My 90s Memories

An only child that was adopted by Great Aunt here to reminenice about my 90s - early 2000s childhood memories Growing Up In Illinois. Feel free to message.

[my90smemories]

Summertime Kids ‘98/1999

During summers I’d spend a majority of my time at my Bestfriends house. Her family always entertained & had some friends that had kids our age they’d bring over sometimes. I just randomly remembered her Fathers friend from another state “Ken” & his 4 kids Oldest Seth, Twins Sarah/Sean & the youngest son Moondog I don’t remember his real name? They were biracial; All were Slim & had Golden Bronze skin, Seth was taller with braces, Sarah had long brown hair & kinda reminded me of Stacy Dash, Sean had black hair Slim build. I only met the 3 oldest the summer of ‘98 & we all played out in my Bestfriends pool. I clicked more with Sarah & Sean. I usually didn’t like other kids but they didn’t seem to annoy me. The next Summer I believe it was 1999 they were back in Illinois & my Bestfriends family planned a trip to Indiana Beach & that’s when I met the youngest brother MoonDog; Now he was mean & for no reason. I don’t really remember much except he was smaller, had thick black eyebrows, I believe a mini Afro & an angry face. He was not a good time but Indiana Beach was fun. I think I think the last I saw them was in 2000? I remember playing hide & seek in the basement laundry room over my Bestfriends. I remember that FALL my Bestfriend went to visit with them in the state they lived & had pictures but I’m not sure if her mom kept her picture box after she passed? I would like to see them again.

Update: I found them Sarah looks a bit different from what I remember, Sean looks the same & the Youngest Brother still has his mini afro. I can’t seem to find the oldest Seth. The state they live in is Nevada

[my90smemories]

I’ve been logged out of Tumblr for a while but these brothers I remember from Chicago Park Districts Summer day camp I attended popped in my head. DonAntonio was my Age & His Brother Duke was maybe a year or 2 younger. I remember the summer of I believe 96’ when I went to Hamilton park for that 1 & only summer; I remember because the next summer 97’ my Aunt didn’t allow me to go for whatever reason & I felt left out since my cousins all went again... DonAntonio was darkinned & kind of looked like the guy I had a crush on from around the way at my Apt complex out in the suburbs. So I kinda thought he was cute. I remember a few things from going to that Day Camp My older cousin Kevin the father of my 2 cousins Corey & TC was a landscraper for the place, My cousin NaNa getting stuck in the baby swing, these girls fighting to the left of me as I was swinging very high; I believe she got jumped & she was like “it’s cool, it’s cool”, The music man Mr Fridgidare who played the piano & we’d sing along (he came to Robichaux Park the 2 summers I went there), these brothers with gray & white Jordan 12s I wanted, this boy with curly hair who said he wanted to kiss & marry me; I was soo mean to him & made him cry, this big camp counselor called TBell she slapped us on our heads because she said we were talking about her, this boy who hit me soo hard I lost my breath, my cousin losing her Polly Pocket necklace I told her not to bring to camp & this camp leader who was a teenage boy who tried to embarrass me because he thought I said something when it was this short boy with a deep voice like he had a frog in his throat, lastly the race we had & I was confident to win but Duke the brother of DonAntonio won! He ran FASTER than me. The last day at that camp they had this yellow & white cake; my older cousin & his friends were there to pick my cousin & I up. I was ready to go but they wanted me to go get them more cake & tried to talk to the girls. They got mad because I wouldn’t go back inside to get the cake. I remember California Love & Bone Thugz Crossroads being hot at the moment on Chicago radio that summer also.

FastForward to 1999

My Aunt end up putting me in this Sports summer program at Kennedy King College. I did not want to be there & didn’t like most of the people in my group but to my Surprise DonAntonio was in my group & I didn’t realize it was the same person I knew from Hamilton park nor did I bring it up. I think his brother was in a different group & they had a sister who was there too; she was younger & looked more like DonAntonio. I remember our camp counselor last name was Harris but forgot his name? I hated it soo much there. We’d be out in the hot sun all day forced to play sports. Then we had like drug/gang lecture class & one of the boys who was in my groups mother hosted it, biology class where we had to dissect a cat, then a piglet & a golf class (I had a crush on this boy named London in our group) the gold instructor called him Lonnie. I had like 3 fights (Nerd Guy Courtney with glasses, Some boy as we were watching a movie same day making me look bad & on the day before the last day the boy who’s mom hosted the drug class & some other boy jumped me but I held my own) because those city kids thought by me being from the suburbs that I was an easy target… on the last day my Aunt asked the councilor if my cousin could stay with me because my Aunt Tracy (my cousins mom) was picking us up. These boys tried to jump me & my cousin was scared & crying but I remember not being afraid lol. Nas Hate Me Now & JaRule Holla Holla was played in Chicago during that summer. That was my last summer program & I never saw those kids again. Except I saw DonAntonio & Dukes sister at a clothing store around I think FordCity mall. I was going to talk to her but I didn’t.

Years later about 2010/2011 I found Duke & DonAntonio on Facebook. Duke had kids & DonAntonio was Gay. I recently tried to find them again & couldn’t. I want to see how they look or if they have pictures of how I remember them.

