Thursday, February 17, 2011

Flashback: Montessori School

My memory is funky. So many childhood memories I've buried or are fuzzy. But others? Clear as if they were yesterday.

I went to a Montessori school from preschool through 1st grade (you're understanding why I'm so brilliant now aren't you?). And we had this huge play area/ farm area with animals at the back of the school, which was really an old house.

So I remember it was snowing (a once or twice a winter occurrence in the desert) and our teacher let us go outside to play in the snow. I headed for the swings with my friends Tawnya and Heidi. For some reason, Heidi fell out of the swing, or maybe she jumped, and got a bloody nose.

I can still remember the blood on the snow, how I felt terrified and disgusted and fascinated by it. How stark it was against the new, white powder.

I also had a torrid affair at Montessori School. Raul was in first grade and I was in kindergarten. And we were very much in love. He'd save a space for me at combined classes or lunch. We'd meet on the playground. There was this wooden tree-house type thing. You could climb the many steps and go up high to this veranda-type area. We'd go up there and lean on the railing and hold hands, overlooking the beautiful view of the playground and planning our future.

But our school only went to first grade and when Raul graduated, we broke up. Long distance relationships just never work.

Years later, in high school, I ran into Raul again. Needless to say my taste in men had changed quite a bit since kindergarten. I also went back to the school and that tree house was actually pretty low to the ground, not actually the high veranda I'd remembered.
 
Funny how that happens.

Actually, I was quite the slut at Montessori School. The first time I learned not to choose boys over friends was in first grade. This new boy, Neil, came to school and I just thought he was the cutest. He was the son of one of our teachers and he was just visiting for a week. He was in second grade too! I loved the older men back then. Plus he liked me!

I always ate lunch with my best friend Tawnya, but Neil asked me to eat lunch with him. So I ditched Tawnya for Neil.

So wrong.

Well of course I hurt Tawnya's feelings and that made me feel badly. I didn't want to hurt my friend or make her cry. So I said I was sorry and vowed never to ditch a friend for a boy again. And I haven't. Things didn't last long with Neil anyway, because he inevitably had to go back to his own school. See, ladies? Boys come and go but friendships are forever.

That is until KC came to our school. KC was also a first grader and every girl liked him. Every. One. Of. Us. We all fought over the poor guy. My mom loves to tell the story of when she came to pick me up from school one day and found three of us literally tearing the boy apart, each of us pulling on one of his limbs.

What can I say? We were a little boy crazy at the Montessori School.

We also got into a little trouble.

There was this spot behind the school that always, inexplicably, always had a puddle. Well this spot would ice over in winter and we'd all try to "ice skate" on it with our tennis shoes. Of course we always got in trouble for it, but we always kept trying. The lure was always too tempting.

Without getting into how awesome the school was (I would so put my future kids in Montessori school), we did some pretty cool things. Such as pet day. Every kid brought their own pets for the day (parents supervised) and I was so stoked to bring my dog Sammy.

My firefighter dad brought the fire engine once and the kids climbed all over it (I was very popular that week).

The school had farm animals too. Goats and chickens are what I remember most.

I got to school one day and the goat wasn't there. So I asked the teacher's aid what happened. She solemnly replied, "He passed." I was like, huh? So I asked my teacher. She told me he died. I was like oooooooooh, well I know what THAT means. Yeash.

Then there was this rooster. This mean ass rooster. So someone (I don't know who) gets the idea that if they can get this rooster out of its cage and play with it, it'll get nicer. Clearly this person knew shit about roosters.

Because everyone was scared of this mean ass rooster, my dad volunteers to tame the rooster (meaning my mom probably volunteered him). He keeps trying to get the rooster out and hold him but he keeps attacking my dad. I have a clear memory of my dad chasing this damn rooster around trying to catch him. I guess it was best when the rooster attacked, because then my dad would just grab its feet and shove him back in his cage.

I also had to call my dad to confirm this story and he remembers it the same. Neither of us remembers what happened to the rooster. We assume they just sold him. But I think one of the teachers took him home for dinner.

Funny the things you remember.

I think this was a Valentine's Day picnic. I'm the one with the turquoise, red, and white sweater with white skirt.

14 comments mean you love me:

Shnerfle said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

You're the one in the headband or the one showing her underoos? No, wait, just let me guess... :-)

Lizzy said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

When I was in the first grade, my best friend, who was a boy that lived across the street from me in the trailer park (who knew I was trailer trash? ha) kept kissing me. So I told my dad, and he told me to punch him next time it happened. So sure enough, he kissed me in class the next day. I punched him and then had to find a new best friend because he stopped talking to me.

TexaGermaFinlaNadian said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Well, you know what they say once a slut... haha, jk. You telling your stories brought back so many memories for me too! What a calm picnic btw, everyone is so well behaved, haha.

The Savage said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I have so few childhood memories. There has been a lot of drugs and booze between then and now.

Sarah said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

My husband went to Montessori school and he was, like, the make-out king of kindergarten. I think that happens when you go to one of those hippie schools where they value your spirit and don't grade you in case they hurt your feelings.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Lori- NO! I was the one in the Mormon outfit. snort.

Lizzy- how sad! well that stupid boy didn't deserve to be your friend.

Tex- thanks. :| we were very well behaved at the Montessori school.

Savage- I'm sorry? most of my memories were buried in my subconscious until a few years ago. crazy how that happens.

Sarah P- HAHAHA! yes, that's exactly it. plus? it was the eighties.

C said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I had a boyfriend in kindergarten too. But then, in first grade, I moved to a private school and broke up with him. He ACTUALLY wanted to be my boyfriend even though we went to different schools (our moms were best friends so we saw each other quite a bit). I said I had moved on to Carlos, the boy in the 3rd grade. To this day, I only date older men =D

Lindsey said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I didn't remember the puddle until you mentioned it! It seems there were always torrid affairs at Montessori. My first boyfriend, Christopher punched a kid who punched me at recess. He had to sit on the bench for the rest of recess for defending my honor.

Bitter Betty said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Oh your dad! He seriously is one of the coolest dads ever!
And you, hee hee, little harlot!

Nush said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Hahaha! Sounds more like a good dating ground than a school.

It is weird how some memories are so clear, even if nothing particular happened that day. The mind works in mysterious ways... dumdum dummmm... sigh...time to go to bed.

alonewithcats said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I had a boyfriend in kindergarten. We used to play GI Joe and watch He-Man together. I didn't have another one until I was 20. It was quite the dry spell.

Strugglecity said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

I only thought of boys as friends until puberty, then they scared me. Then I liked boys A LOT.
We had little chickies at my school!
I wish I went to Montessori.

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

C- that makes me wonder if that boyfriend got married young. guess he liked the commitment. :)

Linds- hah! that cracks me up. defending your honor. so cute!

Betts- I know right? hee!

Nush- yes and yes. memory is a funky thing.

Jess- quite the dry spell? or a sure sign? <3

Andygirl said...Best Blogger Tips[Reply to comment]Best Blogger Templates

Lex- how did I miss your comment before? that's funny. I was boy crazy from the start. hee!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...