We were so poor...

(disclaimer: for all of you wise guys I know we weren't poor compared to 97.4 % of the world, but work with me here because this is a fond memory and I learned a lot from the "lean times" of my family's life... a.k.a. my first 10 years)

that the neighbors would often look outside and wonder what those poor Smith kids were doing spraying each other with Windex, Pinesol, Shampoo and lotion. I guess we couldn't afford water guns, or else my parents were simply frugal, but we always saved any plastic bottle from around the house. Cleaning products, shower products, pump hair spray bottles... you name it, we saved it, cleaned it out repeatedly with hot water and soap and VOILA!

Water guns!!!!!!! Sort of.

I was taking out the trash and saw Kelly's enormous shampoo bottle in the bathroom trash. I thought, "that doesn't seem right seeing that in the trash." I remember how excited I would get when I saw the shampoo bottle getting a little low, or if I was doing chores and finished off the windex... NEW SQUIRT GUN!

My sister and I each fill up a few bottles and have at it. Shampoo bottles were good for a quick blast if the enemy was in close range, pump hair spray bottles were good for around the house and cooling down when we were hot, but the best of all were the bottles with the turning nozzles. FLEXIBILITY! We didn't get many of those, but when we did, it was priceless. One moment you were misting the person, conserving your water, the next you were shooting 'em down with the spray feature.

Oh, the memories. Thanks mom and dad! I am so grateful that we didn't grow up with lots of things, because I am now relearning that you don't need lots of things to live.