year - in fact, im pretty sure i still have the paper i did on it around here somewhere...i'll get it out and see if i can find anything else about young memories in it.

I know that my memory starts around 3 - random little things, like jumping on the bed with my cousin, dancing around the kitchen with my mom, hiding under the table when strangers came over, random little things.

But there are 2 ages I have very few memories from - when I was 5, and when I was 9. During both of these ages, there was a great deal of trauma going on at home. When I was 5 my parents went through what is possibly the most bitter divorce in history, complete with violence. And when I was 9, right before my mom and stepdad divorced, there was some horrible violence at home. One night my mom woke me up, put me, my sister and our baby brother in a locked closet and told us not to come out until she came for us, and if she didn't come by the time the sun was up to use the phone in the bathroom to call our neighbor.
The funny thing about the second memory is it is something i just remembered a few months ago. I dreamed it one night, and it bothered me so much I told my mother about it, thinking it was just a nightmare. She told me that it had actually happened. Several times, in fact.

My point with that is that maybe Anna has remembered things from her past, but asked the people she credits with raising her about them and they told her that it wasn't true. And she has discarded them.

[2sisters]

I have a few vivid ones some vauge. I can recall moving into our new home. I remember my kindergarten teacher vividly and how kind she was and how we took a field trip to the park and pet baby ducks. We had a pet duck in the classroom as well. At the time she seemed like she was ancient and as old as dirt, but I found out recently that she is now in her late 60's meaning she was only in her 40's back them (it was in 1985-86)She used to tell us about her cat and her brother that she cared for in his home as well,but that she missed the convent, she was also a nun. As far as faimily memories go, i remember spending the day with my mom and having so much fun with her without my sister and dad in the way until I was ready for kindergarten and since I went in the afternoon, we would sometimes have a secret lunch before taking me to school. I remember her getting a new car, her very own and she no longer had to take my dad to work. I remember the Challenger explosion very well and can remember my bout with chicken pox very well. I recall hiding behind my mom around strangers and remember visiting my dad at work. i remember the first day of school and my yellow mickey mouse backpack.
I have memories before that age though, like my sisters 6th birtday party at mcdonalds (I would have been 3) and my sister throwing up ice cream in our parnets volkswagon rabbit when I was 3.

[smile22]

I have a few vivid ones some vauge. I can recall moving into our new home. I remember my kindergarten teacher vividly and how kind she was and how we took a field trip to the park and pet baby ducks. We had a pet duck in the classroom as well. At the time she seemed like she was ancient and as old as dirt, but I found out recently that she is now in her late 60's meaning she was only in her 40's back them (it was in 1985-86)She used to tell us about her cat and her brother that she cared for in his home as well,but that she missed the convent, she was also a nun. As far as faimily memories go, i remember spending the day with my mom and having so much fun with her without my sister and dad in the way until I was ready for kindergarten and since I went in the afternoon, we would sometimes have a secret lunch before taking me to school. I remember her getting a new car, her very own and she no longer had to take my dad to work. I remember the Challenger explosion very well and can remember my bout with chicken pox very well. I recall hiding behind my mom around strangers and remember visiting my dad at work. i remember the first day of school and my yellow mickey mouse backpack.
I have memories before that age though, like my sisters 6th birtday party at mcdonalds (I would have been 3) and my sister throwing up ice cream in our parnets volkswagon rabbit when I was 3.


omg my parents had a rabbit as well i remember that thing they ended up giving it to my aunt and uncle i remember when the car was parked i got to sit in someones lap and pretend i was driving the car. i also remember when i was 3 and was in preschool we had a sand box and trampoline and i fell and one of my teeth ended up growing in crooked beacuse of the fall

[MistyM]

i remember alot from when i was five. my mother took my brother's and i from our father and ran away. i still remember the day we left very vividly. she left a note in the window of our house for our father telling him we were leaving. i know this because she was on the phone with my grandparents arranging our arrival. she told me it was a 'birthday card' for my dad. i knew it wasn't true. i remember the trip to our grandparents. the hills we drove through. it's very vivid. to this day my mother tries to tell us that our father left us. but i know exactly what happened. because it was a traumatic experience.

