For Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop this week, I chose the prompt:
3.) First day of school pictures…let’s have’em!
As I seem to do from time to time, I’m taking liberties with the prompt. Mama Kat may have intended that we post current school year photos, but I’ve decided to write about Marshall’s first day of kindergarten.
Thankfully, starting school was not as traumatic for Marshall as it had been for me. Maybe that was because he had attended pre-school a couple mornings each week the year before. In these photos, he seems quite ready, with his book bag and Super Powers lunch box in hand, to begin his journey through school.
In days to come, the book bag would contain school announcements, permission slips for field trips and workbook pages as Marshall learned the three “r’s”. The lunch box would return home in the afternoons with sandwich leftovers, zip-lock baggies of potato chip crumbs and many times, mystery food from a lunchtime swap with a buddy.
Next photo….on to the front porch. Marshall’s still smiling, but I’m not sure why his dad was holding the lunchbox. I wish I could recall what Marshall took for lunch that first day…. a peanut butter sandwich, perhaps? And I’m sure there was Kool-aid in that thermos.
Next photo: we’ve made it to the school bus, and “all systems are still go”. I have no idea what I was attempting to do here, other than have Marshall turn around for yet another picture. The little girl behind him is his childhood friend, Maggie, the daughter of a neighbor.
Although Marshall didn’t cry on his first day of school, I certainly did. But I made sure to hold back the tears until the school bus was well on its way. No, I wasn’t one of those parents that followed the bus to school, but doing so probably crossed my mind.
And even though Marshall’s first day of school went smoothly, he and I agree that we’re glad our school days are a thing of the past.
these days of mine 
Marshall was, and still is, a cutie! This was a “well-recollected” memory from a Mom’s heart…..very sweet.
Pam (and Sam)
I remember my oldest boy’s first day of school and I cried,too. And my youngest and next to the youngest, both girls, would stand on tiptoe to look out the window while their older brothers would get on the school bus. They wanted to ride that bus so bad!
Marshall and all our children are braver than their mothers on the first day of school…well, most of them are!
Sweet memories. I wasn’t brave enough to let mine ride the bus until last year when they were in 5th and 2nd grades. And this year? I’m back to driving them again.
I had forgotten about those little book satchels. I think I had one or two of those! Now it’s all about the backpacks!
Very sweet memories. I just love that first photo of Marshall. He’s adorable and looks so happy. I smiled when I saw him getting on bus #2 as that’s my daughter’s bus number. 🙂
Of course he was happy with that super powers lunch box!! These are adorable shots ~ I don’t think I ever took a first day of school shot of my kids!
Awww! How sweet. Children just love to ride those school buses. Laura couldn’t wait for the first day of school to ride.
Such cute photos … and gotta love the lunch box! And it was funny to see these photos and then see “present day” Marshall in your sidebar.
Visiting from Mama Kats.
And, as Mom, don’t you find sometimes that you can still see that little boy in him, smiling out at you?
MJ
my lord, he’s adorable! what great memories preserved with a camera…
So cute! Brought back memories of my girls starting to school; and I remember my first day as well. Those days are far, far gone and I have no desire to return there either.
Such a sweet post of memories. I wish my mother had taken photos of my first day of kindergarten. I was the 3rd baby, so there aren’t too many photos of me. Marshall is a lucky guy to have a fabulous mom like you!
so sweet…i thought he and dad had matching lunch pails!! haha
Yep, all sorts of good and not-so-good memories followed that very first bus ride! The last pic is my favorite, and it’s funny which memory comes back first … : I can remember those clasps on that book satchel like I carried one out this morning!
Gotta admit I’m in the Cry-Baby Camp as the bus crested over the hill and out of my view on Jake’s first day of school….when he started Kindergarten ten years ago that is!
Great Super Hero’s lunch box Marshall. Jake’s was a metal one with John Deere tractors on it. 🙂 of course.
I’ll with you guys,glad school is behind us!!!! Marshall was a cute child and a good looking man now. I know you are proud Dianna.
What a sweet piece of writing and how wonderful that you have the pictures!
i can’t believe you live right here! well really near virginia beach! so nice to get to know you! well summer is over. *sigh*…i really like the fall, but it is just sad. i choose to spend the evenings enjoying our after dinner bike rides.
I’d be smiling too if I had a Super Heroes Thermos filled with Kool-Aid! There’s an inverse relationship between the type of lunch you bring to school/work and the complexity of your life. Pretty much the only reason I ask my wife for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich each day.
“Mystery food.” I love it!
He looked happier than you did on your first day of school. Bless your sweet heart!