From the yellow house, we moved to a place we’d live at for approximately three years: my Kindergarten year to third grade. My mom and dad decided to move in with my maternal grandparents, given that the third floor rear apartment of their building was vacant. From there, my mom got me signed up for elementary school: I’d starting my first day at Christopher Columbus Elementary School, our neighborhood school, in September… I was so excited I could hardly wait!
The summer before my first year of school came and went. That summer all we mostly did was go shopping for my uniforms, which were navy blue and white, and my backpack (which was a shade of pink… I was a huge fan of pink) and all of the other supplies a five year old would need for their first day of school. When the day finally came, I woke up excited. I jumped out of bed, ran into my mom’s room, grabbed my uniform from her bed, and ran back into my room, closing the door when I got inside. I then attempted putting it on.
“Honey, do you need help?” I heard my mom ask right outside of my door. I was honestly doing fine on my own, but I was still having trouble with my suspenders. I made my best attempt to put them on, then gave up and opened the door. “Aww look at you! Just let me fix your suspenders…” she said, smiling and laughing at the same time. I just knew she’d say that.
As she adjusted my suspenders, I saw my dad walk into the doorway of my room. “Are you two almost ready?” I heard him ask, with unease in his voice. You could tell he wasn’t enjoying how much time it was taking for me to put my suspenders on. At last, my mom was done and my uniform looked perfect. “Well look at you! Are you ready for school?” he asked with excitement in his voice. I nodded, a smile on my face.
With my bookbag on my back and my parents on either side of me, I walked down to the first floor of our apartment building. There, we greeted my maternal grandparents and my uncle (my mom’s little brother). They were just as excited as I was: they made us take pictures with EVERYONE in them. I swear, I smiled so much in those fifteen minutes my face was hurting all day!
At the time, I hated pictures. Actually, hate isn’t strong enough of a word. I LOATHED pictures. I was a very insecure five-year-old, I’ll admit. However, there are two pictures I absolutely love from this day: one where I’m with my uncle and another where I’m hugging my stuffed dog “Snowball” like there’s no tomorrow. No lie… I’ve wanted to burn all my younger pictures except those two. They’re just too cute to get rid of!
The walk to my school was only ten minutes from my house. When I walked through the doors of Christopher Columbus Elementary School, all I could think of was the excitement I held in my heart, awaiting the friends I’d make on my first day. I couldn’t resist smiling as the principal gave a friendly “Hello!” and shook my hand with a smile even bigger than my own. With a principal as friendly as the one of my school, what could possibly go wrong in the nine years I would spend here?
I'll help you smile again :) 