[Gina_M]

My cousin's daughter was about 4 when they came out for a visit - probably the only time I've seen her in person. We went to a local kiddie amusement park, and I was about 12 so I took her on a lot of the rides. The helicopter ride got stuck while we were in it, and we had to wait for them to fix it before we could get off of it. She was only 4 at the time. Years later, she says she still remembers this.

[Gina_M]

I have been exchanging emails with someone who was abducted as a child and is trying to find her family. She is not Anna - but I was really glad to hear from her. She was abducted at age 3 and although she cannot remember her last name or what city and state she lived in, she does have memories of her parents and the house they lived in. She wanted me to pass along encouragement for Anna's family - that there are people out there who do remember they were abducted, and are searching for their real families. What makes it more difficult for this woman is not remembering names/locations and also fear of retaliation from her abductor - but she is still looking.

[dbradford04]

I remember so many things from my youth. I remember surprising my grandmother one day by telling her all about a house and property she lived in that she moved out of when I was 2. Down to how many steps to her outhouse!

Unfortunately for me, I remember EVERYTHING from my youth...some things I REALLY wish I could forget. From 8-13 were not good years.

I do remember the very first day I met Annasbro...(that makes me smile). And some very fun late night poker games at Dr. Doogies house in high school. I remember the very first time I heard Dr. Dimento on his car radio as well.

D

[Dr. Doogie]

I remember so many things from my youth...

I remember many things from your high school days also. Its a good thing that you are not running for public office. :laugh:

[annemc2]

This is a much more recent memory - I just woke up from a nap and had a very vivid dream!

Other people's dreams are boring, so if you are easily bored stop here. It went down like this:

I had a new job in a pizza parlor type place. When I went to introduce myself to one of the employees she said, "My name is Anna. Like Anna Waters." I said, "Whoa, like the missing Anna Waters?" and she responded in the affirmative. (only she was pronouncing it as Ann-uh instead of Aun-uh and it bothered me in the dream)

I told her about the searchingforanna.com website and wrote it down for her on a scrap of paper. Later I saw in a tv guide or magazine that Anna's story would be featured in a new television show about missing children and passed it along to the woman.

Then some really weird stuff started to happen like I had big holes in my pants and a man with a gun appeared in the alley. Blah, blah, blah more other people's boring dream stuff here.

I just thought it odd that I dreamed so vividly about Anna today. :confused:

[SherlockJr]

annemc2, this dream is pretty interesting. Next time put a pic of Anna under your pillow and let us know how your dream goes. This is what Brian talks about pillow dreams. I did it last fall and curious if you may have similar results. My results came with a name (which was not Anna), a place (a type of building, not a town) , and a business occupation.

[rmf]

Annasmom,

I am only slightly older than your daughter is and I grew up in the same geographic area to Half Moon Bay. I remember going there every year to get pumpkins for Halloween.

As for memories, I can remember things literally that happened when I was a toddler. I remember the day my brother was born and also other things that I'm told happened when I was 2 years old and YOUNGER.

I remember a lot about my life from about 4 years old and on, especially once I began attending school.

I think that memories vary from person to person though, because my spouse has very few memories of childhood prior to about 7 or 8 years old.

I spoke to my Mother not long ago about your case and she remembers hearing about it when it happened. She told me she never thought it was a drowning in the creek and always felt someone took your daughter. The Bay Area was an odd place in the late 60's and 70's. There were a lot of strange and unsettling things happening as a result. It's hard to explain unless you were there, but I'm sure you understand.

[SherlockJr]

I thought I would post this message about a girl from India who had memories from the age of 3 or 4 years old. I found her story pretty interesting.


