Third Grade
Fall 1980
I have NO idea what is going on with the hair? Besides a touch tragic. The giant new teeth were making their premiere....soooo attractive. The freckles are a multiplying at this point. And please, PLEASE pay special close attention to the awesome scrapey shiner going on on my left eye. I totally fell off my friend Andreas swing set like the day before school pictures. So, I got to have ouchies for all posterity to see. The dress, totally one of my favorites...my Mama made it for me. I guess that was back when I actually liked to wear dresses.
As a special treat today, I am including the class picture as well. I mean really, it is where the true awesomeness lies. Besides, you needed to see the teacher, 'cause she was Eviiil, like fru-its of the DEV-ILL, EViiiiil. The insane thing is, when I pulled the pic out of the book to scan it, I totally remembered 90% of those kids names. And looky loo, my Mom had written all their names on the back of the picture. You better believe i was looking for them on facebook.
Let us discuss: First, top row, far right. That's Joe, and is he or is he NOT totally rockin the silky shirt there. Groooovy baby. But MORE importantly, front row far right, THAT is John Doan of the chase me in his chester transition lens glasses fame. He wasn't so creepy without the glasses. What's up with Danielle there, front row, next to John D. She appears to be a bit meloncholoy, or just irritated with the whole picture taking ordeal. BTW, our pics were taken in the school library. LOVED that little library. Girl in the dead center front row, her name is Andrea too (not to be confused with my real friend Andrea who happens to be standing in the middle row, stripey shirt) I ran into her a couple of months ago. Ummmm, a little tragic, that's all I will say.
1. So Third Grade....my most vivid memory of this year is....My teacher was a big fat(metaphorically speaking of course) MEANY! No really, Miss Bohmer was NOT a nice lady. She was grumpy and grouchy and down right mean. And if you'll recall, I was coming off the love fest of Mrs. Schweikart. It proved to be difficult, to say the least.
2. The teacher next door was Mr. Gonzalez, and he was so very strange. He was "different" in some way. Very bubbly and "happy." As it turns out, he left teaching to become a flight attendant, and was super gay. I KNEW there was something "different" about him.
3. This was the year that the idea of alphabatizing and looking things up in the dictionary was introduced. Apparently, my "genius" had run out, 'cause really....I just did NOT get it. I remember distinctly asking Kelly Walker to help me. I was paralyzed with fear and trauma over this. It was all just beyond my realm of comprehension. How was i s'posed to find this word, in that giant book? Mrs. Bohmer caught on to my "problem" and well, she wasn't nice! You'll be pleased to know, instead of being scarred for life, as I am with the math issues of first grade, i got past this. I'm now rather adept at alphabitizing and dictionary usage. In case you were wondering.
4. Shell Silversteins Where the Sidewalk Ends was introduced to me. I remember the last day of school, stacking all the desks and chairs in the corner and sitting on the floor and Meany McMeanerton reading crazy poems to us from that book. She had spent the year reading random poems from the book to us, like one a day. Totally loved Paul Bunyon.
5. Mavin Tenney did NOT come in from recess on the day we were doing our CAT tests (California Achievement Tests, later repalced by the Iowa AIMS test or something like that). We had been told very specifically to get our booties back into the classroom OR ELSE! Apparently he was snoozing during that time, 'cause he did not meander back in until WELL after we had restarted the test. I can still remember and feel the anxiety over this. I was really disturbed that Mavin wasn't back yet, where was he, why was he late, oh my gosh he was missing the test. I should have kicked him and said "Don'T EVER do that again you Mavin Tenney you." Meh, what did he know....he was homeschooled every other year...so random. And, his name was Mavin, AND his middle name was Tenney, so his name was Mavin Tenney Tenney. Seriously! But he also had a brother named Metzel. Yeah, I know.
6. Speaking of names...I do believe this is the year that my friend began her bizarre ritual of changing her name every other year. One year she was Dawn, the next year she insisted on being called Michelle. Yeah, and people actually humored her on this. WHY?
