As we were cleaning up from the day today, Cindy turned to me and said, “You seem to be a lot more confident and comfortable with this than you were with the HW Club.” And I absolutely agreed with her.
I think there are a number of factors involved. 1) It’s much more similar to the day camp job I had for the last 5 summers, 2) it’s more informal and fun and we can change the plans if we need to because we planned them (we’re not trying to get them to do homework they don’t want to do that someone else told them to do), 3) I was around for the planning of it and I get to be in charge of stuff, so my role in leading the program is very different than it was in the HW Club and I feel like I have more freedom.
I was aware of these differences before Cindy made that comment, and even though it just sounds like a statement of observation, it feels like a compliment, which means a lot because compliments from her have been few and far between this year…
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Summer Program Begins!
I’ve just had the best two days of work so far this year: the first two days of the summer program. Yesterday just felt so easy and natural, and today was so much fun! Monday might be a different story since I'll actually have to be teaching lessons, but I’m hoping for the best…
Thursday felt like it went by really fast, even though it was 7 and a half hours with the kids. Today was long, but great: we took a field trip to the historic Peter Mott House (underground railroad) and then swimming. The best part of the day was helping D’Andre overcome his fear of drowning because he couldn’t swim. We spent a lot of time together. It’s unusual to see him so vulnerable and clingy because he usually puts on such a tough, angry exterior. He was still scared to let of me after I got a life jacket for him – but by the time we left he was jumping into the pool by himself and doing twists and swimming around. =) The other best part was giving Jayson’s little brother, who’s 5, a piggy back ride all around the pool for 15 minutes. I guess it was just wonderful to connect and interact with the kids in an informal and fun setting rather than a classroom. =)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Boston!
I just got back from a historic trip to Boston! Historic for two reasons. 1, the obvious: Boston is a historic city. 2, the hysteric: I was visiting a friend I hadn't seen in 14 years! Dorothy and I were best friends in 3rd and 4th grades, but then I moved to Oregon and although we stayed in touch for a while (and Facebook is amazing!), we never saw each other again -- until now! Her younger sister, Delia, who was entering 3rd grade when I moved is now entering her senior year of college at BU and is living with Dorothy for the summer, so I got to see her, too. Here's how it transpired:
Pattie, Megan and I drove up on Friday night after dropping Dan off in NYC and got in at about 12:15 a.m. On Saturday morning, I had nutella on a bagel for breakfast. Nutella! A great start to a great day. :)
Delia had some work to do, so it was just Dorothy and I who set out walking and talking in the morning. We walked from Jamaica Plain down through the university/med. school/hospital area, past the Fenway, across the bridge into Cambridge with its beautiful view of downtown Boston and Beacon Hill, and back across the river where we rested our feet for a while in the Charles River Park. It was an absolutely beautiful day out: sunny, clear skies, 70-75 degrees with a light breeze.
Delia met up with us in the park. On our way out, we stopped by a bunch of tents that were set up and discovered that they were giving away free health food samples! So that was our free lunch... We walked down Charles Street and then throught Boston Commons and past the Paul Revere cemetery to Government Square, where there was a gay pride festival going on.
Next stop was the Old State House. We got there at 4:55. From there we headed to the North End where Dorothy bought a salad and we sat on the wharfs at the waterfront to eat it. And rest. We continued our walk to the Old North Church of Paul Revere fame, and then down to the Paul Revere house (built in 1680!). Before heading back to the subway , we wandered through the Italian neighborhood and stopped at the famous Mike's Pastry, where they bought me a cannoli and the best tiramisu i've had in ages. That place was busy and crowded for a reason!
We were back to Dorothy's by 7:30 and left at 8:30 with one of her friends to get some dinner. It was a beautiful evening, but we were so tired we didn't stay out long. By 10:00 we were back at the house and it didn't take long before we collapsed in bed.
Sunday morning was really low-key. We just lounged around the house (it was kind of dismal and rainy) and then finally went out to get breakfast at a nearby corner store/cafe, and then it was time for Megan and Patti to pick me up and come home!
