Hermione

After Hermione and her twin sister were born March 11, people would say, "Ahh!  Beware the Ides of March."  Hermione's Apgar score was a 10 at birth, the highest they give children.  After noticing she held her head to one side all the time, I took her back to the pediatrician who found she had torn her sternocleidomastoid muscle during birth.  Hence all the crying and the Apgar score.  

Hermione was born when we lived on Diamond Springs Drive, 13 miles out of town.  Because of my blood pressure the doctor informed me, my babies needed to be induced that day.  I asked him if I could go home first, and he agreed.  I went home, had lunch, fed and watered the chickens, and arranged for childcare.  When I got back to the hospital, the nurses said, "Where have you been!  Dr, Whitesitt has been here waiting for you."  Oops.  My blood pressure was cause for alarm, but I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation.

Originator of the rabbit costume:  sleeper PJs and tights on your head.  Oct. 1983.

Hermione and Eglantine slept in the same crib for two or three months.  Then we moved them to their own room.  They may have been twins, but their personalities were never alike.  When Hermione objected to something, she objected 100%.   As a child, she did not believe in taking things lying down.   She hated her bath and water for several months.   She has since learned a boatload of coping skills and gained perspective.  As an adult, she doesn't let things get to her.  She bathes regularly, too.

Age 3

Playing Cowgirls at Grandma R's

Hermione has always had an appreciation of the beautiful.  I remember her playing in Grandma R's pink bedroom.  She arranged a table setting with play dishes and placed a rose petal on each plate.  Her Grandma loved seeing the beautiful arrangements she created.  Grandma R would always remember to peek into the playroom after Hermione had left to see how artistically Hermione placed things.

Speaking of creativity, she liked to write and won a state-wide PTO story writing contest.   "Keep writing!" encouraged the judges.  When she was old enough, she became the piano teacher's pet because of her enthusiasm and talent for the piano.  She scored several superiors at state music festival.  She was always an A student too.

Hermione LOVES nature.  Need a hiking or skiing partner?  This is the gal who wants to go.  I loved having her home between jobs or school because I always had a hiking partner. 

In addition to loving the outdoors, Hermione truly enjoyed college.  Or maybe I should say she enjoyed learning.  It was satisfying to pay tuition for someone who was fascinated by so many of her classes.  When she went back to school for her masters after serving a church mission, she put her love of learning into action again.  She became a tip top clinician.  

Because we had five children, it often seemed like many people in the school and the community looked down on Dad and I.  It was almost as if they viewed us as irresponsible.  Others often seemed to think our children didn't have as many opportunities or receive as much  attention as children in two child families. It is true that we divided our attention by five.  Also true that major vacations to far away places were way beyond our means.  But when you have a child who becomes the person Hermione is, you have hard time making a case that our our family construction was a bad thing.