Some things just come naturally to me. Namely, talking too much. This isn’t anything new, either. It’s been going on for, oh, about three decades.
One day when I was in second grade, the electricity went out during the school day. If I remember correctly, it happened while my class was in the bathroom. Scary, right?
It was only out for a few seconds, and the rest of the day was business as usual. Except for one tiny detail: I got my name on the board for talking.
Talking! Too much! Story of my life!
That evening, I was excited to tell my mom about the crazy thing that happened when we took our morning bathroom break. After I told her all about the dark, dark bathroom stall, she said, “Did anything ELSE happen today?”
This was well before the days of Homer Simpson, but I’m pretty sure my little eight-year-old brain was shouting, “D’oh!”
WHY did I have to say anything at all?
{Side note: No, my mother is not clairvoyant. She worked in our small town’s school district, and my teacher TOLD her about putting my name on the board.}
You’d think I would have learned my lesson, but no. I have not.
Tomorrow is Annalyn’s last day at her daycare, but I found out that her lead teacher won’t be there. So in order to prep her for the inevitable goodbye, I reminded her about her “new school,” the one she’s going to go to soon “because she’s a big girl.”
We went to an open house at the preschool a few weeks ago, so she knows this is coming. But of course her little almost-three-year-old mind can’t grasp the whole concept.
Leave it to me and my blabbermouth to bring it up anyway.
Taking after her dear mother, Annalyn likes to talk quite a bit. After I put her to bed last night, she lay in her crib yammering, occasionally calling for me but mostly just talking to her toys, her blankets and possibly her toes.
Until I heard her crying – and I mean real crying, the sad kind, not the manipulative, I’m-mad-at-you kind – and sobbing, “I don’t want to go to my new school by myself!”
Oops.
Perhaps I should have just let the whole long goodbye thing go this time. I mean, her teachers see kids come and go all the time, and it’s not like she’s going to remember them in a few years anyway.
{Although, for the record, I do have some memories dating back to preschool. But mostly they involve boys.}
Even though I’d told her (as I do every night, because I’m a mean mommy) I would not come back into her room until she’d slept all night long, I went back and reassured her that she doesn’t have to go to a new school by herself. And I reminded her that in the morning, she’d be going to her regular school with all her friends and her teachers.
And she closed her eyes, smiling gently, and said, “Okay, mommy. Night-night.”
SCREECH! (That’s the sound of a record scratching. Or brakes stopping, for you post-record folks.)
She did smile. And eventually, she did go to sleep. But in between our conversation and dozing off, she talked to herself for another good 30-40 minutes.
What can I say? Some things come naturally. And some of those things run in the family.
Did you ever get your name on the board when you were in school? Why? C’mon! Tell us all about it!
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Absolutely! I don’t think it was for talking though (which would suprise everyone I know, because, you know, I’m a talker!). I think my name went on the board for chewing gum in class. And I think it was…fourth grade (might have been fifth – I had the same set of teachers for both grades).
And as for will she remember her teacher? She may. My kids remember their preschool teachers, and my oldest is 16. :-)
Ahhh, chewing gum. I’m pretty sure I got in trouble for that, too.
OMG…my name was on the board often…for talking! I loved to talk and I still enjoy talking. If my life was in a grade school classroom, I would still have my name on the board with so many check marks. I still need to keep my mouth shut. LOL
You and me both! haha!
yes. and ironically (or not so ironically) it was also always for talking in class. As a matter of fact, all of my report cards and parent/teacher conferences yielded the same report from Kindergarten through highschool, “Nikki is an excellent student, but, she talks too much in class and disrupts the students near her by engaging them in conversation.” I’ve always been very verbal. :) But, you already knew that.
Yeah, I did. ;)
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-Dora-
Yes. Not for talking though. I do LOVE to talk, and I am outgoing, but I have some introvert tendencies, so I was too shy to ever talk in class. I remember getting my name on the board because I didn’t get my mom’s signature on some note that we all needed signed. I thought my life was over.
It IS devastating, isn’t it? I’m glad you survived. :)
Haha, whoopsie!!!
I love this story though and the way your daughter takes after you. :) So cute. Talking too little can be just as annoying. If any of us knew the perfect balance, we’d be at the front of the class all the freakin’ time and at least I know I don’t know anyone like that. *sigh* We’re all so messed up. It’s okay. Thanks for being real. :)
This does not make you a mean mom! Right, just a loud one. It’s okay, own it, it is who you are. I mean that in the godliest way possible.
….hmmm, note to self don’t comment on people’s blogs when you’re so stinking tired you feel as if you could perhaps die……. not sure any of this made any sense.
Oh, please. I know I’m messed up. :)
I talk way to much as well (and have passed it on to my 4 yr old daughter also!) Though I didn’t so much in school because I was shy more when I was younger. But now it is a problem! I mean I don’t even always realize I am totally monopolizing the conversation (though if my hubby is there, he balances it out with his own talk! He is very social). I will walk away from a conversation with a friend, or a phone call and realize I didn’t ask them one question about what is going on in their own life as I jabbered on about whats going on with me!! But I am really trying to work on it, and I think I am getting better!!
Good post though, funny! Sounds like something I would do- try to prepare my kids only to make it worse!!
Crystal, I have that problem, too. I’m working on it, but I don’t know how many times I leave a conversation and think, “Ugh! I meant to ask her x, y and z – and didn’t!!!”
I never got my name on the wall. My school had demerits – marks by your name in the roll (small, small school). After 10 demerits in a semester you got detension. I tell ya, I always had 8 or 9 by the end and each time it was for talking. Just in the last couple of years have I learned to keep my mouth shut…. Some of the time.
Haha! I’m still learning…
it’s her big-girl school!
I remember getting in trouble… but I can’t remember much for what. I was a ridiculously shy and sensitive kid (except when I was around adults and then I was chatty Kathy) :) I remember whenever I would get in trouble, I was sooooo upset – for like days!
Haha! I’m still that way – upset for days if I get in trouble!