[my90smemories]

Found these cute little Trick Or Treat friends at Goodwill today. No info except online saying “Vintage Halloween Finger Puppets”. I wonder what year they are

[my90smemories]

Saw this Blanket at gGoodwill. I loved the colors but the blanket was dark blue. My colors are black & pastels

[queensofrap]

Missy Elliott.

[my90smemories]

Saw this Amazing Spice Girls gift bag at Goodwill but didn’t get it 😭

[my90smemories]

The Flying Ant

I just had a memory that I don’t remember telling you guys. It was about 1994 when I was playing outside in front of our building when my Bestfriend still lived under us. It was a wood dirt box built in front of her patio that had lots of ants & bugs we used to catch or dig up; mostly rolly pollies to play with (we found a white one once). So one day I was out playing while she was inside & I can’t remember if I was by myself or if another kid was out front too but a spider was coming down as I was standing by the tree & I kid you not a flying ant came & snatched the spider right as it was about to get on me! The spider from what I remember was scary looking almost likes triangle brown & hard shelled; I’m not sure if the thing that got it was a flying ant but it looked like one. I would never forget that

[my90smemories]

RIP KiKi Shepherd. While staying over at my Aunts I loved when Showtime at the Apollo would come on at night. She was always soo glamorous, they’ll NEVER be another KiKi Shepherd! She did that

[my90smemories]

I have yet to find that Hot Pink Skunk my Great Grandfather gotten for me between 1990-91. I found the dog ones online that are very similar & prob from the same manufacturer which said were produced in Illinois. I want to see my Skunk again 😩 I left it at my older cousins aunts house by accident when I was in 1st grade along with 2 PollyPocket compacts & never saw them again.

[my90smemories]

I remember in kindergarten ‘91 I discovered the color Magenta. It’s the 1st color I liked once I learned the name instead of calling it “Pink”.

[my90smemories]

Another person I randomly just thought about from the apt I grew up was Stephanie. She didn’t go to school with us I honestly didn’t know where she went to school. She lived downstairs in my Bestfriends old apt 202. She was a white girl with cats I believe one’s name was Tigger I forgot the other cats name? It was 98/99. She had a playhouse out front with pillows that the cats would sleep on when they’d let them out. It was a Tortie cat that I thought was hers that showed up like around the same time she lived in & would sleep on that playhouse. That’s how we started speaking. My Aunt let me take care of the tortie cat I named Tiger & it became my outdoor cat that I could let in sometimes. That cat came back & waited for me everyday after school in that little playhouse or I’d leave rock in the door & it would sit at the top of the stair’s waiting for me… (Back to topic) Stephanie was cool; we bonded after one night I was in my room which was above hers & I heard her playing Spice Girls! I loved Spice Girls & I told her I heard her playing it. We played together outside a few times but she did not fit in at the playground, so we stayed in front of our building mostly; it was a tree to the right which she used my scissors to carve a shape into the tree that I always wonder if the mark is still there to this day? I knew not to get too attached because I knew her family wasn’t gonna last long since the complex was getitng bad, I remember being on our patio & her older brother was walking under asked was I going to “spit on his head” I told him “No” & I remember one day these kids were terrorizing her cats & chasing them plus the cat I had around under cars. I feel after that is when they moved away. I was never home or around when people I played with moved but she was another short term friend thought about.

[my90smemories]

I just found my old harddrive & pictures I had saved from soo long ago. My fav color was Blue at the time.

1st one is dated June 14, 2003 when I had a crush on Jonathan Vazquez

2nd is dated July 12, 2003 some of me fav cartoon characters back then.

[my90smemories]

I just remembered this younger boy who lived in my APT complex Building 10. we both had big wheels & rode around all day together. He had a Batman one & mine was black but I have no idea? I thought it was ninja turtle. I forgot the boys his name? His name was Jamal Huff I previously put “Maurice”. He used to talk about his uncle a lot, I think that's who cared for him. He was around the way but didn’t go to school with us. Last time I saw Jamal we were older like early Teens he been moved to the complex literally a 2 steps across called Candlewood & he was at the laundromat. I was with my aunt & she embarrassed me in front of him in maybe 2001. After that I saw him around sometimes but didn’t speak anymore. Plus I stopped going outside when I hit JR High & HighSchool. I remember some of the kids saying we thought you moved lol

[my90smemories]

Glitter Hair Barbie 1993

1989 Dance Club Barbie

1991 Mermaid Barbie

[my90smemories]

I just got a 90s memory of when I’d visit the south side low end of Chicago on weekends or special days. Several times I had an encounter with this boy & he’d introduce himself as Lassie. I can’t remember how many times but the 2 times; I remember was when “Jack” (my moms senior citizen friend) took me to a playground a few blocks from his building & the next was at The Rink skating rink for my cousins BDay maybe in 1996. I don’t really remember that boys face I just remember him being lightskinned with long puffy hair & younger than me. I wonder where he is now, I bet he’d be easy to find.

[fuckyeslilkim]

Lil' Kim shot by David LaChapelle for her single cover for 'No Matter What They Say', 2000.

[ruinedchildhood]