7. 'Tis the year of my 8th Birthday. THE year for a party. My Mom had a system, wherein, we only got birthday parties every 4 years. Before you get your panties in a twist, you should know this. Her parties were freaking AWESOME! They were giant themed parties and everyone looked forward to them. AND, they all still remember them. I posted pictures of them recently on facebook. I had girls from 30 years ago commenting on those parties, and recalling DETAILS of them. So yeah, my Mom was the bomb diggity (I just said that didn't I?) on the party front.
The invitation was glued to the back of magazine pages, and then cut into puzzle pieces. I can still visualize it in the envelope and handing out those invites to the girls at school. The theme of this years party was "MYSTERY". The house was literally covered in footsteps (paper cutouts) taped all over the floors, up the walls, and cielings. There were question marks hanging from the cieling throughout the front two rooms. Each girl got a "custom made" mystery sleuth hat attached to sunglasses and a giant nose. We went on a crazy scavenger hunt through the neighborhood that ended up back in my living room with a giant treasure chest full of gift bags that my Mom had sewn and filled. Then we made our own mini pizzas and ate a GIANT carpet picnic in the living room. I'm sure there were other games, but i don't recall. I'm totally going to show you pics now.
Can you even imagine the amount of time she spent cutting all these out? I love my Mom!
8. This was the year I was baptized. In our religion...we believe that the age of accountability is at 8 years old. So we do not get baptized until then. I shall like to remind ALL of you that my birthday is the END of January. And I was baptized IN our swimming pool. Yes, yes, 'tis true. Dunked completely under, in the pool, IN January. It was indeed FREEZING! But, at least I'll never forget it, right? It was a wonderful experience actually, and I am grateful that I was able to be baptized and in such a manner that I have a great story to share with my kids forevermore.
9. Chinese jump ropes were becoming all the rage. I lurved me some chinese jump rope, and got pretty good at it. Even if I had to use a kitchen chair as my partner, I was gonna play.
10. However, this is also the year that the whole, we're best friends one day, enemies the next began. I can still see myself, sitting in the middle of the giant field, and all my "friends" ganging up with other kids and running around me in a circle, yelling out mean things. It was so painful, and so confusing. I mean, how is it that one day, you're besties, and the next, they "hate" you? Man, growing up sucks sometimes! Good thing I'm rubber you're glue and what bounces off me sticks to YOU! So na na na na na na you big butt heads.
Holy poopsicles...I thought I'd have NOTHING to say about 3rd grade. Apparently i was mistaken! Guess this is long enough friends.....LONG enough. Better sign off and get to bed. Because I've VOWED to return to the gym this week. What? I didn't tell you? I took a totally unscheduled, un needed week long vacay from the gym. SUPER lame!! I feel like a fatso McFat! So, up I get and off I go.
Dictionaries and diarreha
Allyson
P.S. The celebrity pic last week was Emma Stone star of Superbad, House Bunny, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Zombieland, apparently did an episode of The Suite Life with Zach and Cody. Just to name a few things. Super sweet girl, and ridiculously funny! Did I also mention that when we housesat for them, I totally ate their entire stash of fairy tale brownies. Yeah, it's true, i did. OINK!
16 comments:
I love that birthday party idea! How awesome was that? So cool!
It's funny, now I feel so old. That's the year I graduated from HighSchool!
Also, I must confess. I just ate half, only half, of a milky way bar my husband bought. I think I'll tell him the kids ate it ;)
Nice memories. I don't think I could think or remember that many events from my third grade year, but then again, it was longer ago for me. I loved your hair. You and Erlynne could have been twins with the hair look! (And since you are the same age, I remember that look)
Great post! Love all the old pictures. I have some photos simliar to that where I think "What is up with my hair?"
Thanks for coming by on my SITS day! I am already a follower of your blog.
Have a GREAT week!
LOVE the pics...oh, and I had that feathered hair too. lol.
I still can't get over the fact that Dana was the cake-maker for all things birthday. Will Tatum be that skilled when she's like 12? Will I be that cool to just let her do it?? :)
I love your commentary on the kids in the picture. Hilarious. And your teacher looks deceptively nice and normal. Perhaps she had a bit of an emotional unbalance?
