I'm not sure what it is about South City that attracts these feathered friends ... I've been wondering that lately. Could it be the scent that Peter has realized is quite different from the central area. Or maybe the smell of South City is of pigeons? Still, if that is the case, it doesn't explain why so many pigeons in South City when I've never noticed them in any other part of St. Louis.
Any thoughts?
- Location:dining room
- Music:the "whales" going by on the Interstate
So The Freedom School has decided to add an after school program this year. Or maybe I should say Charlie Dill has been gracious enough to start one up for the school. We've had dance in the past and will be offering it this year as part of the after school program. Also, students will have an opportunity to explore science, learn how to play fairly while playing together with puzzles and games, do a little arts and crafts, and learn Spanish. That's where I come in. Wowzers! Teaching Spanish to a bunch of elementary students ... Can I just say I am feeling just a little bit intimidated. Sure, I studied Spanish 4 years in high school, 3 years in college, took trips to Costa Rica and Spain in high school and lived and studied in Spain in college. Sure I travelled to Tijuana, Mexico with high schoolers from first evangelical free in Manchester to be an interpreter two summers in a row. Sure God used that experience hugely in my life and in the lives of the Mexicans in Tijuana. But how in the world do you go about teaching a room full of 4 and 5 year olds, or a room full of 6 and 7 year olds. Or my largest group which I will have this afternoon of 8 and 9 year olds? Sing some songs? Get out the puppets? ACT A LOT! Be pretty darn silly and maybe at times a little uncomprehendable. This will be interesting. I've just got to remember ... I'm the one that knows the Spanish - and the goal isn't for all of these kids to leave the after school program at any sort of proficiency level. If the majority of the kids leave excited to learn languages, having fun learning Spanish, and they just happen to take a bunch of Spanish phrases and vocab with them, that will be okay.
We'll see how it goes. My first group I have for an hour tonight. And I have the two groups of younger students tomorrow for half an hour each.
- Location:Jenny's right before school
It's been a bit of a transition moving to South City - one I'm not quite sure how excited I am about. There's definitely good things but there's also things I just can't get used to. Of course I've only been here now for two and a half weeks so some things take a little bit of time. While thinking about all the things I don't like right now about living in South City I decided I needed to think about what I also like. I came up with the top six for each.
Top 6 reasons I don't like living in South City:
1. I don't run into people I know at Schnucks
2. I live further away from the majority of my friends
3. the commute is long
4. I use up gas almost twice as fast
5. I don't feel at home in South City
6. I'm always lost
Top 6 reasons I like living in South City:
1. I hear a lot of languages in Target
2. the cart escalators at Target
3. Rent is cheaper
4. I'm closer to the few friends I didn't see often before
5. I'll have lots of apartment space
6. the building I will live in is a cool, old building
So today was the first day of school and I am soooo tiredd! I feel like I could go to bed right now and sleep until tomorrow morning. And I think I've used muscles that I haven't used since last year as I'm feeling pretty stiff. But I'm thinking this is going to be a really good year. I've got 15 kids in my class and I'm excited to have all of them. The majority were really good listeners today and followed directions super well. It makes me smile when I just get done teaching a procedure, we practice for ten or so minutes and then a half an hour later the kids are using what you just taught them in a very real and practical way. Yea for first days of school where everyone has had at least a little experience with school! Though, I sure hope they're not too fussy at home tonight; most of them didn't fall asleep during nap time. Must be all the excitement. First lunch at school and afternoon at school for many! We'll see what tomorrow holds ... could be a little different. Hopefully we'll get through a few more things too. I think I overplanned by about an hour. And I cut things out from last year ... Oh well, better over planned than scrounging for more. Though now I've got to rework the rest of the week. Works out well during the procedure teaching to be super detailed and anal about things. The kids know exactly what the expectations are this way. One thing I was a little surprised about was how many didn't want to sing and dance this morning. Took a little while to warm up.
Ahhh, kindergarten ...
- Location:Jenny's living room
| #1 | Quality Time--This can be expressed either through those intimate tete-a-tete discussions or via doing things together. It's possible to get a low score in this category because you have a strong preference for one form of Quality Time over another.
| ||||
| #2 | Words of Affirmation--You need to hear praise to know you are loved and you may also prefer to express your affection verbally. Negative comments cut right to the bone. You want to hear that you're loved and how much and why.
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| #3 | Touch--You want to give and/or receive affection physically. This may or may not center around sex.
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| #4 | Acts of Service--You prefer to show your love through favors and chores and doing things for others. You feel put-upon and unappreciated when your efforts are taken for granted.
