I've Gone Country A blog about a city girl learning a whole new world

I can’t believe it is already time for school to start.

Riley is going into the second grade and Andy is going to start Kindergarten.  Layla has one more year and then it will be her turn.  One of the weird things about getting old is remembering when you went to kindergarten yourself, then you’ve raised a family,put your own kids in school, and now it’s the grandchildren’s turn…..yet  you remember being there yourself like it was yesterday.   WEIRD….

Billy and I went by my elementary school this past weekend….maybe it is because I just turned fifty….or because the grandchildren are about to go to school for a new year, I don’t know but I had major flashbacks.

First off…that school is soooo small.   When I was going there it was much… much…. bigger.  I saw some of the original playground equipment from when I was there.  The monkey bars sure weren’t as intimidating as they used to be.  Bet I could make it across now.

There was a special place under an awning that a bunch of us girls would sit and eat packaged, sweetened,  dry koolaid….. with our fingers.  All of us, with wet slobbery fingers sitting indian style, passing it around in a circle…dipping wet finger after wet finger  into one Koolaid package.  We would all end up with a purple or orange finger, and some strange  colored lips..  No wonder stomach bugs go around when school starts……

I saw the place where you were “dropped off”  for school if you rode in a car.  Patrol kids would open the car door for you.  I remember my little sister was a patrol girl.  I was  proud of her with her little strap vest thingy on.  She looked very official.  If I am not mistaken there was a hard hat, white gloves and a badge that with with that attire. Oh…and sometimes she got to carry an orange flag.   She was really something else….

I also saw the crosswalk where my lunchbox opened and it all fell out while I was in the middle of crossing.  Oh!!! how embarrassing!  I was trying to hurry and pick it all up…I mean gracious there were cars….they were stopped…but still I was in the middle of the street.  When you are a kid…that stuff is major.

I saw the door that came out of one of my old classrooms.  The teacher would let kids take turns during the week beat the chalk board erasers.  If you were the lucky one…you got to go outside and pound the erasers on a metal grate attached to the brick wall.  It was a lot of fun.  Chalk dust would fly everywhere.  Your hands would be chalk white.  It was sooooo cool.

I didn’t go in the school the other day, matter of fact I haven’t been in that school since my own son went there.  But, I remember how that bell sounded in the mornings….and the way my heart would beat faster if I was late to class.  I remember saying the pledge of allegiance and having a school prayer to start the day.  I can still recall how it smelled when you entered the building early in the mornings.  The excitement of getting to sharpen your pencil….and the smell of the shavings.  The  nervousness and excitement all rolled into one when chosen to take something to the main office for the teacher.  I loved smelling the fresh rolls cooking for lunch, and eating the peanut butter balls, they were awesome.  However, I never liked the milk.  It was never cold enough or something…I still am not a milk drinker.  Of course I blame it on that.   We took our lunch most of the time, but we bought that old nasty milk.   My Poor Mama…she made a lot of  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, she would cut oranges up to make triangle slices and we would always have some sort of cookie.  Now, that may sound boring…but I really liked it.  I would cringe when she would put a tuna fish sandwich in my lunch….or a banana….do you know how gross that smells by lunch time.

As Billy and I drove away on those old familiar roads, I couldn’t help but smile.  We had a lot of fun in the walls of that school.  Lots of childhood fun, running, playing, laughing all in the midst of  learning.   Many teachers still come to mind that helped and guided me along the way.

The other day Lindsay was talking about Andy going to kindergarten.  She kinda hates to see this day coming.  Her baby…going to school.  It can be so hard to send them off those first few days.  They just look too little to be going to school.

I thought about how I felt the day I had to do that.  It puts a lump in your throat for sure.  Ok…..so it makes a Mama cry…

The hard part is….not crying in front of them, you know…when you have to be a “big girl”, and tell how much fun they are going to have….while your heart is breaking.

I have great respect and admiration for teachers.  It is not an easy job, if  they are taking their job seriously.

Each year I would pray for whomever my son would be getting as a teacher that year.  I know they can make a huge impact on a child’s life.   We were blessed to have a lot of wonderful teachers through the years.

About  Twenty Two years ago…. as my son finished kindergarten… I reflected back on the year, and I  wrote a poem about it.   I am not a real poem writer by any means.  Matter of fact I haven’t gotten any better at it even after all these years.   HA HA

For some reason I can’t seem to write anything unless it rhymes or gets close…..  So I suppose it is just ….thoughts of mine….put to rhyme.

I am really going out on a limb here… so…….don’t laugh….this is meant to ease other Moms that have knots in their stomachs as they take their babies to school.  If nothing else it will make them stop crying and start laughing.

Kindergarten

Nervous as we went down the hall

It was a new experience for us all

Garrett and I were holding hands so tight

As we turned the corner to meet Miss Wright

She was ever so patient, as I delayed my leaving

For she could see my heart was grieving

Independence is what we all want for our child

But wanting a teacher gentle and mild

Already leaving “silky”, the blanket, in the car

I knew we had already come so far

But did she know all she needed to know?

Why, who would kiss his little stumped toe?

He broke both arms only last summer

What if he needed his mama and no other?

Did she know he sucked his thumb when tired?

And sometimes cough medicine would make him wired?

Yet everyday my mind was put to ease

As I saw her gentle pat and loving squeeze

Firm in discipline yet gentle and kind

It soon wasn’t hard to leave him behind

Cutting, Coloring, Shapes and Sizes

Three good notes could win you prizes

Couldn’t wait to go to school the very next day

After learning to skip and tie a bow the right way!

So very organized everyday

She made her work seem like play

Making holidays fun for each season

I could see him understanding their reason

Straight across and down from heaven

Now even Mom could make a seven

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

I like that teacher behind that hickory stick

I believe God sent you from above

To teach our children with your love

Let me polish your halo and straighten your wings

As you prepare next years kindergarten things

I thank God that in our Public School System

We still have teachers who love and listen

Thank you is all I know to say

For teaching Garrett in a wonderful way.