Facebook and The First Day of School

All the comments about the first day of school on Facebook this week got me to thinking about all the "first day of school" pictures taken over the years. So far, I've only seen pictures of my grand-nephew, Nicholas, posted. Maybe there will be more. In the meantime, here is a picture of grand-nephews, Aiden and Erick taken February 22, 2010. It wasn't their first day of school - but it was the first day Aunt Ramona had the privilege of walking them to school!

My own first day of school was in 1949. Big brother, Ronald, took me on the back of his bicycle. My little lunch pail must have been on the other handle bar opposite Ron's 'big boy' pail with thermos.

This looks like the first day of school picture from Betty's first year - my third, Ron's sixth. I wonder if Betty was as nervous about her first year of school as I had been. Nervous, yet excited about the new experience.

And here we are the following year. I was so proud of my cowboy shirt. I had my school picture taken in it that fourth grade year. And, yes, we did go to school in patched jeans. I even remember putting cardboard in my shoes one year when I had worn a hole through the soles. Mom always said there was nothing to be ashamed about patched clothes as long as they were clean - and ours always were - at least in the morning. By the time we came home from school, they were often muddy.

Kari and Preston were beginning to rebel against first day of school pictures when this one was taken in front of 'The Little House' the fall of 1981. Preston was a fifth grader and Kari was beginning Junior High (7th grade).

If I have my dates right, this is the first day of school, 1980 - the last year we lived on Tuck Corner. Sixth grade for Kari and fourth grade for Preston. (I hope they'll correct me if I'm wrong.

And here is the last first day of school pic taken at "Our House" when the kids went to school at Johnston. Doug was rebelling against the tradition, but Kari and Preston were still happy to pose. Nadette was saying, "Can I go, too?" I remember how cute Preston's matching jeans and jeans jacket were. This was taken the fall of 1977. Preston was in first grade, Kari in third and Doug was a sophomore. The following year we moved to Corning where two years later, Doug graduated from the same high school his mother had graduated from nineteen years before.

I hope mothers and fathers are still taking "first day of school' pictures every year - even when the kids don't want to pose for them. And to make it easier years later to identify the grades they are in, have each child hold up the number of fingers to correspond with the grade. That is a trick I just heard about. I wish I had known it back when I was taking these pictures.