May 16 2008
First and last day of preschool.
I remember walking into a huge room. There was a jungle gym bolted to the floor and an area with chairs and tables. It was a large open preschool. There were many children around me and my mother left quickly after signing a few papers.
The morning started okay for me. I did not want the snack and I was shy with the other kids. There was an art project and I could not fully participate in it; although I did cut on a few pieces of paper, I guess I did not grasp the idea of the project. An adult glued it together after I opted to move onto playing with building blocks.
This was fine until another child wanted to join me. I was given a book that did not keep my attention. I found myself sitting in a corner of the room with my arms wrapped under my knees, face pressed into them, rocking back and forth. The kids were noisy and some were crying. I did not want to be there.
Naptime came. I was given a blanket and directed to a blue cot to lie on. After most of the kids fell asleep, I was still awake. I played quietly with my bare feet. Then when no one was looking, I went into the playroom and climbed the now empty jungle gym.
I climbed all the way to the top and started shaking it back and forth. A teacher came out and tried to get me to come down. The noise that the gym made as it slammed back on the floor was sure to wake the other children.
I refused to come down or to stop shaking it. My mother was called and another teacher literally plucked me off the jungle gym.
I received a spanking upon her arrival and my mother was told that I could not return.
