David, That Little Stinker!

David was born on May 7, 1970, and he weighed 8lbs. 15oz! He was a good baby, but sometimes prone to projectile vomiting!

I took Noelle and David to Cincinnati to visit my friend Donna when he was between one and two years old. There was another little girl there about the same age. At some point during the visit, David bit her right on the face! How embarrassing!

David's third birthday was celebrated in Manchester, New Hampshire at Grandma and Grandpa Paquette's house. I made a cake in the shape of a choo-choo train!

Early one morning at our house on Brookville Road, before we remodeled the upstairs, David came into our bedroom in his yellow "bunny suit". He had black blotches from head to toe, since he had obviously been playing in the fireplace!

The night before the Indy 500 in 1977, Donald was working at the St. Bernadette Bingo. Daniel was nearly six months old. I had sent the children upstairs to bed. Before long, David came down in his pajamas to tell me that my bed was on fire! I rushed upstairs and, sure enough, he was right! He had lit a Kleenex and dropped it on my bed! There was water in the bathtub and I could have soaked a bath towel in it and put the fire out, but I couldn't think! I called the Fire Department and got everyone out of the house. They came right away and put it out, but it had ruined our bed, part of the floor, and there was some water damage to the ceiling in the room below! We had to sleep on the playroom mattress downstairs until our room was repaired....plus we got new bedroom furniture! Donald came home that night with two tickets to the Indy 500 that someone at Bingo had given him. So the next day we took baby Daniel to the Race and sat in the Tower Terrace! Believe me, it was a welcome distraction. I found it difficult to sleep for many nights. I was so thankful that David's pajamas had not caught fire, and that he had not been afraid to tell me what had happened! He went to the Fire Station for a counseling session about fire safety too.

Probably the following Christmas Eve, Donald and I were downstairs late helping Santa. Finally, it was time to go to bed. As we went up the stairs, there was David, his face between two newel posts above the landing with a direct view down into the hall, and sound asleep on his stomach, his chin resting on the wood base of the railing! I wish we had taken a photo, but we were too tired. He did not wake up when Donald carried him to bed. I love remembering that!

David liked to draw very extensive and detailed "battle" scenes, with little tanks, soldiers, guns, and planes, which would entirely cover a sheet of paper! And he liked to tell stories so much that he could talk your ear off! On a visit to Omaha, David slept in a room with my uncle Eddie. I was up very early one morning and on my way to the bathroom I could hear David's voice, talking on and on to Uncle Eddie about whatever. I remember smiling at the time....

David liked being a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout, and an Explorer Scout. The latter afforded him experience with computers at the former Naval Avionics plant.

I love you, David!