My Old School
Yesterday, we went to visit my parents, who still lives in the same neighborhood I grew up in. Actually, we visit my parents almost every Sunday. But yesterday, we walked to my old grade school for the first time this year. The school building still looks the same on the outside, but the playground has changed a lot. There are a lot more play structures now. When I was a kid, there was only a couple of play structures and they were installed over concrete instead of bark chips. Back then, safety wasn’t a big concern. Bike helmets were not required. Neither were seat belts or car seats.
Since I have grown up, my old elementary school has been designated as an environmental school. So now, there’s a big garden that the kids use for growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers. And even though there was a sign that said do not harvest from the garden, my wife helped herself to an apple. She’s evil I tell you. Evil. Good thing school is out for the summer.
One of the softball field is gone; replaced with a play structure. Gone also is a small outdoor pool; replaced with a picnic pavilion. The pool was managed by the Parks Bureau in the summer. Back then, the school was a hub of summertime activities. The Parks Bureau even provided lunch for kids. Now the Parks Bureau has been replaced by malls, stadium theatres, cable TV, and the Wii. Times have changed.
Our little trunk monkey
Bye-bye softball field, hello swing
Bye-bye swimming pool, hello picnics and birthday parties
The environmental school — minus one apple
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Wow, it looks like you went to quite a grade school! Our play area was a slab of concrete with two swings and a slide.
It is amazing how things have changed since I was young. I can remember standing on the front seat of the car in between my parents while traveling in the car, because neither car seats nor seat belts were required. I used to sit on my Grandpa’s lap and “drive” his truck with him. I never wore a bike helmet. I’m not sure they even made them back then.
Looks like a fun day, but I can’t believe you busted your wife about the apple on your blog. Geez.
I have to work with the material my wife gives me.
Do you like the changes they made or do you like it the way it was before?
As a dad, I like the new play structures. When I was a kid, I wouldn’t care either way because I played basketball before and after school and during recess.
Things do change don’t they? I find some of them positive some of them I don’t care for. I guess the one constant in the universe is change.
Hugs,
Holly
p.s. CUTE pictures!
It will be interesting to see what playgrounds and schools will be like when we are grandparents.
That’s too funny, the reference to your evil wife eating the apple in the garden.Darling children you have!
I guess I should have worked in the snake too.
That is a cool school garden. One apple…like Eve! Did you also partake? Tee hee
Keep smilin!
My wife said the apple was sour, which is what see likes. I prefer sweet apples.
I’ve never heard of a school like that, at least not any school in any neighborhood where I’ve lived. Very cool.
BTW – where was Spider Boy?
My son runs away when I take out the camera. And with the delay of the digital camera, I end up with lots of shots of the back of his head.
They leveled my school this year. It was quite a site! Great pics….love the trunk monkey! =P
They did the same thing to my primary school. I think they turned it into a parking lot for a mall.
Aaaaaaaaaaah, don’t you love memory lane? I don’t think the school will notice they’re one apple short unless they take daily inventories. ;o) Either way…. it’s not like it’s grand theft.
I reported the theft to the school and now she has to write 1000 times, “I will not steal from grade school kids.”
ah, change … change .. what’s that saying?? “you can’t stop progress”??
Remind your wife to pack her own apple the next time you visit! ;)
And plums. I forgot to mention the plums she ate from the scholl. but I’m not sure if the plum tree was part of the garden.
Looks like the school has done a lot of nice improvements over the years! Love the trunk monkey :D
Hmmm, picked and apple… did she happen to offer you a bite of that forbidden fruit. this all sounds familiar, where have I heard this before?
The apple is why we can never move back to the city. We are forever banished to the suburbs.
What’s one little apple going to hurt?
One of the elementary schools I went to is still there, but the playground has really changed. We used to get to play on super high metal slides and climb all over jungle gyms. Now all they have for the kids to play on look like huge hamster cages.
(actually all of the schools are still there, I just get to see one of them)
I have not seen a jungle gym in ages around here. And what ever happened to the merry-go-round and teeter totter too?
the enviromental school is a wonderful idea; it is great that it is eco friendly; more places should be that way – schools, banks, homes, stores….
We have a little garden in our backyard too!
Hi
I love the idea of Daddy forever. My four daughters are a little further on in age than yours but I am still Daddy.
Do you fancy linking to my page.
Al
I’ll take a look when I have time, but my blogroll is several months off. I have a big list and I barely have time to post once or twice a week.
I wish my school had a garden!