I just got my hair washed, with Breck Shampoo. I felt like a Breck girl should. I walked with a stride that allowed my hair to sway back and forth over my shoulders. My head was turning from side to side, much like my nun doll did. But that is another story.
I put on my new blouse, skirt and grabbed my pink dog head umbrella that played "Rain, rain go away, come again some other day." My, that song gets old, over and over again. So when the music box quit playing,I did not wind it up again, as I bounded off the front porch, narrowly missing a juicy mud puddle. Mom said the clouds were crying whenever it rained. So, the clouds were sobbing their hearts out on that first day of school when I was all of four years old, going to kindergarten. Sissy up the street was walking the several blocks to school with me. She greeted me with a loud cry of Juleeeeeeee! Mom went back in the house, a baby on her hip. Mary Kay and Barb peered out through the front window, still in their pjs. Chris was already at school up the street, at St. Patrick School. Sissy told me all about my teacher, Mrs. Hostetter. I was ready to run home after hearing a few tidbits, but knew I could not. I was trapped, just like that mouse that dad caught in the basement yesterday. I guess Mrs. Hostetter must be the cat in this scenario and I started to cry. "Whatzamatter?" "Oh Nuthin!" I muttered.
She walked me to my classroom. It smelled like varnish, new books, crayons and new paint. A mixture of smells that makes me queasy to this day. I was beginning to feel queasy in my stomach. My Malt-o-meal was not sitting well with me, nor was my Ovaltine. Much to my relief, I spotted my next door neighbor Robbie. My nose was running, as I recall. I hate when that happens! Robbie invited me to smell her hair,noting she just got it washed with Breck.(We must not have washed our hair that often as it seemed to be a hallowed event when we did.) I didn't have a kleenex, so I just sort of wiped my nose with my rough sweater cuff. Robbie said, "C'mon! Hurry up!" So, I smelled her hair and got some snot in it. I looked at her sheepishly and she said, "Well, what's the matter?" and I said "Oh nuthin !"
Right about then,Mrs. Hostetter was clapping her hands and telling us all to sit down at one of the round tables with chairs. Robbie and I sat together. After everyone was seated, she called out our names. She said we had to sit in alphabetical order. I wondered what THAT was. I soon found out when Robbie and I were separated. I was soon sitting at a table with other "H's" and I liked none of them.
The first order of the day was to draw owls and cut them out of brown paper bags. Then, we were to cut out yellow circles for the eyes and paste them on the owls. I was in big trouble as I could not cut out circles. I have hidden that ability from everyone until now. I hadn't learned how to turn the paper as I cut. The whole class was done with their owls and all shouting "Hoot hoot" at one another. I started to howl. Mrs. Hostetter walked over to me and said, "Whatzamatter?" I said, "Oh nuthin". "My eyes are just watery today." She read between the lines and cut out my owl eyes. Soon, I was hooting and hollering with the best of them. The first day of school became a collage of crying. laughing, eating white paste (yummy!) flushing our chocolate milk down the toilet and laughing and watching my ps and qs so I wouldn't get in trouble with good old Mrs. Hostetter.
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