I am searching for any family members. The earliest memories that I have is around the age of 3 or 4 years old and of a woman taking me from my home and running with me at night. I knew that she was not my mother. She was very dark skinned with greying hair and prominent teeth. The woman travelled with me a long way so I do not know which part of India that I am actually from. We went through desert as well as lush rice fields. as we were travelling she told me that my older brother had been killed by a group of men as well that my uncle had hung himself. I do not know if this was the truth or if she was trying to confuse me. I do remember having an older brother though. I also know that I am Hindu by birth. She finally arrived at her destination with me and took me into a very nice office where there were five or six men with beards and mustaches. They were all wearing white clothing and were well dressed. They all sat on chairs and spoke to the woman. Every once in awhile they would smile at me to make me feel comfortable. Something went wrong in there discussion and the woman took off with me. We had just finished crossing a bridge when a messenger boy ran after us and told the woman that she had to bring me back to the men. The woman refused and we continued on our way. That evening we stopped at a womans house that she knew to spend the night. we had fish for supper and as it was starting to get dusk the two women built a fire and sat away to talk. I was close to the fire and all of a sudden I sensed something dreadful and then I do not remember anything it is like a black spot in my mind. The next thing I remember it is morning and I am in a totally different place on a dirt road and the house we were at is no where in site. The woman was lying murdered on the road. She had been murdered by five or six men. This was in 1971 or 1972. I was then put into the care of a woman named Mariam Isodora who worked for one of Mother Teresas nurseries. Mariam took me to a convent in south india in the city of Nyatinkara. I stayed at the convent two days and then I was driven by one of the nuns to a womans house. I stayed at this womans house for about a week until a woman noticed me and started asking questions. I was moved right away from there to another house a distance away.There was an old man and a little girl that lived there. I was there a few weeks when a person selling fish noticed me and started asking questions. I was moved right away back to the first house and mariam came and picked me up there right away. Mariam then took me to a place farther away by car. The place that I was taken to had two houses where a family lived and it had walls all the way around it. I was looked after by a young couple and there parents and I never saw anyone else. I lived there for a year at least and then Mariam came and picked me up and took me to Trivandrum to a place called Holy angels convent in 1974. I lived at Holy Angels convent until april 1978 and then I went to Canada to a family that adopted me. I have three prominent identical identification marks that have been put on me probably when I was born. One mark is on the middle of my forehead and the other marks are on the calves of my legs. I desperatly want to find my family and I have tried many ways. Before sister mary died she wrote me a letter and told me that everything that I remembered was correct but to foget my past but I cannot do that. I hope that there is still some family left alive. The birthdate the nuns gave me is may 18, 1969 but mariam told me that I was older than the age the nuns gave me. I hope that by Gods help I will find my family. They used to call me Latha at the convent but I do not know my real name.

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

Sherlockjr, that is a really sad story. It's amazing how much she remembers, but all of it is of her abduction. She doesn't say anything about life before the abduction. I wonder if she remembers what her house looked like, or her family. A pet, a dress? Weird. Hopefully she'll find her family.

[Sable]

I was talking with my mom tonight, and her earliest memory was from the age of two. It's a vague memory of visiting her great-great grandma just before she died.

[Cubby]

It's been some time since anyone posted here.... sable mentioned her mothers earliest memory.

I think we recall family members or friends who we recall fondly. I remember not only my great grandmother, who my younger sisters ( 68 and 70, I am a 66 baby) have no memory of..... I also remember my grandfathers second wife, Lottie (an odd older name) , who he was married to less than a year between 69 and 70. I would have been 3 at the time. My grandfather remarried, I forget the year, but it was the early 70's 71,72- and may have been 70 or 74. I really can't recall. I vaguelly recall the car they pulled up in the drive, and I recall my younger sister, 6 months younger than Anna, and I tentatively approaching her probably arm in arm or hand in hand after deciding we weren't going to like her and already had a grandma, my mothers mom. Of course we warmed up to her pretty quickly, but never did call her grandma, we called her by her first name. She and my grandfather remained married the rest of his years....

My father, when I asked, didn't recall much of Lottie.... and perhaps as an adult his memories for someone part of our lives such a short time escaped him. It did stick with me as a child.

I'm certain Anna would have some old, but possibly vague memories of those who made her feel very special or comfortable as a young child.

I'm praying for an Easter miracle. This is the year for reuniting and answers. .... Never far from my thoughts or prayers.

[Cubby]

I found this on one of my various searches. Thought I would share. This is a memory of a male adoptee who was 4 at the time he was adopted.

