13 Pictures

I wrote this last fall, and thought I would post it again. 

As I was making chili yesterday, I thought about those picture frames you can get that hold all of a child’s school photographs from kindergarten through grade 12. I remembered thinking when Amy was really little, that 13 years was a long time, and a lot of pictures.

Last June Amy finished middle school, and had I bought one of those picture frames, 9 slots would now be filled. Along with those 9 years come a lot of memories.

Memories like Amy’s very first day of kindergarten, when her brand new teacher forgot to count the children after recess and Amy was left outside, all alone, for quite a while. Amy didn't mind.  She had fun playing long after everyone else had gone inside. She was “found” by a helpful 5th grader who took her back to her classroom, and a very embarrassed teacher. Amy happily related the incident after school that day, much to both Stuart’s and my horror!!

I remember a list of spelling words that came home when Amy was in the third grade.

Sailor.   Anchor.   Knot.   Ship.   Bosom. 

Bosom?

That made me do a double take! I had visions of lusty barmaids entertaining men who’d been at sea too long. I realized quickly though, that Amy’s teacher meant the word boson.

Then there was the dear teacher who announced to the class, “Had Lincoln not been assassinated, he would still be alive today!” That was in 2002…

One year at the spring student talent show and bar-b-que, attended by families, friends and respectable members of the community, the local country music radio station provided the D.J. services. They played music before the show started, while people were getting their lunches,  and the kids were getting ready to perform. Above the chatter of the crowd I could hear the strains of “Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo.” Was it my imagination, or did the lunch servers ask, “Would you like milk or tequila with your burger?”

And I smiled remembering the junior high school age kids. Once they’d fought over who got to sit on my lap when I would help out in Amy's classrooms.  Now I spied them awkwardly holding hands with boyfriends and girlfriends.

Yes, lots of memories…

Yesterday, Amy started high school. Hard to believe that she is only 4 pictures away from going off to college.  As I made the chili, I must admit I had tears in my eyes. But then again, those were some pretty strong onions I was chopping.