Kindergarten

This is Becky getting on the bus her first day of Kindergarten. Looks like she's smiling and happy to go, right? Guess again. About two seconds after this picture was snapped she turned around and got off the bus. I took her by the hand and walked her back on the bus and all the way to a seat. Before I reached the door she was right behind me. We repeated this scenario a few more times before I finally convinced her she was going to have fun and I'd see her in a few hours.
But truthfully, I think I got off easy compared to how I behaved my first few days of Kindergarten. I don't believe it was really all my fault. After all, mama was in the hospital getting ready to deliver little brother Jimmy. Back in those days they always kept you 7 - 10 days and she was probably there a little longer because of her high blood pressure. And big brother Joe had to go and be the brainy one. Not only had he gotten a double promotion but he had to attend a different school for the "advanced" children. (The only thing I remember about first grade is that my teacher told me, "You're certainly not as smart as your big brother.") Anyway, back to Kindergarten. I'm guessing that daddy was the one that walked me up the front steps and into the classroom that first day. I don't remember what happened or even if I stayed - but I do remember crying and causing a big scene. I remember daddy paying some neighborhood boy to walk me to school the next day but I think he quit after one time because he couldn't get me through the gate to the schoolyard. I remember escaping at recess a few times (we only lived down the block from school) and I even remember a male teacher trying to pull me back into the gate but finally giving in and letting me go. I don't know what good it would have done anyway, I would have just left again when he let me go. I'm not sure how long it took for me to accept my fate and stay at school. But since mama was in the hospital and daddy had to work, sister Nancy (who was probably a senior in high school) had to stay home from classes because they never knew when I might show up at home. When I was older mama told me that one day daddy came home and found me in front of the house on my bike when I should have been in school. He said, "Mama is really disappointed in you." And they said my reply was, "If you wouldn't tell her then she would never know." Yeah, even though Becky was the most hesitant of my kids about going to school, I was lucky I didn't really get what I deserved.