My Story: Fourth Grade

Join us each week as those participating record memories from specific times of our lives in an effort to preserve memories and pieces of who we are for our children, and anyone else who's interested!

Without looking in my journal, the only thing I can remember from fourth grade, other than the fact my teacher wore rings and gave us noogies, is the reading program. Since we were such big, smart 4th Graders, the 2nd Grade class came to our room and we each had a junior reading buddy.

My brother’s best friend was in that class and I was so upset because I didn’t get to be his reading buddy. After school, I would sit with him and help him practice his reading to make up for it.

In all honesty, he was probably my best friend at the time too, but I never would have admitted that.

His mom had gone through a divorce, so while she went to nursing school, he and his siblings were often at our house. His sister and I played Barbie's and Littlest Pet Shops (before they started looking so goofy!) She was five years older, but she was like the sister I never had.

Back to her younger brother…my brother’s best friend…whenever we were at his house, we had the grandest of adventures. The tree in their front was perfect for climbing with a large opening for all of us kids to sit in and form secret clubs in. It was our fort, our hideout, or whatever we felt it should be at the time.

On the side of their house grew bamboo. I don’t know why there was bamboo there, but we would peel off the hard outer layer and use the sidewalk to sharpen the soft inner part into spears. Those spears were perfect for defending our fort with!

I guess that’s what happens when you grow up with all boys…