Monday’s Snapshot Memories

BRRR!!! It is a COLD Monday here! So not ready for the winter season! Sorry but I have no pictures for today’s memories, so you will have to picture it in your mind. I take you back to a nice warm Spring day! 🙂

It was  day filled with anticipation. The classroom was noisy as the excited kids were chattering away. I was among them, and couldn’t wait to go to the Philadelphia Zoo! The poor teachers were already getting a headache from the noise. We all got on the big yellow bus, sitting in them oh so comfy seats! The seats where you feel every bump on the road. I still remember the smell of the bus, one of those smells that just linger with you even as the years go by. But as a 3rd grader I don’t think I thought much about the smell, I was thinking of all the animals we would see and getting to be with my friends for the day! NO SCHOOL WORK! That of course was the best part!

We finally made it to the Zoo, but before we got off the teacher had to go over the rules as you half heartedly listened. Cmon I know I wasn’t the only one who as a child your mind wandered to what was more important. Usually what the teacher was saying didn’t rank up there as real exciting. BUT I do remember 1 thing she said and that was that if we ever would happen to get separated from the group, to not panic! If there was a Zoo employee nearby we were to tell them we were lost and most importantly we were supposed to stay in place! Not wander around, and the class would find us again. Ok, Ok, got it, now can we go!

Oh Spring Fever had hit as we got off the bus into the warmth of the sun, and Look those monkeys are looking right at us! Can we feed them please! Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! We saw it all! The day was speeding by too fast, before we knew it lunch time had arrived. My stomach was beginning to growl and OH that ice cream from the stand over there looked so yummy! Yay,my heart was elated as the teacher told us we could get some ice cream since we had finished our lunch. My friends and I chose our cold treat and tried to lick it fast before it escaped down the side of the cone. I was hungry so I finished mine first and what do you get when you have a full tummy and short legs that had to walk fast to keep up with everyone? One tired little girl. While sitting under the big shade tree with my back against the bark, I thought it was a pillow and closed my eyes, as off to dreamland I went.

I stretched as I awoke, feeling good. Hmm…that is strange, where did my friends go?? In fact where did everyone go?? I walked around the whole ice cream shop, I saw lots of people, but no one I knew. Well of course there was just one thing to do. My class was lost and it was up to me to find them!!! Off I went, I did see some Zoo employees, but you know I was taught to not talk to strangers and how do you really know if they are nice, besides it was the class that was lost. Who knows maybe a big spaceship had come down and took them all! I had to get busy. I did stop and play with the giraffes some. I remember hearing so many different voices around me, its like I was invisible to the crowd. I also never knew how many different languages people could speak. It seemed like no one was speaking English! I really was beginning to wonder how I would find my class. I felt so small as people were just rushing past me, my eyes kept looking for a familiar face. Until you are lost you never know how many people you really don’t know! Oh wait, it was my class that was lost, not me!

I was looking at the lions and Hey, was that my name? Was someone calling my name? I turned and looked and YES it was my teacher, oh she looked so worried! Guess she really was scared at being lost! She hugged me tight and took my hand! The kids cheered, well at least some of them. One boy looked straight at me with a very mad face as he pointed his finger and said, “WE MISSED SEEING the ELEPHANTS BECAUSE of LOOKING FOR YOU!!” WELL, SORRRRY!! But excuse me I wasn’t the one lost, I had just closed my eyes for a second and you all disappeared! “Hey, Valerie! I ran and grabbed her arm as we were heading for the bus to go home. “Tell me, what happened, Did a Spaceship come get you all??”