I have vague memories of my mother. Living in a mobile home in a very small trailer park (3 or 4 trailers). I also remember getting in trouble by my mothers boyfriend at the time for riding my big-wheels in our driveway and as my punishment having to stand in the corner in my bedroom to sleep for the night. I also remember something about a uniform, police or security. Not sure if it was my mothers or her boyfriends at the time. I was born with medium brown hair, sort of curly, at the time, with hazel eyes. I do know that the adoption took place thru the court house and an attorney. I can't remember the attorneys name but do know that he is deceased. This was, in my opinion, an irregular adoption. The attorney was supposed to be a friend to the family. I lived with my grandparents off and on until I was adopted. I also rememeber playing with matches in their home and setting my toy box on fire.

It made me wonder what kind of unusual memories Anna may have. Especially any time she may have gotten in trouble. I think we all have memories of some sort of getting in trouble when we were young. One in particular for me at age 5 was walking half way around the block to an older boys house. For some reason the two of us thought we would go "swimming" in a wooden crate filled with water with just enough room for the two of us to stand in the crate facing each other. In our clothing of course. I hadn't asked for permission to leave the yard, or told anyone and I clearly recall my father finding me, holding my arm up and spanking me while walking me home. I don't think I left the yard without permission again, lol. I can recall a few other times getting caught playing with matches too, and picking up my dads cigarette butts and hiding with them taking puffs.

I'm hoping if we talk more about some of Anna's possible memories, and they are found via search strings, perhaps Anna or someone who knows her may find us here.

[fox1950]

I remember a lot of things that happened to me at a young age. But I have always wondered, had I been abducted, before I was 6 or 7 years old, would I have remembered my name or where I lived, or would I just have had memories with no solid evidence (such as my name, my parents names, where I lived, etc) to go on if I were trying to find out who I was/am.

[InterestedNHelping]

I am the same age as Anna, and my memories surprised me, because I thought I could not remember before 5 years, but I do.I remember standing in my crib, watching my mother iron dad's shirts. I remember being 5 very well, going to school, I was a relatively smart (not to toot my own horn) kid, most likely like Anna, and I was allowed to go to a gifted program, once a week, where we did fun stuff at another school. I was bussed like Anna, away from my bay area canyon home, I remember my older siblings and kids on the bus. I also had a serious medical problem and nearly died at that age, so of course, I remember all of that, as I missed most of my kindergarten year. It is not a thing that leaves us, even with traumatic experiences, we have these subtle things in our hearts, and don't worry, Anna still has them inside her, I can guarantee that much.

[Cubby]

I agree INH. It's quite possible Anna has confusing or puzzling childhood memories. Anything that can't be confirmed via someone telling her that event really happened. I have a few childhood memories I have asked a parent about and they have no memory of that event happening. Not having confirmation of those particular childhood memories has left me wondering if they are something that really happened and neither of my parents remember or were they a bad dream that has just stuck with me all these years. In either case the memories still seem very real to me and have stuck with me for 35 plus years. I would guess Anna may question some of her unconfirmed puzzling or confusing childhood memories the same way, wondering if they really happened or if they are a dream which has stuck with her for so many years.

She may have also received minimal confirmation on events having actually happened that she asked or talked about as she grew older. This is pure speculation, but perhaps whoever took her was vague in their confirmation by faking "shared" memories through listening and simply repeating back to Anna what she had already shared. I can imagine someone attempting to do that in order to make Anna believe they both shared those memories.

[Cubby]

Annasmom, do you recall any memories Anna talked about when she was either 4 or 5? My son is 5.5 and he amazes me sometimes with questions or talking about things he still remembers which happened when he was between 2 and 3. He still talks about his crib mobile and the crib toy which was attached to his crib. It was funny to me, that his memory of the crib toy attached to the crib was it scaring him. His description when the batteries were running low and the thing would screach and how that screaching scared him.

I think some things she talked about which scared her she may also still remember.

[Annasmom]

Annasmom, do you recall any memories Anna talked about when she was either 4 or 5? My son is 5.5 and he amazes me sometimes with questions or talking about things he still remembers which happened when he was between 2 and 3. He still talks about his crib mobile and the crib toy which was attached to his crib. It was funny to me, that his memory of the crib toy attached to the crib was it scaring him. His description when the batteries were running low and the thing would screach and how that screaching scared him.

