5 things I miss most about being a kid...

Spending time with Dora and Boots this weekend. It took me back to when I was the one scared of the dark, I was the one searching for chocolate in the fridge, I was the one spending afternoons doing homework at top speed, just to watch cartoons immediately after.

Got me to thinking about what I missed most...and some really good memories.

1. Scrapbooking.

Being an only child, mum and dad came up with a lot of little things to keep me busy. Scrapbooking was a huge favorite with me. We spent hours pouring over magazines and old greeting cards. My pages were full of places I'd visit, things I loved and pictures mum and I just...thought were really cute. : )

2. Weekends at Ajman Marina.

Ajman Marina was a club, located an emirate away from Sharjah, where we lived. Special Fridays were spent at the Marina, all day in the pool, out just for a gorgeous barbeque lunch and then back in the water. The kids in the family spent all our time trying to tumble in the water, go between each others legs, jump, dive and throw each other into the water - those Fridays meant enough excitement to last us the whole month!

3. Cartoons.

Weekdays at 4PM was cartoon time. By that time, I (and probably all the kids I knew back then) were done with our homework, tea, baths and were comfortably in front of the TV to watch Transformers, Scooby Doo, Looney Toons - the works. Good times.

4. Bath time.

This particular joy is still close to my heart. As a kid, bath time meant a lot of playing in the tub and mum and me indulging in some mother-daughter mischief. She would let me jump on the bed, tickle me and I'd be laughing till I got the hiccups. As I grew older, I'd have bath on my own, but the bathroom door would be open and mum and I would be talking and laughing about the day gone by.

When I last went back home, I realised mum and I caught ourselves doing the same thing. In Goa, with rain beating on the tiles above, the familiarity of the moment was so much more special - only because I hadn't realised how much I missed it.

5. So I started this post thinking I'd be able to zone in on 5 things. Now, at 5, I realise I can't. Long walks with Dad as he dropped me to Arabic tuitions, standing on a stool in the kitchen and washing glasses as mum cooked, meeting friends every morning in the school bus, little accomplishments in school that I now realise, were a big deal, making friendships that are lasting me a lifetime, learning to make the yummiest chocolate potato cake (will find the recipe and post it, I promise!) and so much more.

Being a kid was fun. But now's great too.

What do you miss most?