The State Textbook Warehouse

Have you ever noticed how "right down the road" can change entirely as you get older?  When I was old enough to ride my bike around the neighborhood, I was allowed to go to my friend's house.  He lived "right down the road" at about six houses away. 

Later, I could go, "right down the road" neighborhoods over to visit friends because I was older and was given more responsibility.  That distance though, would have felt like miles and miles away to the little child that used to ride the Big Wheel down to her friend's house.

I don't remember how old I was, but one year when school was starting my mother took me to the State Textbook Warehouse so I could get my very own copies of the textbooks I'd be using in class that year.  That might not sound exciting, but it was for me.  First of all, you got assigned a textbook normally.  You were expected to treat this textbook with care, because it was going to be used for many more years and you had to be a good steward and treat it with kindness.   Also, no writing in it.  You could never, ever write in those textbooks.

But if you had your very own personal copy of the textbooks, you could do whatever you liked with them.  You could tear out pages if you needed a sheet for a paper airplane, say.   When the school year started, I was so excited to have my own books.  I was going to take all sorts of notes in those books and do whatever I liked with them because, no one could tell me I couldn't.  I had plans. 

I don't think I ever did anything with those books though.  I took notes in the normal way and cursed the heaviness of the books in my backpack.  I don't know why my mother took me to get books that year either; we didn't go other years, just that one.  Did that State Textbook Warehouse move or close?

No, it did not.  And it's just, "right down the road" from where I live today.  I ran by it and was waiting in front of it for some time and that's when I noticed the heading over the entrance and vaguely remembered that we were in the same area we had gone when I was a child and that the building looked mostly like I remembered it.  But back then, that building wasn't even close to, "right down the road" even though it was less than three miles from home. 

The Big Boy Update:  We had another mother-son battle today.  I don't know who the eventual victor was, but no nap was had.  He is pushing everything, wanting to be in control and independent at the same time.  And no, it is not all right to squeeze your sister's leg because you want to make her cry and you may not scream all you like and I am going to try and not lose my temper at you again.  Okay, I failed at that last part.   Tomorrow, I will try again.  I'm sure he will too.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Independent in the water.  We were at the "beach" today at the lake my in-laws live on.  My daughter was not one bit afraid of the water.  She would wander in and out without any concern that she could control herself.  She didn't swim, but she would sit down and lie back and get sand everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  I am not sure I like the beach.  She loved it though.

Someone Once Said:  Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.