Katelyn Update

1) There are many mice, bugs, lizards, etc. in Zambia. While talking on the phone I heard a glass break and Katelyn exclaim "Oh shoot a mouse broke another one of my BaMayo's (house mother) glasses. Apparently there are so many that they knock things off shelves. She also has to clean the top of her mosquito net daily. That right there is a reason I would not survive in the Peace Corps. Ewww I can't even bear to put up a picture of a mouse on here, they disgust me so much. gag.

2) When proposed to, it happens often, Katelyn has a few responses she rotates between. a) I'm too expensive. My father will want 200 cows. b) "I'm married"--which she has learned to say in Bemba. c) "I'm with him."--she has a deal with some guys, 2 I think, who are also in the Peace Corps, and she is her flirty self with them so anyone would probably believe her.

3) This is a story she specifically said to mention on here. She and her BaMayo went to buy a chicken the other day. K was expecting to go to the store you know and buy a chicken to take home and cook. Instead they went to a chicken market where they walked around picking up live chickens and comparing them to one another. So they picked out their live chicken and then guess who got to carry it home. Yes, Katelyn. She said at first it was quiet and then it started squawking and trying to get out. Her BaMayo kept telling her to not suffocate it and let it breathe, Katelyn said she was just thinking about how it was going to die as soon as they got home so why worry about it in the bag? Luckily she did not have to witness the slaughtering of the chicken and she had enjoyed it for 2 meals when I talked to her. Who thought Katelyn the humanitarian would've ever been part of taking a chicken to its death.

4) She is becoming more fluent in the Bemba language. She started saying things yesterday and I had to remind her I didn't speak that language. I speak English.

5) She says the school's over there are much different over there, which is to be expected, but she feels she is doing something to change lives. There aren't really any behavior problems because the kids know how much of a privilege it is to go to school. They need books, a project I will begin when I have 2 seconds of breathing time, or when I decide to crunch some more into my schedule.

6)I made the mistake of mentioning sending money to her which was thrown back in my face with the question of if I was stupid. Apparently letters she has gotten have been opened and people steal things inside if it is worth anything. Duh! I live in such a box sometimes. However, if you write "Jesus loves you" or "God Bless you" they won't be touched. Maybe thieves are afraid of stealing "holy" things? Interesting. Needless to say I'm not putting any money in her letters and if people open the letter I put in the mail today they are going to be very interested with its contents. Haha I hope they get a laugh out of that one. I'm certainly willing to share with them.

7) She says she misses her friends over here in the states, but also that she's glad she's over there. For the first time in her life she feels at home. The people are friendly and accepting, she feels like she's doing something.
Go Davis!

Weird how things work out.

Last night I was reminiscing about good ole BC with a friend while watching final 4 games. We were talking about some stuff that happened freshman year and wow how we both have changed since then. Then this morning I get a text from another friend who will be graduating this year and is feverishly working on her honors project. She was asking what professors I had on my honors oral exam panel and how nerve-wracking it was. Then I get a phone call from my best friend Katelyn telling me about what is going on in Zambia, which deserves a post later all on its own!

Talk about taking it back, I love this time of year! There are so many changes going on around and I miss being a part of that! I love the uncertainty of the future, even though it secretly drives me coo-koo. I love my job, but I like to spice things up every once in awhile. As I've said before if I don't have a lot going on I am bored to death! This is what got me in trouble when I was a child, sorry to those of you who had to deal with me.

I remember just a brief time ago walking (late) to my honor's panel. I had planned to wear my lucky red shoes and had forgotten to paint my toenails to match--I believe they were green. Anyway I painted over only the couple of toes you could see in my stylish shoes so they would match, hence I was not early like I had planned. I had three professors all of whom I had a good relationship with: 2 heads of depts. (English/Education--woop woop for double majors) and one I got to choose. I probably should have been more nervous than I was, but back then I was a better procrastinator than I am now, as my good friend Elise can tell you when she was stressing out more about my 20some page paper due that day than I was. She even locked me in my room...oh what good friends I have. Anyway the "scariest" part of the interview was having to explain to these people why I refused to do an honors project. I said it to the bluntly and surprisingly they respected my decision and were supportive when I said--I want to have a life. Well as much of a life I could have with student teaching, leading my basketball team, and working in the writing center. I remember how big of a deal it was to me at the time because having a different color cord "labeling" me as lower than others would make a difference in my future. Looking back that is one decision I do not regret. 

I remember talking with Katelyn (also an education major) about wanting to make a difference in the world. I'm the more level headed one--there I said it, I act spontaneous but actually am constantly cerebrating every detail of my life. She's the let's do it one--just pick up and go even though she doesn't always act like she has the confidence to do it. After graduation I was starting grad school because I just knew I wasn't going to get a job and heaven forbid my plan get messed up. K was just going to see what happened and go with the flow.

That brings us to today: I have my job, which I love but sometimes also feel "tied down". My awesome friend on the other hand left for Africa with the Peace Corps in February. She is a teacher over there. How cool is that? Teaching in one of the most impoverished places in the world! Now that is making a difference!

Looking back it is amazing how some things have stayed important to me and some things now just seem silly. I have a sense of urgency about myself and what I am doing each day that I don't think/hope will ever go away. It is best described by this Leonardo da Vinci quote: "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do". I ask you, what are you doing with your knowledge and willingness to impact this world today? 

Bringing it back to the sports mantra: Just Do It!

