2/9/08

Sibling Saturday--Gimme Five!!

This is my class picture from kindergarten. We met in the basement of the old Kellogg Junior High School building up on Main Street in Kellogg. We were the morning session, and we attended during the 1968-69 school year.

I posed this week's sibling assignment to Raymond Pert and Inland Empire Girl. RP's will be here, and IEG's is here. All this snow around here reminds me of the last time I lived here and there was this much snow in Kellogg, and that was when I was five-years-old. Think back to when you were five, and share some memories from when you were five-years-old.

When I went to kindergarten, it was as if the world opened up to me for the first time. I think of this partly because of all the little snippets of memories I can recall from that year in kindergarten. Go here to read about some of those memories.

Before going to kindergarten, my days were mostly spent at home with Mrs. Price, who would come in and take care of me during the day. Then LC, a neighbor who lived two doors down, took care of me when I was four years old. Her brother was married to Mrs. Price's daughter.

When I turned five, I then spent the days at the Curry house. TC was in kindergarten with me, and my little five-year-old life encountered more experiences than I had had in the four years previous.

All of a sudden I was in a classroom each morning with a group of 21 other students who I really didn't know that well, but would get to know much better that year.

It was a year of social interaction, and learning how to cope in those situations.

TC wasn't all that thrilled at having me stay at their home while her mom babysat me. So I had to learn to deal with her little five-year-old hostilities, including one of the major crimes in a five-year-olds life...stealing my Barbie Doll clothes.

TC and I also took dance lessons that year with Betty Damiano here in uptown Kellogg. We took ballet and tap dance. I still remember learning a dance, and the words and music to "Here Comes Suzy Snowflake". (It is kind of cool that The Princess now takes dance and voice lessons from Miss Betty's daughter.)

At the end of the year, the theme of the dance recital was "Noah's Ark". Our class had cute little red costumes, and were "Lovebugs" for one dance, and "Fireflies" for the other dance. When were were "Lovebugs", we sang the following song. I remember it after all these years, and can also sing it with some of the motions we did in the recital.
"Give me a little kiss, will you huh?
What are you gonna miss, will you huh?
Gosh, oh gee, why do you refuse?
I can't see, what you gotta lose?
So.....give me a little kiss, will you huh?
And I'll give it right back to you
(blow kiss)."
The grand finale was singing "Consider Yourself" from the musical "Oliver". I can still sing all the words to that song as well.
Despite our rocky beginnings, TC and I have remained friends for over 40 years now.
It is also fun to look at that picture, and realize, of the 22 kids in this picture, 15 of us graduated from Kellogg High School together. Two were held back, and graduated the following year. The other five moved away at different times during our growing up years in Kellogg, but most were with me at Sunnyside Elementary at least a few years.
I can name everyone in this picture, and have a little idea of what has happened to most of the kids I graduated with in this picture.
Front Row: TC is a social worker in Coeur d’Alene. I’m next. BE is a hair stylist in Hayden. BG’s husband is in the military, and they are stationed somewhere in the Midwest or south I believe. Her parents still live in Wardner. Not sure where PM lives. SV lives up Burke I believe. The next girl's name is Paula, but I can't remember her last name, and know nothing of her whereabouts. KW lived in Florida the last I heard. ME lives in Hayden and is fighting a courageous battle with MS. CH passed away a few years ago.

Back Row: I lost touch with CG, and am not sure where she is. LK’s parents still live in town, but I’m not sure where he is located. TF also has relatives in town, but not sure where he is living. MC is a mining executive for Hecla Mining Company. SR lives in Washington state I believe, and his parents still live here. BH owns his own auto body shop here in Kellogg. DT lives in the Tri Cities, and is a salesman. RL, and his sister LL, who is the last girl in the row, were twins, and they left while we were in grade school. I think they moved to the Spokane area. TG lives here in Kellogg and films the yards that are being remediated and is a local city councilman. MR lives in Oregon and works in the computer industry I believe. EB lives in Spokane and also works in computers.

When you are five, and you are in class with a group of people, you have no idea that some of these kids will have an impact on how you see yourself, and will have influence on the person you are to become.

Thanks for all your input over the years, guys. Good or bad, you helped make me who I am today.

9 comments:

MarmiteToasty said...

Wow..... what great memories good and not so good :)....

I never went to pre-school as such, but me mum did work and me and me brother would be shipped off to this house on the corner of StoneSquare.... It must of been like a childminder or daycare in this womans home, I was 2 1/2 upwards and I can still remember it as if it was last week, my brother would of been 4 1/2 til he started school..... she was a mean nasty woman and me and me brother at such young ages would escape at least once a week LOL....can you imagine how much trouble I would be in if I let one of me minded nippers escape lol.... I remember us walking along the main road to the shops at Havant and I remember being brought back to this woman in a police car... and when the policeman left she would great the bamboo stick out from behind her scullery door and thrash us both with it.... we would sit on long benches at a long table for dinner and it always seemed to be CABBAGE lol and it would make me gag and so I would never eat it so again out came the stick LOL....

we were there for over a year, our mum didnt believe us but me older sister did... and she would come during her school lunch break and peek through the fence to see if we was ok....

After eventually leaving there Mrs March that lived 3 doors away would look after us until we was school age.... she was kind and nice and always smelled of cakes....

blimey sorry, waffling again LOL

x

MarmiteToasty said...

Mrs March = Mrs Marsh LOL

x

GAV said...

I do know that DT is working at Hanford as security. My kids tell me he is doing well and came to DH's mom's funeral.

Carol Woolum Roberts said...

MT--Thank goodness for Mrs. Marsh.

gav--I've seen DT off and on over the past few years. He did seem to be doing well when I saw him. Okay, I know I should know who DH is, but I can't figure it out. I'm going to keep trying!!

GAV said...

Yes, here's another hint for you... DH has a sister who's initials are also DH. You even know memembers of my family...

Carol Woolum Roberts said...

gav--Okay, I think DH is who I originally thought he was. Did his dad teach ROTC at KHS?

And as for you....I'll just have to wait to get more clues..so far I know you lived in Wardner, among other things. Ah...the plot thickens!! And a Rainbow Girl, as was I. H-m-m-m-m.

GAV said...

Yes, he did! I was married to his son and have 2 beautiful grown children.

I lived on Mission street for along time. My neighbors were DL (KJHS math teacher). My grandma was big in Rainbow along with my aunt.
*smiles*

Carol Woolum Roberts said...

Ah, now I know who you are. I remember you and DH had married. Were you at our 10 year class reunion? Wow, what a small world. Yes, what I remember most about your grandma is her working at the dry cleaners uptown.

Thanks for continuing to check in,and I hope to continue to rekindle memories of living in the Silver Valley. Have a great day!!

GAV said...

Yes, I was. Our eldest is getting ready for his up and coming wedding and the baby is 19 and bought his first truck ooooh time flies when you having fun.

I have many fond memories of the dry cleaners... She left us 3 yrs ago to be with my grandpa in heaven

Your sister had my cousin in grade school in the TC. Small world