Traditions Party

Marie from Emma Calls Me Mama is hosting a blogging
party today, Celebrating Day-to-Day Traditions that make
the memories you have with your family extra special. Since I
don't have any children to make new traditions with, I had to
rack my brain for something traditional from my childhood.
I came up with nothing. I confess, we were boring! We always
had specific traditions for Holidays and such, but we had no
taco Tuesday night or game day or take-out night. The only
take-out we had in my time, in my tiny town was a pizza or a
burger, which happened rarely and was a treat. My Mom
had a home cooked meal nearly every night, which I guess
is a tradition in itself!

So while the brain racking continued and I looked through my
pictures, I came upon pictures that fit the bill for start of school
traditions and thought it fit this time of year perfectly. While in
grade school, our tradition pretty much went as follows...

Sares and Horse Dreams

Each Summer, my older Sister and I would travel in the car 3
hours back to my parents hometown to spend a week with my
Dad's parents. During this time we would get spoiled rotten. My
Grandma would take us to the zoo and amusement parks, we'd
spend hours in the "toy room" and play dress up in Grandma's
clothes. At the end of the visit Mom would come back to pick
us up, but before we left, we would go shopping for new school
clothes. This was always so much fun, especially when we went
to the special Children's Boutique!


Then on the first day of school, Mom would take our picture.
This is me on my first day of kindergarten. This particular
dress was not a store bought affair, but made with love by
my Mom.

Sares and Horse Dreams

My older Sister and I, my first day in the 1st grade, her first
day in the 2nd. Every year the pink sponge rollers would come
out so that I would have luscious curly hair for my first day of
school. My big sister had the natural curls, she still does! No
rollers for her.

Horse Dreams and Sares

3rd grade HERE I COME! In my Strawberry Shortcake
dress that I adored. Strawberry Shortcake was my
PASSION! Along with all kinds of stickers.

Sares and Horse Dreams

The Summer before the 4th grade. Once again at Grandma and
Grandpa's, modeling one of our new school outfits we just got.


The first day of the 4th grade with my stunning corkscrew curls.
This would be the last time those pink sponge rollers would
make an appearance on my head for the start of the school year.
Halfway through the year, I would make the bad decision to
have my hair cut short. Which I hated by the way. By the time
my hair was semi-long enough to warrant rollers, the 7th grade
had come around and I was too old for them, so I thought.

These are the memories and traditions I remember at the
start of each school season. The stay with my Grandparents,
the thrill of new clothes, and that new clothes SMELL, the
special preparations for the first day of school, new crayons,
pee-chees and pencil boxes, laying out that special outfit
chosen for the next morning and always, my head wrapped for
the night in those spongy pink rollers!