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.