I think some things she talked about which scared her she may also still remember.

There wasn't a lot that scared her. In SFA, I wrote about a spider dream she had which scared her, and she drew a spider web (possibly with the coaching of our neighbor, Suzapalooza, who may have shown her how beautiful those webs could be. I would think she would remember the bus trip, since that was so unusual and since we kept the bus for quite some time after we alighted at the farm. I would think she would remember having music around all the time, and maybe she would remember the farm animals.

[birdie74]

I have tons of memories from 5 and earlier. My dad was in the Navy and we moved around a lot back then, so I can usually tell about how old my memories are by where we lived.

My earliest memory was in VA, and we moved from there when I was a year and a half. We had an apt. on the beach and I used to play in the sand a lot. I just remember my parents trying to get me get in the water one day. They wanted me to at least get my toes wet, but I was afraid a shark would come up and eat me, so I kept throwing a fit. (Jaws came out that year, so I was probably seeing commercials for it.) I was a very timid child! I believe this was when we were about to move, and I didn't see a beach again until I was almost 6.

For the next year we had an apt. in PA, and all I remember there was grey carpet and a sunken living room. I know I had to step up to the kitchen and hallway.

We then lived in a house in PA until I was almost 5, and I have a lot of memories there- too many to name. I remember dozens of things about the house, though I couldn't give you an exact layout. I have a feel for the backyard and neighborhood, and remember stoops with cement lions on the sides. I surprised my parents when I was 10 or so and realized I still remembered our phone number and address from there. (I don't now. I know the street name, but all the #'s are gone.)

My dad was then stationed in Bahrain for a year, and right after he left, my mom found out her dad just had a few months left, so we moved to her hometown in WV just before my 5th birthday and stayed for 1 year. I have even more memories there then in PA. It was such a memorable year. My mom doesn't drive so we used to walk everywhere, and I still remember how to get to Grandma's house, the store, school, my friend's house, etc. I remember a lot of people- some who were important to me and some who were acquaintances. I remember Miss Gowdy's class in kindergarten and all the caterpillers I would play with at recess. There are so many events that I remember vividly.

In some ways I tried to train my memory as a child. We didn't take a lot of pictures through the years, but I guess I still wanted to hold onto the memories after the moves, so I would reminisce a lot. By 7th grade, I was in my 8th school and probably my 12th or 13th home, so I would test myself to see if I could name all my former teachers, schools, addresses, etc.

I wonder how this relates to Anna. I know a lot depends on the person (my mom barely remembers anything from her childhood), but I think it's a good sign that I can remember so much after leaving these places and never seeing most of them again. I hadn't had such a traumatic event and had my whole identity stripped from me, so that would likely have a big impact. Even though I can recall some things that I never discussed my family, I have no reason to think they aren't real. I know they happened. That would be different for Anna, but even if she only remembers a fraction of it, that may be enough for her to search for answers.

[Cubby]

Those are some good points Birdie. I've often thought Anna would have many memories of both the farm- because of the animals, and the bus trip around the country with the family, because those would have both been cool to a 5 yr old.

I believe Anna would remember anything out of the ordinary and cool to a 4 or 5 year old. I'm often amazed at the memories my almost 6 yr old son shares with me. We talk about them so he continues to remember them. I wonder, did Anna have any farm animals she was responsible for? Any that she cared for with the help of her mom or brothers?

Though, having been ripped from her family, I can imagine how an abductor may have convinced her, her happy memories of the bus trip may have been different than she remembered, and possibly convinced her the family lived in a bus because they were homeless, rather than the fun family vacation it was seeing the country. I apologize if my thoughts or comments might hurt, but I believe talking about them, posting about them, so they appear in searches is important. Especially if Anna, or someone she knows, one day googles her memories. I would hope she finds this forum and discovers her true identity.

[birdie74]

Some of my memories seem so random, too. There are events that I should remember but don't, yet little things I do. I was 3 when my little sister was born. My older sis and I didn't go to the hospital with them, but you'd think I'd remember when she was born or when they brought her home, but I don't. I do remember her being a fairly young baby. I have a lot of memories with my older sister- she's 2 yrs older than I am. I remember times when we were just silly and playing. I remember playing with my cats, but I don't remember when they got sick and died.

