School Daze....

School days, school days....good ol' golden rule days....Reading and 'Riting and 'Rithmetic....talk to the tune of the hickory stick....

Already upon us, the first day of school for Trayden and Ansleigh is Monday!  Hard to believe that Trayden is entering second grade.  Ansleigh's birthday is September 12th, so she missed the cut-off for kindergarten and will be in a pre-k program at her daycare center.  But, they are both ready and Bonnie brought them by the house after Trayden's "Meet the Teacher" night out at Buffalo Gap Elementary.

I remember how exciting it was to be embarking on a new school year when I was a kid!  Probably my favorite part of the entire process was shopping for school supplies.  We would go to the store and select fresh packages of crayons, boxes of unsharpened pencils, large packages of manila and colored construction paper, fresh bottles of Elmer's glue.....ah, the smell alone was enough to send me into a realm!

Of course, equally important in the selection process was the traditional box into which all the smaller supplies were placed.  Heavy cardboard boxes just like the ones my Grandad got his cigars in!  And the loose leaf binders as we got into the upper elementary grades - oh, which one to select to best represent my personality for the entire year.....

We didn't carry backpacks when I was in elementary school.  Some kids had little satchels, but usually we just lugged home whichever books were needed in our arms at the end of the day.  We lived only a couple of blocks from school and always, always walked back and forth - sometimes even walking home for lunch!

Papa Ed picked up these backpacks for the grandkids at Academy, where he works.  Trayden's came with an insulated lunch kit - great idea.  Ansleigh loved the pink camo design of hers and it just fits her little personality. 

Then there was the huge decision about what to wear for the first day!  I would fuss and fret and finally decide, laying my clothes out the night before.  And, of course, the new shoes.  Penny loafers and saddle oxfords were always in fashion when I was a kid and that year's variation was sitting next to the dresser with a fresh white pair of anklets to don the next morning.  It wasn't until I was in about third or fourth grade that we were allowed to wear pants to school.  So, my mother usually sewed new little skirts and dresses for us.  Our wardrobes were then supplemented with some store-bought items - such a treat!  I always felt so rich with those new clothes for school hanging in my closet. 

 

 

First week of school, first grade - 1967

So, what was your favorite school supply????  Mine had to be the new box of crayons.....oh, the smell.  While the other kids were sniffing their glue, I was all about inhaling the scent of brand new Crayola crayons - all the way from the chunky 8-pack to the super-size 64's with the built-in sharpener! 

Remember to drive slowly and watch out for kids in the school zones this next week!  And let us never lose the joy of our inner child!

Janie