School memories

Today it was back to school for many of the kids in the area. My base works with an elementary school in the area as a community partnership thing. Some of the staff were at the school greeting kids bright and early this morning... me included. I saw one little girl with blue eyes a lot like Elly's. She was clinging to her mother's hand as she walked up the steps. I can't remember her name, but I remember the look on her face... pure fear. She was about to start kindergarten. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. And that's when my waterworks started. I swear, I'm the biggest freakin' baby I know. Who in their right mind cries when they see someone else's kid going to school for the first time? Ugh. I'm ridiculous. So anyway, I spent a lot of today thinking about school memories. I tried to think back to some of my most memorable moments as a kid at school. It's amazing to me what stands out. I'd say the most random thing is the homonym wall in 4th grade. It totally tops the weird list. Anyone who could think of a homonym could write(/right) it down on a Christmas ornament and stick it on the paper trees out in the hallway. To this day (nearly 20 years later) I still think of homonyms I can submit to Mrs. Kish for extra credit (too/two/to; him/hymn; sexts/sects... possibilities are endless!). I remember playing huckle, buckle, beanstalk in Mrs. Light's young-5s class. The more people I tell about this game, the more I realize Mrs. Light' totally made that shit up! No one knows what the hell I'm talking about when I find what I was looking for and yell out HUCKLE, BUCKLE, BEANSTALK! But I swear it's an actual game I was taught in school. It had to of been legit because I remember also coloring the state bird and state tree in her class. I don't remember much from middle school, but I think I've just completely blocked that crap out. Other than the awful hair and socially awkward moments, there's nothing good that came from 6-8th grade. And high school... yeah, let's go ahead and try to forget that stuff too. All I know is that I don't remember for one second ever crying or being afraid to go to school. I'm sure my mother will read this and point out the fact that I was as scared as that poor little girl with braides in her hair this morning. I have no idea if my mom cried like the woman did after she dropped her daughter off (and like I will when it's my turn to drop off Elly.) But it's one memory I don't have. What I do remember, is that I colored a lot and got in trouble for talking. Oh, and I was a planet in 3rd grade. :-)