I don�t know what the typical age is for when people start remembering things clearly when they were a child. For Joe he says he doesn�t really remember much til after 3rd grade. For my sister its was when she was in 2nd grade, for my friend Devil it was also 2nd grade. The trends seems to be in early grade school.

For myself, I was 4 almost 5 (though I do have memories that seemed dreamlike or foggy to me. When I talked to my parents about it they say I was about 2). I remember the VERY first night from which I started recalling things clearly. It was late. Or at least for a 4 year old it felt late. Possibly between 10 and midnight I�d say. We were living in a 3 family home, 3rd floor attic appt in Schwartzneau Germany. There were two light sources that were in my room. The bright yellow cast from the hallway, and then the pale white dots that were emitting themselves on the ceiling and walls of my bedroom, which came from the holes in my porcilyn Strawberry Shortcake night light (the wholes were the �seeds� in the strawberry house that strawberry shortcake and custard were standing out in front of). My mother was vacuuming my father was gone �out to the field� and my new baby sister was asleep in her crib in the room that we now shared. I had been sleeping.. .Very deeply, but remember suddenly taking the Deepest COLDEST breath of my life, my body jumped slightly and my eyes popped open wide. Everything was crisp and clear from that moment on.

When It was time for me to go to kindergarten my mother gave me an option, that I really wish she had decided for me, I could go to the local school which was primarily German speaking, or I could go to school out in Kitzigen which was a school for the military families therefore an all English speaking Staff� I remember being afraid of not understanding my new teacher �How will I know what I�m supposed to be doing if I don�t know what the teacher is saying mom?� �How can I play games with the kids and make friends if they don�t understand me?� Starting school for the first time for some children is a big deal� especially when you�ve been an only child in a military family (constantly moving) for the first 4 years of your life.. Not really having had too much socializing or playing experiences with other kids� then to suddenly be introduced in to a world where there are more rules and TONS of kids� yeah� not fun.. But then take away from them their primary source of communication� the only way they now how to speak and understand� and give them that option.. Its a lot to have to compute and decide. But the decision was left up to me. And I panicked, MY Decision was to go to kitzigen�

I loved school, I loved the walk to the bus . It was a several block walk, For the first few months my mother would come with me.. But after awhile I had asked her to let me go by myself� hehe.. I was SOOO proud that I was able to do it on my own..( I found out years and years later that for the first 2 weeks my mother was nervous and would walk faaaaar behind me to make sure nothing happened and that I didn�t get lost, *giggles* sounds like something I would do to Devon when the time comes).

I didn�t get along too well or I should say was too comfortable with the kids on the bus who were my own age� Believe it or not I was actually more comfortable and had a higher feeling of acceptance from the Older kids who rode the bus�older being they were in 8th or 9th grade. Dude for a kindergartner they were REALLY the BIG kids. It was funny. Cause I can remember as soon as I would get on the bus them all yelling �Kelly come sit here� we saved you a spot.� and after school up til the first grade the same kids always made sure that if I fell asleep on the bus that I didn�t miss my stop. Back then I didn�t think anything about it� But looking back now.. Remembering how a lot of kids were at that age� its not a common thing for that age group to be so accepting and �cool� to a �baby� Hell They even invited me over to hang out with them and go on bike rides (me on my red radio flyer tricycle)

My first Grade Teachers name was Mrs. Bently� She was in her 30�s with short wavy blond hair. My best friends were Gabriel Who would come over and play Smurfs with me ( I had and still have the whole map, village and figures) and a lil girl Melissa. My Crushes where On this lil red headed boy name Joshua� who always played tag with me� Gabriel and a lil quiet shy and sweet Dark brown haired boy named Charles who I believe was also in my Kindergarten class. After lunch recess we had German lessons our instructor was Herr Deignehr (Dig ner). We wrote songs and would rewrite various sentences in german. I remember the main song that he taught us about a buzzing little bee�and eventually he had us write and draw a picture for the song.

� Zum zum zum biechen zum herum.
Oder to ner nichts du leider.
Flei neur aus im wault und heider.
Zum zum zum biechen zum herum�

I�m sure there are some typos there� � but not too many� I know my mother still has the paper.. I think I�ll have her or my father scan it in for me� when I get it I�ll post it up. J

Our neighbor was a an elderly German lady whom I call meinen deutsche Oma (My German Grandma) She had a BEAUTIFUL garden on the other side of the chain link fence that followed along our driveway to behind the house. She would allow my sis and I to come over and pick flowers (I picked the white viney sprigs of honeysuckle -not the groundcover blossoms found in clover- and purple lilac). Oma also had the entire fence lined with strawberries.. Which she also welcomed us to pick anytime we desired.

I spent time after school drawing and painting, playing with clay or sitting on my be3d with a pile of books (I�ve been told this book thing was something I would do from the time I was 2 and got my first �big girl� bed, apparently I would dissappear for hours doing this). Setting up lil pretend picnics in the hallway. Shooting flies with our suction cup dart gun to feed to our pet salamander. I loved hanging out on our balcony overlooking the copper ceramic tiles of our roof out over our little neighborhood of mostly farmland�in the far off distance you could see the Church and the sound of the Abby Bells that chimed.

There�s a history to every town.. Though I�m not sure what it was for the one we lived in.. you could feel that it was old� with its high slightly crackled stone support walls, that were dripping with morning glory� whose blossoms had lil yellow or pink stripes inside.

Seeing a leaning tower� going to Dracula�s Tomb, some huge famous handmade toy and porcilyn shop� the Markets the Weekend Bakeri and Eis trucks that drove through town. Begging my parent for pfennings so we could buy a str�del. The Volks Marches, Oktoberfests�..

Germany Holds so many wonderful memories for me.

I was 6 years old when we returned to the United States� I thought it was a funny place, the US� after all, everyone spoke english, the bathrooms were separated for men and women, the toilets were taller� and they spelt Capri Sun ALL Wrong!