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| #5 | Gifts--You are moved by presents and physical tokens of affection. It's the fact that someone is thinking about you enough to give you something that moves you. The objects are of secondary importance to the relationship and sentiment with which they were intended.
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- Location:the parent's, Mason City, IA
- Mood:
content - Music:Twins vs. Tigers
Well worth the not getting to bed until after 3.
- Location:Delmar apartment
- Mood: cheerful
- Music:itunes - dc Talk
| Your Type is ESFJ |
| Extraverted | Sensing | Feeling | Judging |
| Strength of the preferences % | |||
| 11 | 12 | 50 | 22 |
You are:
- slightly expressed extravert
- slightly expressed sensing personality
- moderately expressed feeling personality
- slightly expressed judging personality
- Location:Delmar apartment
- Music:itunes - My favorite Mistake by Sheryl Crow just started
I'm back!!!
Can I just say God still has much to do in my life? More often that I want to happen and wish to admit I feel like abandoning ship. Just crawling into a hole where I don't have to deal honestly with my sin and mess. A hole where no one else sees the mess that is me and therefore won't run away when they find out who I really am. Those are the lies that Satan tries to feed me. And all too often, instead of pushing for the truth of who I am in Christ, I get weighed down by past patterns I have had of relating to people - times in which people have abandoned me and more so I'm discovering that I have misunderstood ways people tried to relate to me and care for me and have pulled away and abandoned ship myself. Doesn't this seem to be the theme? ... when things get tough - hide ... It's something I'm continueously working on. Perhpas that's why Peter Kuo's song Broken Chain that is inspired by my poem by the same title spoke to me so much this afternoon. Crazy how God works like that isn't it. He is so faithful to us, speaking to our hearts all the time in ways that draw us to Himself ... in sermons, music, through our friends, His word ... sometimes I forget how amazing God is. I start to take things for granted - I really don't wish to. I long to hear His voice and know His love in a way in which I would stop forgetting what He has done and what He continues to do. It seems strange that I would have written a poem four years ago and forgotten it enough that it would speak to me in such a way as if I had never heard it before ... but I guess that's what happens when I wrote nearly 100 poems that year. They just flowed like crazy. Most of them were all about the same themes and poetry was mostly my entire journal - just whatever I was thinking or feeling came out in poem form. But hey, whatever. I'm grateful that the Lord put it on Peter's heart to create his song after reading my poem ... I enjoy what he did with it.
Here it is for others to enjoy as well ...
www.myspace.com/greenscreenterminal - You have to click on the song Broken Chain to hear that song. Also here is my poem that Peter used to create the song. http://geocities.com/paz2003/brokenchain
Only 13 days of school left! That is pure craziness! Today's the first day that I have said I'm ready for the year to be over. Sure, for a while there before spring break I was definitely in dire need of a little fresh air away from five-year-olds. Today was another one of those days. I'm in need of a lot of patience, calmness, and perhaps a bit more authority with one student in particular to be able to finish the year. Oh, Lord please grant it to me. The kids are excited that we're so close to the end of the year. One girl said when school's out she's going to ride her bike every day. Who can blame them? I too, am dreaming of days after this month is over. I'm not quite thinking about this summer and what I'll be doing. I've been thinking about planning ... about what my classroom will look like next year ... how I want centers to work differently ... what it will be like to have a full class of 15 students ... integrating themes more than this year ... figuring out how to use the reading curriculum better after the first year with it ... thinking about field trips ... wanting to map out next year. Great news for The Freedom School! All of the money that was needed to finish this school year was raised in just over a month's time. We're now working towards next year. I found out that all of the money that came in was all donations that people had already planned on giving before we started getting the word out about needing more money. The way God provided this helps me to remember that God knew what He was doing all along. There was absolutely no reason to worry; he had it taken care of without anything we had to offer. And isnt that how it is? We don't really ever have anything to offer to God other than ourselves. The Freedom School belongs to the Lord.
After reading Tanya Mark's blog I thought I'd do a little mad libbing myself ... here it is.
My favorite tiger
Kim is the best tiger in the world. (S)he is quiet except when hungry or when (s)he wants to go play in the Loop. Kim loves to eat hot dog, and will do tricks for a bite of it. This tiger is a friendly tiger who enjoys jumping up and sitting on my arm. That makes me skips. It's fun to watch Kim leap into the computer and spin in circles trying to catch (his/her) heart. Kim likes to sleep a lot, and looks so enormous while sleeping. One of my favorite things about Kim is (his/her) contented Grrrr. It is music to my ears.
- Location:school
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