Woops

Hello, over a year later. Well I succumbed to it...forgetting to post on here. Let me fill you in on the last years' happenings in my favorite way. A LIST!

1. I'm still teaching kindergarten. This class is much more diverse than last year, but I have learned so much and am a growing educator.

2. I'm still living on the farm. When the time comes it will be extremely difficult to leave my "second family". They have been so good to me, and I am lucky to have developed some relationships that will last a lifetime.

3. I'm still at JMU. Though it's not Bridgewater (my heart's sweet care....) it is slowly growing on me. I did get to play intramural basketball so JMU earned some brownie points there. I'm really not that hard to please.

4. After a difficult fall and multiple surgeries my mom is cancer free. She goes back to Johns Hopkins in July for scans, but does not have to do anything else. Her diabetes has also improved from having the tumor on her pancreas removed.

5. Josh finished his first season on the Vanderbilt basketball team in March. He has enjoyed the "time-off" these last couple of weeks gallivanting around campus and doing what he thinks regular students do all the time. Oh to be 18 again...

6. Matt is still in C-ville doing the teacher thing. His creativity with his students amazes me. Thanks for the inspiration.

7. I promise I will do better at this thing.

I thought I would never see you again!

day number 12 of having no school and there won't be any school tomorrow. it's like christmas break all over again. except for no one was prepared for it and some kids, like the one i ran into at the store today think there will never be school again.

the young chap i ran into is in 1st grade across the hall from my class. his cousin is in my class and it is ultra cool to this kid that i know his cousin so obviously we are bff. i was in target just meandering around looking to spend a gift card (thanks katie #1) and out of nowhere this kid jumps me around the waist. "mom it's sammy's teacher! it's sammy's teacher" of course the mom has no idea of who i am. i don't remember the boy's name so i just act really excited and say "and you're sammy's cousin!" it worked well, he had no idea i don't know his name. as i'm trying to introduce myself to the mom and explain why her son has latched himself on me the kid is talking 1385342 miles per minute telling me everything about his life. he then gets a really weird look and his face and blurts "oh ms. henderson i never thought i was going to see you again!" to see this kid who i don't even really know be so worried about not having school makes me miss my kids even more.

freaking snow. go away.

i don't want to work in july.

and i miss my children.

i wonder when we will end up having our valentine's day party. some teachers will probably cancel it (it was supposed to be this friday), but i refuse to cancel the best party of the year. we can just celebrate it in march maybe. when we go back to school. heck the parents can even save some money buying the cards after the holiday. i always wanted to buy the best valentine's for my classmates growing up, but mom wouldn't get them. i resent that, maybe that's why i got the good ones this year. thanks mom :)

maybe tomorrow i'll tackle the task of uploading some pictures on here. don't get too excited though, just sayin...

Happy February!

**Snow Day**
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Instead of transitioning my kids from one reading group to another I'm in bed. Simply amazing. This will be our 5th non-full week in a row, meaning we haven't had a real week of school since before Christmas. As wonderful as it is it takes 6 weeks for kids to form a routine. You can do the math with how long we haven't been in our school routine. Maybe we could just make 4 day weeks a routine for the rest of the year. Mr. Obama there's a way to save money for you!

Some people have been wondering what my day really looks like. Well here it is in a nutshell.
1) Unpacking-most kids come into the room, put book bag and coat in cubby, put folder in basket, make a lunch choice (I have pictures of their choices so I don't have to read them 18 times), and start on our morning activity.

1.5) Remind 2 of my students to go to the bathroom, recheck 1 book bag because the girl forgets every morning, call her to get her folder, remind her to get it out of her book bag (get the picture with this one yet?), count lunch count, take attendance.

2) Calendar time--we go over: days of the week, what day it is today, yesterday, and tomorrow, count the days of school, look at the weather, and read our morning message.

2.5) Remind my kids to give me 5. Sit up straight. Quiet hands and feet. Lips closed. Listening ears. Eyes on speaker.

2.75) Listen to the 148 stories each one of my kids has about the most important thing that happened to them the night before. Then somehow transition to math without anyone feeling they didn't get to share what was needed.

3) Math--#'s 1-20, count by 5 and 10 to 100, fractions, addition, subtraction, patterns. Fun times.

4) Centers and Snack--yay! learning to be friends :)

5) Reading group 1

5.5)Bathroom reminder

6) Reading group 2

7) Coats on and zipped. Hats on. Gloves on. Line up at back door. OUTSIDE!
8) Lunch. I hate ketchup packets!

9) Unit time aka my favorite part of the day. we learn about our weekly theme. this week bears grrrrrr.

10) Power-up read my previous post for the explaining of this topic.

11) Pack-up and Specials for the kids Planning which usually means meetings for power up for me

12) 1st bus load go.

13) Entertain 2nd bus load and after school kids. The new highlight. Hide in seek in the classroom. Yes I let them probably have too much fun. I'm ok with it.

14) 2nd bus load go.

15) Tell my after school kid to mosey down the hall as slow as he can. He's gotten pretty good at this because he's not allowed in the cafeteria until the last bell rings. Sometimes he crawls. Sometimes I get looked at like I'm crazy.

16) Prepare myself to do it all over again. I guess you have to be a little crazy to do this.

And I'm not gonna lie I really want to have school tomorrow. First, because it's groundhog day and that's just fun. Second, because I have a doctor's (yes another) appointment and have already taken a half day off. One of these days we'll get a new routine. Off to eat some delicous mennonite fooooood :).