{ 9 Mar 2009 }

Babe (continued)

[Written by Jimbo's sister Sherry]

Doll

Jimbo’s four oldest siblings were quite a few years older when Jimbo was born. Rick, his only brother, was 18; Sally was 16; Sherry was 14; and Holly was 12 (the fifth child, Marion, was 6, the “baby” for six years until Jimbo appeared). 

The girls, Sally, Sherry, and Holly, had never been much for playing with dolls — we were a very active group, and much more prone to outdoor activities and sports. When we were inside, we had each other, which led to games, challenges, and (of course) teasing matches.

When Jimbo arrived, we found ourselves with a new, extrememly “fun” toy — he immediately became our “live” doll. We dressed him up in costumes, applied make-up (lipstick, clown nose, a mustache — we were nothing if not creative), carted him around in a wagon, showed him off to our friends. The fairy princess and the cigar-chomping reporter were immediate hits.

And he seemed to enjoy the attention as much as we enjoyed doling it out. He was a happy little fellow.

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{ 8 Mar 2009 }

Babe (continued)

[Written by Jimbo's mother in her book My Son Jimbo]

Mr. Charm

He was a joyful preschooler, my little Renaissance man, his active curiosity only exceeded by his total charm.

I can still see him sitting in a circle of [sister] Sally’s Pi Phi friends on their pledge runaway weekend, regaling them with his cute baby/grown-up conversation. [Sally adds: I just remember that he was having as much fun as all the girls -- mutual admiration and entertainment.]

Milkaholic

One day in desperation I put Jimbo in his playpen and by way of bribery handed him a bottle, in those days made of glass. In a fit of pique he threw it over the side onto the flagstone floor … and for the first time found something about his playpen that really delighted him. From then on he preferred smashing to drinking. So it was that Jimbo was weaned from a bottle to a cup.

Dick appropriated the two remaining unsmashed bottles to store in his liquor cabinet to use in measuring drinks.

One day two years later Jimbo was drinking a glass of milk when he spotted one of the bottles sitting next to the sink. He poured his milk into it, then gleefully announced, “Look at me, Dad, I’m drinking my milk out of a whisky bottle!”

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