Inspired By Priscilla

I enjoyed reading Priscilla's "Arbitrary Memories". Here are mine...

Kindergarten- One day we were all taken upstairs in the school to see the nurse and get a German measles shot. I jumped as the needle went into my arm and had to get a second dose. Daphne had only one shot and was still crying when we got back downstairs to the classroom. I recall wondering what the big deal was. I got it twice and didn't cry at all.
First Grade- During a first grade class activity I tried to pick up Debbie Small (who was bigger than me) and as punishment, Mrs. Erwin made me sit at my desk with my head down. She was a scary teacher who also yelled at me for whistling (one short whistle) in class. At just I six was completely humiliated and not quite sure what I had done to deserve such inhumane treatment.
Second Grade- My best friend was Esther Perrigo. We both had white hair and similar haircuts which I thought was pretty neat. There weren't too many other little girls with such blond hair as us.
Third grade- I had my very first "boyfriend" in third grade. We spent time together after school walking down the frozen creek behind the playground in the winter. Alomost every day we asked each other "Are your feet cold?" "Yes, are yours?" We had fun catching garter snakes in the spring. He moved away at the end of the school year and we wrote letters back and forth for many years.
Fourth Grade- I never moved as a kid, my parents still live in the house they had when I was born, but our whole neighborhood had to go to a new school when I went to fourth grade. because of this I met my friend, Elena. She was a Jehovah's Witness and wasn't allowed to attend any of the class holiday celebrations. this was something new to me and I felt somewhat sorry for her.
Fifth Grade- I spent the winter of fifth grade ice skating after school with my friend, Andrea. I even got a pair of skates for Christmas. I don't know how I was ever able to skate on them several years later. I used to walk home with them on my feet. Andrea and I also used to write poetry together. Sometimes we worked on the same poem but more often we inspired each other instead.
Sixth Grade- My teacher, Mrs. Washburn, had the reputaion of being mean. She was an older woman and didn't tolerate much nonsense in her class. One day she became frustrated with the group for some reason and brought her fist down on a stack of folders setting on top of the overhead projector. The glass top shattered but she pretended not to notice and calmly rolled it to the side of the classroom. I remember telling my mom about it. Mom said maybe it didn't really break but I had little bits of glass on my desk from the incident.
Seventh Grade- My favorite science teacher, Mr. Golden, was also my homeroom teacher. We had a class full of animals, gerbils, mice, rabbits, and I'm sure various other creatures throughout the year. Mr. Golden was one of those teachers that all the kids loved. he told jokes and made school lots of fun. This was also the year that I played with a little mustard package during lunch. I noticed a tiny hole in one end and decided to squeeze the package and watch it ooze out. Things didn't go quite as I planned. Instead of oozing out slowly, the mustard squirted out and landed right in my eye! You never saw a kid wipe her eye out so fast.
Eighth- Grade- One day in math class I noticed a little drawing, left by another student, on my desk. I can't even remember what it was but I made an additional drawing and left class thinking nothing much of it. To my surprise there was a new one on the desk the next day. Gradually the desk top drawings turned into short notes left on a paper inside the desk. We signed them "SM" and "MP" never knowing who the other person was. I was always amazed that no one else intercepted our notes, nor did the teacher put an end to it. I can't remember how long this went on, but at least several weeks. "SM" signed my yearbook and I hers. She was a year ahead of me in school. We never got to be friends outside of a desk in math class but it was a fun memory.
Ninth Grade- We were in Mr. Moriarty's science class when the fire alarm went off. Not a big deal most of the time, but it was the middle of winter and it was snowing. I remember Mr. Moriarty saying, "This isn't a drill... " We all lined up and walked out into the snowstorm. Eventually, they brought out the buses so that we could get warm and when the danger was over, let us into the gym. From there we were bused home coatless as the halls were filled with smoke. The school didn't burn down, the fire was contained to one small storage room.
Tenth Grade- This was the year I "accidentally" missed the bus and had no way to get to school. (Mom didn't drive.) Actually, it was a plan and I rode my bike to Ruth's house and took the bus to school with her. There was another student, from a Catholic all-girls school, who was visiting that day. We just kind of slipped me into the plan too. I was in the right town all day long, but the wrong high school. (A little out of character for me as I had never even skipped a class.) The funniest part was that the last class of the day the teacher was a former neighbor. He didn't recognize me that day but I knew I was busted several weeks later when he saw me out with my dad.
Eleventh Grade- My love affair with clay began in eleventh grade. I took a ceramics class which I thoroughly enjoyed. I only wish I would have had the chance then to pursue it.

After eleventh grade my life changed drastically. I got married that June and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy in September. I guess you could say I continued my education at home. Do I have regrets? Yes and no. I love my husband and everyone of my kids. I wouldn't trade them for the world, but starting out life that way was very difficult for all of us. If I could do it all over again, not knowing what I have now, I guess I would do it different. But would I give it all up for something different? Nope.