Mrs. Langamo

My memory leaves much to be desired.
But thankfully there are a few things that managed to stick.
(aside from all the broken bones and traumatic fist fights with bluma)

Birthdays in kindergarten.
Ahhh, just the thought makes me smile.

Nowadays kids have full block parties with bounce houses and pony rides.

We had magic markers.

Mrs. Langamo would gather all the children around her in a circle.
She would call up the birthday child to sit beside her.
Then she would take out a large index card and with a magic marker would draw an invisible picture on the card.
She would then make lines with the other markers.
First a line across the top in blue.
The second line would come out green.
Then yellow.
Wherever the magic marker had been, a picture would emerge in white.

We sat with baited breathe.
Every single time.
And it was always the same thing.
It was always a cupcake with a candle on it.
And the words happy birthday underneath...

I thought she was such a good artist.

I got to take that card home on the day of my birthday.
When I turned five years old.
It was the most exciting day of my life.
What a gift.
:)
I really loved that lady.
They don't make too many kindergarten teachers like her.

I remember when we got a new rule in our classroom.
Velcro sneakers were just coming into fashion and we all had a pair.
All of us would sit on the rug during circle time opening and closing the velcro.

open.
close.
open.
close.

Mrs. Langamo made a rule.
No more velcro.
Mine were pink.
Light pink.
Sheindel D. would have loved em.
:)

I remember planting alfalfa sprouts in those green plastic strawberry cartons.
I remember falling off the monkey bars.
I remember the wall full of manipulatives that we got to play with one at a time and then put back in the correct place before taking the next one.

I wish I remembered more.


L'chaim to Mrs. Langamo of blessed memory and to all the small things that made us happy in kindergarten.


There's a fine line between immaturity and youthfulness.
The trick is the hold on to that spark of youth as we grow old and wise.