SAND IN THEIR SHOES

GRAMPS was waiting in a kindergarten classroom for the students to come in from the playground. He had seen them lining up to come in from the playground when he arrived to read to the class as a volunteer.Before too long he heard the sound of their little voices in the hallway.They were supposed to have, "quiet time," in the hall; but how could children in their fìrst week ofkindergarten keep quiet?

    Gramps did not have to wait long before sweaty little boys and girls traipsed into the classroom. A丘er some encouragement from their teacher, the students found their desk and were fidgeting in their seats. When they all were seated, then they were allowed to get a much needed drink, by rows, to quench their thirst. Gramps requested the boys in each row let the girls go first as that was the gentlemanly thing to do. Some boys responded by letting the girls go first while others did not. Oh well, politeness takes time and maybe before the end of the month they would let the girls go first even though they did not let

their sisters go first at home.

    After all the students had quenched their thirst and were seated at their desk, the teacher introduced Gramps to her new kindergarten class. Gramps soon found out the children were more interested in the sand in their shoes from the playground than they were to meet him. He was not surprised since this would be a daily occurrence as he had learned from previous years. He once questioned.

    "How can there be any sand left on the playground judging from the amount they carry into the classroom in their shoes?"

     The students who had sand in their shoes were allowed to go two at a time to empty the sands out of their shoes and into the trash can by the teacher's desk. Gramps took this opportunity to help those who could not tie their shoes laces and to visit with them. During this time he found out some very important information. One student informed him that part of his shoes lace was missing because his dog had chewed on it. This caused another student to inform Gramps his dog was missing part of his ear; he thought the neighbor's cat ate it. one little girl then informed Gramps her doll had short hair since she had given it a hair cut with her new scissors her mom had bought her for school. Another young lad told this tale as he sat on the floor emptying sand

out of his shoes.

    "I don't need help tying my shoes because my momma bought me

shoes with Velcro because 1 don't know how to tie shoes. She had my cat de-clawed and now we have piles in the yard because my cat can't dig a hole. My mom told me to watch where 1 walk in the grass. You know cat stuff smells bad."

    As Gramps continued helping tie shoe laces a丘er the students

emptied the sand out of their shoes, his knowledge increased as

each student had to have their little chit chat. One young man told Gramps.

    "I told my mom not to cry when she brought me to the room or

it would make me cry and that would embarrass me."

    A little blue eyed girl informed Gramps that her dog and cat

missed her and did not want her to go to school because they had to stay outside in the yard while she was gone. Another boy had to show Gramps the holes in his socks. He went on to say."

    My mom said no one would see the holes in my socks since they were inside of my shoes.

    "As a little brown eyed sad faced girl pulled off her shoes and emptied the sand out she told Gramps. 

    "My cat Lucille climbed on the screen door and tore a hole in it. My Dad said he hoped the cat would run away; my cat is gone now so 1 guess it did."

    When her friend heard her story, she had to tell Gramps her dog just died; she don't know why, it just did. Gramps continued helping the children with their shoes as they removed the playground sand from them. Then he heard a story he wish he had just listened and not asked a question. A little dark eyed boy with a smile as big as the world told Gramps.

"My dog Duke has to stay outside all the time."

Well Gramps just had to ask.

"Why?"

The little boy with the huge smile answered.

"Because he pooties all the time and slides his behind on the

Carpet."

Gramps got his question answered. Won't he ever learn?

Gramps watched as a shy young man took off his shoes and emptied sand in the trash can. He could tell he had something very important to say. As Gramps tied his shoes, the young man whispered to Gramps.

"My Grandma hates my dog because he digs in her flowers and

ro11s in the dirt and Grandpa hates my cat because it never covers up what it does in the yard. Grandpa said he knows the cat does it so he can watch him step in it when he mows the grass."

    While Gramps was busy tying one young man's shoes, a litde girl was patiently waiting for him to get done so he could fix her broken crayon. When she showed it to him and asked him to fix it, he told her it could not be fìxed. Litde tears filled her eyes as she said."My mom told me she would spank me ifI did not take good care of my colors. She said she would not buy anymore."

    Gramps took the crayon and put it back together with scotch tape.

He told her.

"When you see the fìrst star toni如make a wish for a little fairy to buy you some new crayons-m.”

When Gramps fìnished reading to the dass that day, he stopped at a local store and bought a new box of crayons. While the students were getting on the bus to go home, a linle fairy was in a certain kindergarten room replacing a used box of crayons with a new box. As the fairy looked around the room, he smiled when he saw broken crayons lying on a sandy floor. If the janitors did not dean the room daily, the students would have enough sand from their shoes in a week's time to build a sand casde under a broken crayon rainbow. Broken crayons and sand in their shoes had given Gramps a great day and a content smile on his face. He had learned a lot about children, pets,etc.