My grandpa died when I was 5, and I have faint memories of him. My mom thought we were too young to go to the funeral. I think if I had gone I'd be more likely to remember that time. Strangely enough, the night he died, we stayed with my grandparents' neighbors, and I remember she had lots of paper dolls I could play with, so I did that for hours. I know it must sound cold that that's what sticks out in my mind.

That same neighbor had a Basset hound named Carrie that loved kids, and when she'd us coming down the hill, she'd run up and meet us. My cousins, sisters, and myself were all so sad when she got hit by a motercycle, but she recovered. I remember playing with my cousins a lot that year.

[Cagney]

New to this part of the board, but not new to the story of Anna. I love that her story is here and that she is still being sought after all of these years.

Anyhow, my earliest childhood memory is from a time that I was 9 months old. My father had been out of state working for about 3 months prior and when he came home I remember being terrorfied of him. I remember what I was wearing that day and I remember what he was wearing that day. I remember him being upset because anytime he came near me I cried.
I think I remember this because it was a traumatic memory.

Beyond that, the rest of my memories start around 2.5 years old.

Kindergarten is quite clear for me. I remember my teachers name. I remember the field trips we went on. I remember many daily experiences from that time.

[Annasmom]

New to this part of the board, but not new to the story of Anna. I love that her story is here and that she is still being sought after all of these years.

Anyhow, my earliest childhood memory is from a time that I was 9 months old. My father had been out of state working for about 3 months prior and when he came home I remember being terrorfied of him. I remember what I was wearing that day and I remember what he was wearing that day. I remember him being upset because anytime he came near me I cried.
I think I remember this because it was a traumatic memory.

Beyond that, the rest of my memories start around 2.5 years old.

Kindergarten is quite clear for me. I remember my teachers name. I remember the field trips we went on. I remember many daily experiences from that time.

Thank you for posting these remarkable memories. It supports our hope that Anna might remember things from the age of five. I have been wondering if she would remember some of her funny perceptions such as "The American Seagull" (instead of the American Eagle, since she was a Coastal California girl) or the Pot-Belly Stoved (potbelly stove) or the Half Moon Bay Kaview (Review) or even Ogre the Hill (Over the Hill).

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

Thank you for posting these remarkable memories. It supports our hope that Anna might remember things from the age of five. I have been wondering if she would remember some of her funny perceptions such as "The American Seagull" (instead of the American Eagle, since she was a Coastal California girl) or the Pot-Belly Stoved (potbelly stove) or the Half Moon Bay Kaview (Review) or even Ogre the Hill (Over the Hill).She might remember those things. When my younger brother was around 3ish, he used to call butter, ba-bore...so peanut butter was peanut ba-bore. I talked with him the other day and told him I had made some peanut ba-bore cookies. He couldn't believe I remembered that, and quite frankly, I couldn't believe he did either!

[raf]

Hi, I have some memories of when I was of 3/4/5 old... but I never remembering abt a accident that I had when I was abt 3 old...
I knew that I had it, but I never remebered as I had it.... what happen....
when I was abt 32 old, a night, a dream... and I re-lived the accident in this dream... I know that is true... the dream was very vivid... I believe that Anna can remember... in a way or in another, but she can remember....
regards, raf

[raf]

just other 2 cents:
in another forum abt italian genealogy (I'm a active member) a woman searching the mother in law, with, probable, italian heritage... the husband of this woman( author topic) was born in UK and the father abducted the child when he was abt 5/6 old and emigrated in Canada... the father re-married ... for all life the child grew up with convintion that natural mother was died in UK... when the father died, the second wife, after some year, saying that the natural mother never died...
the man remembering a sister, the mother and some other details... so he searching, knowing just the name of mother and last residence in UK...
It was a hard case...
by searches all members not found nothing... nothing....
for my experience, in this case so, I thinked( hoping right spell) that some data was no correct... so other search... nothing...
I had a idea:
if a son searching the mother, it is possible also that a mother searching the son.. right?
I made a search by website "missingyou" in UK, and I found a message old of some year, abt the mother that was searching the son in UK... all matching, better: the name of son and the first name of mother.. her surname was another, different, because the son knew only the surname of she by previous marriage ..
well: all well and the son found is mother....
what I wish say:
it is very possible that Anna remembering some thing of mother, and
it is possible that in some place she searching the mother....
all possible....
the Hope is all....
raf

[Shecky]

I remember many, many things from my childhood. I seem to be especially good at being able to place certain events with particular ages and time frames. For example, I can tell you that the day I started swimming without the aid of any flotation devices, was also the day of my big brother's high school graduation in 1989 (I was five years old).

