Excerpt from a short diary I kept when I was seven years old (in the 2nd grade):
My name is Laura. I live in San Jose. I’m 7 years old. I’m in 2nd grade. My teachers are Mrs Wong and Mrs Fenner. Mrs Wong’s name before she was married was Miss Ong, so she just had to add a “W.”
I like art time. And I like recess, too. I like my teachers because they are nice and they play games with us. I like lunch time and math too.
My friends are Elizabeth, Cabrelle, Amy, Jennifer, Julie L, Julie D, Danielle, Brandi, Brandy, Jennifer E, Elisa, Mark, Henry, Mai, Gopi, Gina, Brian C, Brian W, Gary, Mark, and Diego.
On Monday I go to Ballet. My teacher is Gloria. On Wednesday I have sharing, mouth wash, and music. On Thursdays I got to motor perception. We go under things and walk on a balance beam and do a lot of stuff on it. We do rolls on a mat and pretend to be animals.
My favorite book is “You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Snoopy
.”
My mom told me that I always look down at the ground when I walk. She said some day I would find a dollar bill. On December 10, 1982 I was playing on the playground and I found 5 dollars! I turned it in to the office and Mrs Cruz said, “If no one claims it you can have it next Friday the 17th.” And I got it the next Friday the 17th.
Wednesday was “mouth wash day” in school? How random! Strange that I included mouth wash but not Show and Tell or other similarly more exciting bits of my schedule.
Life was pretty simple in second grade. Ballet was a huge part of my life. I was more mature and getting better at dance, but it had not yet become the six-days-a-week psycho ballet of the next year and a half.
I love looking back at the things that I recorded in my diary and considered important. Like the fact that I listed twenty one friends. I suppose I wanted to include everyone in my list so that no one would get upset. (I was a born pleaser) The truth is, Elizabeth was my best friend. With our imaginations, we had many adventures together.
Seven may just be one of the first years that I started forming solid memories. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I started writing when I was seven. I can remember deciding to have a Halloween-themed birthday party. And I can remember playing on the beach (and a particularly large rock just beyond the shore line in Lake Tahoe). Since we spent every Summer at Lake Tahoe, it’s hard for me to differentiate between one summer and another. I do, however, remember the big rock being perfectly uncovered the summer when I was seven. Sometimes the water level was either too low or too high for the rock to be enjoyable. That year, it was perfect.
Did you have a traditional vacationing spot, too, or did you visit lots of places every Summer like my family does now?
I’m recording my youth, one year per week. Come back next week to find out what life was like in 3rd grade (age eight). Memories start to get more specific from now on!
PS–my mom still has that Strawberry Shortcake bowl hat I received for my 7th birthday and we use it every time we visit her. The kids love the size, but they’ll love it even more when I show them this picture of when it was new.
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It was fun to find it on Amazon. I was wondering if it was even still around. It’s not like “You’re Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Snoopy” was a classic. :)
I’ve been “seeing” her in a lot of my photos, too. I think I see her in my old pictures more than any of my other kids. How cool that you also started keeping a journal when you were seven!
We all had at least one really horrible teacher, I’m sure. It’s amazing how the really horrible and the really wonderful stand out in our minds.
Wow I see Reese in these pictures! Maybe because she’s your same age this time? What a fun set of memories. I ALSO started my journal this year and this was the year I had the most concrete memories too. I think they are linked for sure.
I love that you included a picture of your favorite book! I never considered doing that, but it makes a lovely touch.
Beth from Group3
So cool that you kept a diary that young! The Mrs. Ong to Wong is funny:) Visiting from group 1:)
I love your favorite rock photo! I have an “antique” Strawberry Shortcake set of dishes my daughter used. Now my granddaughters both want them! I loved your 2nd grade diary, just the things that a 7 year old thinks about.
Karen (from Group 3)
admittedly, i hope over here because i saw “better in bulk”. i’m a seriouse bulk food shopper. :) i’m blogging through my youth with group three.
great that you found your second grade journal – wow. my memories become a little clearer starting this age as well.
we vacation at campgrounds. :)
Popped in from SITS! Laura, you’re a great writer!
Lucky you! My second grade teacher was HORRIBLE! I STILL remember that woman as a real life witch…fortunately, she was the only yucky teacher I ever had. Enjoyed your post…it got me reminiscing.
My mother recently gave us some of our old dishes. A Happy Chef cow mug and a duckie cereal bowl!
We go to Kansas and Ohio for family reunions but I would like to go to different places:-)