Fall Memories

With the feeling of fall finally in the air in South Florida, I've been reflecting back on fall memories of my childhood, which seems like it was a short time ago.  It seems it was just a blink of the eye since Jackie was just starting school in Spring Hill.  Fall is my favorite time of year for many reasons.  The change of seasons always refreshes me, and being outside is easier in the fall, with harvest festivals and family events.  As I remember about the generations before me, it seems the older we get, the quicker time seems to pass. 

For example, I can't believe that Nana's "Big Little, Silly Little," started Pre-K this fall.  For Daniel Colt Giddens, "big school," is something he loves.  He is extremely bright, which of course he gets from his mom and me.  It's good thing I wasn't there, as I would have cried.  His love of science and reptiles amazes his teacher.  At the end of one afternoon, when his mom came to get him, he said he was tired and hot, as they were playing pirate ship on the playground.  There is no substitute for creative play, and unfortunately, I think his generation will have a day crammed full of academics without the freedom to learn from play.  His illustration of his family, including his pet hamster, Cheyenne, and a pet snake (at pet he wishes his parents would let him get). 

Not much has changed in two generations when it comes to preschools programs, with the exception that the state of Florida now funds a half day of school for all, regardless of income.  For mom and me, we paid for the luxury of preschool attendance, but the programs were still a half day, with the goal of preparing little ones for kindegarten.  It was 1967, and we were stationed in Hawaii at the time I attended preschool.  My memories are spotty (it was 45 years ago), and include a fellow classmate that still had his bottle with iced tea at snacktime, and a travel trailer, milk for snack time.  I remember Mom coming to get me and snacktime must have been toward the end of the day.  I remember I didn't like white milk and snack always included a carton.  Our home was a simple two-bedroom row house or duplex, and we had a playground centrally located on the side of the rows of homes.  My brother was just one, and I remember we shared a room, as his crib was in the same room as mine.  I remember enjoying playing on the playground and had several friends and being outside most of the day until dinnertime, which was early afternoon for us as a family. 

King, Scott & Linda approx. 1968

My only other memories of Hawaii were all day kindegarten, my favorite jean napsnack, a one tramatic event.  One was a robbery in our home when Mom came into our room and I remember the symbol to be quiet with the door locked.  The bedrooms were upstairs, and her purse downstairs, which was a good thing.  Someone knew that the wives got their allotment checks and had wallets full of cash for the month.  The robber broke into the jalousie windows, with a knife and Dad worked night shift so we were alone.  I can't recall if the robber ever got caught, but several families were robbed that evening.  Now, as a adult, I know my mom had to be petrified, and thankfully, all the robber was after was the money, and it was in the wee hours of the morning, so everyone was asleep.  While the loss of money back then was hard for young families, the fact no one was injured was more important.