It was an A+ weekend!
Pattie, Megan and I drove up on Friday night after dropping Dan off in NYC and got in at about 12:15 a.m. On Saturday morning, I had nutella on a bagel for breakfast. Nutella! A great start to a great day. :)
Delia had some work to do, so it was just Dorothy and I who set out walking and talking in the morning. We walked from Jamaica Plain down through the university/med. school/hospital area, past the Fenway, across the bridge into Cambridge with its beautiful view of downtown Boston and Beacon Hill, and back across the river where we rested our feet for a while in the Charles River Park. It was an absolutely beautiful day out: sunny, clear skies, 70-75 degrees with a light breeze.
Delia met up with us in the park. On our way out, we stopped by a bunch of tents that were set up and discovered that they were giving away free health food samples! So that was our free lunch... We walked down Charles Street and then throught Boston Commons and past the Paul Revere cemetery to Government Square, where there was a gay pride festival going on.
Next stop was the Old State House. We got there at 4:55. From there we headed to the North End where Dorothy bought a salad and we sat on the wharfs at the waterfront to eat it. And rest. We continued our walk to the Old North Church of Paul Revere fame, and then down to the Paul Revere house (built in 1680!). Before heading back to the subway , we wandered through the Italian neighborhood and stopped at the famous Mike's Pastry, where they bought me a cannoli and the best tiramisu i've had in ages. That place was busy and crowded for a reason!
We were back to Dorothy's by 7:30 and left at 8:30 with one of her friends to get some dinner. It was a beautiful evening, but we were so tired we didn't stay out long. By 10:00 we were back at the house and it didn't take long before we collapsed in bed.
Sunday morning was really low-key. We just lounged around the house (it was kind of dismal and rainy) and then finally went out to get breakfast at a nearby corner store/cafe, and then it was time for Megan and Patti to pick me up and come home!
It was an A+ weekend!
Friday, June 12, 2009
What happens when the boys leave town...
I'll write about Honduras some other time...but today i want to write about more recent things!
Last Saturday was an amazing day!
In the morning I took the PATCO to the Collingswood Farmer's Market and bought some strawberries (which I made into strawberry freezer jam later in the week!) and basil plants and other things.
Back at home, I kneaded the bread I'd started earlier in the morning and set it to rise while I went over to the park for the neighborhood summer bash! There was free food, popcorn and cotton candy, live salsa/merengue music, a bunch of local organizations with tables, and a bunch of activities for kids, including two carnival rides. Megan and Patti ended up staffing the Potty Toss and Tic-Tac-Toe toss for a while...It was a great community celebration and a beautiful day; the park was teeming with people all afternoon. =)
Later, I planted my basil in the garden and finished making the bread. Patience pays off: I ended up with the two most beautiful and perfect loaves of bread I've made this year! =)
Around 7, Megan, Patti, and I (the only ones home for the weekend) decided to be social, so we went out in the back yard, which we share with our neighbors, and entertained (and were entertained by) Monica and Bob's passel of grandkids, who were all visiting. They climbed all over us and played with our hair and begged for piggy-back and shoulder rides. They were also very intrigued by the garden, which was great except that they didn't really understand the concept of how plants grow...the 1-inch high cilantro plants got stepped on at least 3 times (but it survived!), and ZZ (the 2-year-old) managed to pull up some parsley plants and one of my newly planted basil plants - twice! I eventually had to ask Patti to please keep ZZ away from the garden - so that I'd still have a garden left!
At 9:00 the three of us left for a little adventure...There was a New Kids On the Block concert at the Susquehanna Bank Center (f.k.a. the Tweeter Center) down on the waterfront, and they wanted to go -- dressed in lovely outfits they'd made from the NKOTB sheets we found when we moved into our house... So we walked down there, stopping at the new Rita's Water Ice on the way and having a brief chat with the Mormon missionaries who were playing baseball in the parking lot.