I recall the neighborhood that I lived in from ages three to six. I can still visualize it to this day, all these years later. If you took me there, I'd recognize the street in a heartbeat. I remember names of family friends that I have not seen since I was five years old. I remember the day trip we took for my fifth birthday (Marine World, for those of you who are in California!). I recall the pink elephant cup that I was given that day, I remember that I had apricot jelly on my peanut butter sandwich. I remember the white and orange "I'm five years old!" t-shirt that I was wearing that day.

Not sure why my memory is so strong from those early years, but it is.

[Annasmom]

Some of you may be interested in reading the log of the bus trip our family made around the country the year before Anna disappeared. It contains drawings and several of her "Lo" letters, as well as photographs and tales of our sometimes harrowing adventures. You can find it at http://writeritewrightright.blogspot.com. The log begins On October 4 of this year, though the journal content of course is from 1971 for the most part (when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon!)

[Joe Ford]

Some of you may be interested in reading the log of the bus trip our family made around the country the year before Anna disappeared. It contains drawings and several of her "Lo" letters, as well as photographs and tales of our sometimes harrowing adventures. You can find it at http://writeritewrightright.blogspot.com. The log begins On October 4 of this year, though the journal content of course is from 1971 for the most part (when gasoline was 35 cents a gallon!)
35 cents a gallon....and ,by God, they washed every window on the bus for free...and with a cheerful smile!

[mel36]

I have one memory when I was a baby laying on a bed I asked my mother about a picture on the wall and a window and she verified that it was the first house we lived in we moved from that house when I was 6 months old "blinks" I also remember camping in the woods I was a baby then too it started hailing big golf ball size hail stones and my brother and father were picking them up and putting them into a bucket lol my mother said that I wasn't even a year old yet. Then I remember when I swallowed a penny when I was a year old, and my dad holding me by the brown sink metal sink it had a rub mark on it like it was worn down ,,I can tell you that I have at least one memory from each year. When I was three my brother was watching me while my parents worked, and my brother was upstairs, there was a knock on the door, I answered it, it was a man with dark short hair a mustache and a tan suit with a white dress shirt and a tan and striped tie ...he asked if he could use the bathroom and I told him that my brother was upstairs using the bathroom he said that he would go right there! I ran upstairs and told my brother he ran out of the bathroom with a towel around him and down the stairs but the man was gone, he never came back thank god. I was quite embarrased about what happened and my brother who was 17 at the time, first scolded me for opening the door after he told me not to then he hugged me real tight and told me to stay in his room until he was done getting dressed, he told our parents what happened and I asked why the man wanted to go pee in our doorway my dad looked at me and said "because there are creeps out in the world honey" my brother later on in life told me he was going to kill the guy he didn't care if the towel fell off! lol I was lucky the situation could have been very different. I just wanted to share that with you guys.

[smile22]

i remember the day we moved so vividly in my mind i was about 5/12 years old i remember my mom telling the moving men what to do. they day we moved i took a nap on the floor with some pillows i even remember the sheets i was lying on they are still in the closet someplace. it was around mid august when we moved cloudy with a hint of sun. i remember looking out the window not knowing what was going on we took two cars me and my brother in one car with my mom my dad and the dog in the other car with some random belongings. i even remember what i was wearing those windbraker pants with the strips on the side 9 this was the mid 80s) and a green shirt. i remember our house was not finished being built yet and we lived with my grandma for a few months. i even remember i was about 4 years old in my old house and i was sleeping it was like early morning 7ish and my dog at the time came in and i had this oversized cookie monster and all of us were playing in the bed. its weird how we process memories from early childhood but cant remember things from say when we were 8