Perhaps I've taken a 2 week hiatus from gym-hood as well. That's the problem with not having something to work toward!! I just hang out and swim and lounge. Not good. :) But I'm fully committed to this week--working out everyday!! Let's do this!
thats the mean teacher? she looks like she'd be a sweetie. i was picturing some old haggy type that wore tiny glasses on the edge of her nose
I hate when I hear about awesome birthday parties because it makes me feel so much more lame. My poor kids luckily don't even know what they are missing. Your mom is awesome.
Jere saw my picture in the foyer at church yesterday. It is awesome, you should check it out sometime. There are alot of people in it from our ward.
Third grade--the year that meanness begins. So remember that.
All I ever wanted in my life was freckles. Lucky girl!
Totes just became follower #81 on your blog. I know, I know...I wasn't a follower yet. I will see if I can get Shane on board and get your numbers up. :)
i love that you're posting this stuff! it's bringing back some awesome elementary memories for me :)
i had a huge bandage on my forehead for my 3rd grade pics...it compliments my triangle shaped frizzmo hair. i got hit in the head with a water ski out on my uncle's lake the day before pics and had to have stitches. i could have been a model had it not been for that unfortunate accident (that and the fact that i had HUGE front teeth, a fro, am 5'5" on a good day, and would probably be kicked out of the plus-size modeling crowd for being to big for the clothes...but whatevs!).
and i know that i was going to leave this subject alone, but i saw this byline in a mag and HAD to share with you because this is a spelling i have never seen before. howsabout "alisson"?? what the what???? that's just crap if you ask my humble opinion.
there, i'm done.
oh, wait (sheesh....i don't comment for a week and then i write a novel!)....AND in the 5th grade i SO remember how the male teacher in that grade was "different". i don't think anyone ever outed him, but i think he would have been a much happier person if he could have shouted it from the mountaintops.
Fun, fun! I'd forgotten the mystery party -- though I wonder how I could have! I used those question marks for years teaching school and primary music. :) I loved the parties! Thanks to Dana for bringing home a book on how to give good parties. She picked it up at a book fair one year and the rest is history! I do remember your teacher being sooo mean -- and not just to you, either. Sad, really. Glad you're not scarred for life from it! Pity people like her. They are the more miserable. And a comment on your hair. I loved your feathered look! So there! Love ya! Mom
On the name changing note- I changed my name to Tiffany in 2nd grade. The kids would call me "Tissue" so Tiffany was a cooler, classier substitute. It didn't bode well however. My mother was notified and the whole "Santa doesn't know there is a Tiffany @ house". And that ended Tiffany :)
Secondly, I am a sugar fiend! I run every day and have done half marathons but I can't shake the baby belly! I know it's the sugar but I can't give it up! What can I do?!?!?
Your mother really did know how to throw a party, looks and sounds way fun! So...you took a break from the gym...how goes it with the sugar?
You have a much better memory than I do. I could not for the life of me remember who's class I was in for 3rd grade. Thanks for the memory shot! I do remember that I took my 3rd grade picture and copied and colored it and sent it in to Wallace and Ladmo and won. I got to be on their show and win a Ladmo Bag. who knew I was such an artist back then. I would love to hear about Andrea Owen. When and where did you see her. If I was one of your mean friends that was a bestie one day and a hater the next...so sorry. At least we got over it and have remained friends for sooooo many years. I really look forward to Mondays now (even though today is Tuesday) so I can get a memory shot. Oh and so sorry about you falling off my swing or whatever happened to you. Once again I don't remember it. You can hardly notice the scratch by the eye. Fun times Fun times we had!
Chinese jump-ropes and Shel, truly magical. I love Memory Monday!
I will always remember my baptism too, 'cause it was in your pool in November. I had to be baptized on my birthday (Nov. 14) and the font wasn't open, so your parents kindly let me get baptized there. I remember walking in the water and my dad lifting up the thermometer and seeing that it didn't even register to the 60. I then got dunked, had my big toe stick up out of the water, and had to get re-baptized in that frigid water. I will NEVER forget that day!
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