When we got to the SBC, we strolled along the waterfront with its beautiful view of downtown Philly and took pictures in front of the Battleship NJ (gag) and danced and listened to the music for a bit. But then the music stopped all of a sudden in the middle of a song. And then the band started leading the audience in a chant that went something like "I don't who broke it but they better fix this ****. We're not leaving til they fix this ****." So we left.
On the way back, we stopped at a cool water fountain with colored lights that we had walked past on the way there and played in it for a while. =) When we were done with that, and Megan and Patti were thoroughly soaked, we walked to McDonald's for a late-night snack. Unfortately, they were closed, and you can't walk through the drive-thru. So that was that. We headed home. Just after we crossed the bridge into North Camden, a friendly police man pulled up next to us and asked us where we were going. you see, "there's a concert and stuff going on tonight and sometimes people come for these things and think they're going somewhere, but they don't know where they're going..." We weren't lost, just crazy...
Before we got home, there was one more stop: Kristen was out on the porch of the Mission Year volunteer house, so we stopped and talked to them for a while. We got home at 11:30 and had our snacks. I made buckwheat pancakes and set off the smoke detector at midnight...
The End
Last Saturday was an amazing day!
In the morning I took the PATCO to the Collingswood Farmer's Market and bought some strawberries (which I made into strawberry freezer jam later in the week!) and basil plants and other things.
Back at home, I kneaded the bread I'd started earlier in the morning and set it to rise while I went over to the park for the neighborhood summer bash! There was free food, popcorn and cotton candy, live salsa/merengue music, a bunch of local organizations with tables, and a bunch of activities for kids, including two carnival rides. Megan and Patti ended up staffing the Potty Toss and Tic-Tac-Toe toss for a while...It was a great community celebration and a beautiful day; the park was teeming with people all afternoon. =)
Later, I planted my basil in the garden and finished making the bread. Patience pays off: I ended up with the two most beautiful and perfect loaves of bread I've made this year! =)
Around 7, Megan, Patti, and I (the only ones home for the weekend) decided to be social, so we went out in the back yard, which we share with our neighbors, and entertained (and were entertained by) Monica and Bob's passel of grandkids, who were all visiting. They climbed all over us and played with our hair and begged for piggy-back and shoulder rides. They were also very intrigued by the garden, which was great except that they didn't really understand the concept of how plants grow...the 1-inch high cilantro plants got stepped on at least 3 times (but it survived!), and ZZ (the 2-year-old) managed to pull up some parsley plants and one of my newly planted basil plants - twice! I eventually had to ask Patti to please keep ZZ away from the garden - so that I'd still have a garden left!
At 9:00 the three of us left for a little adventure...There was a New Kids On the Block concert at the Susquehanna Bank Center (f.k.a. the Tweeter Center) down on the waterfront, and they wanted to go -- dressed in lovely outfits they'd made from the NKOTB sheets we found when we moved into our house... So we walked down there, stopping at the new Rita's Water Ice on the way and having a brief chat with the Mormon missionaries who were playing baseball in the parking lot.
When we got to the SBC, we strolled along the waterfront with its beautiful view of downtown Philly and took pictures in front of the Battleship NJ (gag) and danced and listened to the music for a bit. But then the music stopped all of a sudden in the middle of a song. And then the band started leading the audience in a chant that went something like "I don't who broke it but they better fix this ****. We're not leaving til they fix this ****." So we left.
On the way back, we stopped at a cool water fountain with colored lights that we had walked past on the way there and played in it for a while. =) When we were done with that, and Megan and Patti were thoroughly soaked, we walked to McDonald's for a late-night snack. Unfortately, they were closed, and you can't walk through the drive-thru. So that was that. We headed home. Just after we crossed the bridge into North Camden, a friendly police man pulled up next to us and asked us where we were going. you see, "there's a concert and stuff going on tonight and sometimes people come for these things and think they're going somewhere, but they don't know where they're going..." We weren't lost, just crazy...
Before we got home, there was one more stop: Kristen was out on the porch of the Mission Year volunteer house, so we stopped and talked to them for a while. We got home at 11:30 and had our snacks. I made buckwheat pancakes and set off the smoke detector at midnight...
The End
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