Composition Notebooks Secured

At the third Giant, T was able to find a plethora of black marble composition notebooks. We can conclude that either they were all sent there OR that the schools in that area do not require them. Either way, we know now where to go next year! ;-)

Could that be it? I've written out six emergency cards, 2 toxic waste spill cards, 2 inclement weather cards, PTA volunteer sheet, school directory form, ..... oh, I forgot Em's pencils - finally sharpened but sitting on T's desk, the two $15 checks for "magazines" still on T's desk, the PTA dues (still not sure we'll join - not sure there is any benefit to that....). Then I'm done. For now. This is the time of year I am grateful that we decided to have only two kids. It's even overwhelming with two.

So, last night I put Em to bed. She's so sweet, and she loves first grade. Right now, she still thinks it's fun. She's excited that her friend Conner is in her class AND that she gets to sit with him. I was digging around for more information yesterday and here's what I got.

Me: So, how do you like Mrs. P?

Em: I LOVE her. But she's not Miss C. I mean, I like her and all, but she's just different.

Me: I know you love Miss C, but I think you'll love Mrs. P, too.

Em: So, Miss C went to Connecticut? What is she doing there?

Me: Teaching kindergarten.

Em: So, you mean, we only had her here for ONE YEAR??? And then she left?

Me: Yup, aren't we lucky?

Em: Why did she do that?

Me: Because she got married?

Em: Oh, well, she should come back and then we could have her forever!

There is just something about kindergarten teachers that we keep in our hearts. Kt swears up and down that Mrs. O is the best teacher in the school. I happen to remember my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Handy. I LOVED her. In fact, when I met Kt's teacher that's who she reminded me of. Sweet older woman who just made you feel warm inside. Her classroom was a carnival of sorts - I can remember it down to almost every last detail - where the dress-up clothes were, the sand/water table, the piano she used to play for us, the tables for art projects, where Mr. Noran used to wheel in the milk for each day, the stinky bathrooms, and where we would have circle time. We had lots of windows that opened up to the playground, a big chalkboard that Mrs. Handy used to let us write on with colored chalk, big closets for all our coats and rubber boots and the big closet where she kept all her special treasures. I don't remember her having a desk - I'm sure she had one, but she never used it. She was always doing something with us. It was pure magic!

After kindergarten, I don't remember much. Mrs. Bauchmann and the Sun Up! reading book, Mrs. Lawrence, where I met my friend Amy, Mrs. Hudzik where my best friend, Heather, came to school late one day because she had a tick removed from her scalp, Mrs. Hughes, who read us great books and where Brian used to copy my spelling homework daily while we waited to be dismissed as walkers, Mrs. Hudzik again, where my handwriting was so bad that I can remember spending hours at the writing center to work on it (who would have thought I'd end up being a calligrapher!) and finally, Mrs. Kaminski, who shouldn't have been a teacher at all. I do remember quite a bit from sixth grade, mostly that I was mischievous, had some interesting friends and "total phone."

Oh, the memories made in the halls of a school by some of the most influential people in the world, our teachers!