The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Periwinkle paced back and forth by the Teleportation Tunnel.  This was the first time Stinky was coming to her house since his walkabout.  She still was amazed when she thought of where he was (If you missed it, click HERE)

She heard the familiar WOOSH and ran to the Tunnel.  Stinky tumbled out into her paws and they hugged and shared whisker kisses.  It was so nice to be together again.  After a few minutes, Stinky asked where they were going today.  "We're staying here at my house today.  I don't want you to get over tired" replied Periwinkle.  She could see by Stinky's expression that he was disappointed.  "I know you want to go out and do exciting things but we have something impawtent to share today and I want to make sure you are fully rested and back to your regular weight before we go anywhere else" she said.  Stinky knew she was right and so they headed to the dining room where Periwinkle had her Mom's laptop set up.

Stinky still had no idea what they were doing but figured whatever it was it was okay since they were together.  Finally Periwinkle told him.  "Today is the first day of school and I thought it would be a good idea to give all our friends who have little sticky people in their families some tips today,"  she said.  "What?  We're going to SCHOOL?" he replied.   Periwinkle giggled and said that cats are not allowed in school but that they could still be helpful.  Relieved, Stinky sighed and started looking at what Periwinkle had prepared.

"First, it's impawtent to have the right supplies and to make sure you have your name on everything so it doesn't get lost or mixed up.  Your parents spend a lot of green papers to get you what you need.

Water bottles are a must.  You have to keep hydrated.

Of course, backpacks are a necessity.

Here are some fun facts about School:

• The oldest public school in the United States—Boston’s Latin School—was founded in 1635. Among the school’s alumni are Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams.

• For centuries, an elementary education was only available to America’s wealthy. This changed in the 1840s when reformers tried to get tax funding for schools because they thought that if education was free, more people would attend, resulting in better citizens and decreased crime rates.

• Prior to the 1930s, most Americans only completed eight years of school. During the Great Depression, communities had little work to offer so they began enforcing a high school education for teenagers to keep them out of the work force.

• At one time, geography determined when students attended classes: in small rural areas, school went from December to March and from May to August so that kids could help plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. In urban areas, schools were off in the summer when hot, crowded classrooms could foster the spread of disease.

Art Class

• Crayola produces nearly 3 billion crayons each year, an average of 12 million daily.

• The average pencil can write 45,000 words or draw a line 35 miles long.

• Before the invention of erasers, a rolled-up piece of white bread was used to erase graphite.

• By the time a child turns 10, he will have worn down approximately 730 crayons and will have spent an average of 28 minutes per day coloring.

• In the Color Census of 2000, blue was voted the favorite crayon color, while tan, tumbleweed, and spring green were voted the least-favorite colors.

 Periwinkle explained that, where she lives, most kids ride their bikes or walk to school, but they take a school bus in some places.  Periwinkle also told Stinky that her Mom told her about the Grate Skeezix the Cat and that he would wait for the yellow bus to take him to school every year. "Here's a video of some kitties on a school bus.  They seem to be having fun"  she said.

They both enjoyed watching the video and were glad that THEY didn't have to go to school.  Stinky started to laugh and said he found the purrfect school bus.  Periwinkle giggled when he showed her.

"Speaking of school busses, it's also impawtent to follow the rules for driving," said Periwinkle.

Together, they decided to make a list of things for little sticky people to remember when they went to school.  Both laughed at the one about underwear because their fursibs, Raz and Cooper Murphy told them about Cat Scouts and how Angel Scout Timmy's underwear always ended up on the flagpole.

Periwinkle also said that bringing your lunch or lunch money was also something to remember.  "Speaking of lunch," she said, "why don't we head out back for a snack?  I know you still have to gain some of your weight back from your walkabout,"  Stinky agreed and the tabbies spent some time enjoying the nice weather and their snack.

After their snack, they both agreed they were glad THEY didn't have to go to school.  They took a quick nap and visited with Periwinkle's brofur Raz and her Mom.  After some time whisker kissing and paw patting, it was time for Stinky to head home.  Periwinkle told Stinky to take the backpack and water bottle she made for him.  He thanked her and stepped into the Teleportation Tunnel to head home.