After school, picked up a document to renew a visa from the university and then met up with a classmate to give it to her, to save her a trip of going all the way to Alcala and back just for one paper. She bought me a Starbucks to thank me and we chatted for a little while, to give her a break from her thesising. :) It was cool to hang out with her for a bit, and made me realize that I´d had some pretty cool people in my program all year and didn´t even really realize it... o_O This always happens -- I always feel like I´m the lone wolf, and then just as things are wrapping up, suddenly I find lots of cool people that were there all along. I need to stop doing that... for real.
Anyway, after meeting up with her, a strolled around the neighborhood a bit before heading to my lesson with Patty. I had showed up really late yesterday to our lesson and felt really awful about it (even though it wasn´t totally my fault), but this time I was going to be way early! w00t! I was so relaxed and happy that I took the metro in the wrong direction when I finally started heading to her place, but giggled to myself, thinking, ¨I have so much time, it doesn´t even matter... whatever!¨ I looked down at my cell phone to see how early I would still be, despite this little mix-up, when it hit me...
Class on Tuesday is at 8:30. But today wasn´t Tuesday, it was Wednesday. Class on Wednesday is at 7:45. And right now? Right now it was 8:00.
>_<!!!!!!!!!!!!
REALLY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
When I got to Patty´s I was panting from running so much. I felt like a complete idiot!!! She assured me it was totally fine, but I was soooooo embarassed!!! Ugh.
Happily, our class was really great... but holy crap.
XOXO
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Day 267: Cupcakealicious
*Thanks to thesising, and then intense relaxation, I am currently a whole WEEK behind in my blog... and so I will write seven VERY pithy posts to catch up.*
The cutest part of the day was definitely my 5th graders first period. The week before I had given kids books out to groups of 3-5 and had them read it, then create a short play based on the book. To my surprise, the classes LOVED this assignment (I guess it shouldn´t have been too much of a surprise -- they´re not allowed a whole lot of creativity, as class usually just involved workbook and textbook crap). As usual, some students took it very seriously, and others took it as a time to be silly. But the group that took it the most seriously this go around was the group of girls who recently got in trouble for playing ¨gentleman´s club¨ at recess... so, needless to say, I was shocked when their play was the BEST out of all of the 5th and 6th graders!
They had the best book, ¨Cupcakealicious,¨ about a little girl who eats so many cupcakes that she turns bright pink! :) They enjoyed the book, but quickly had a problem: there were only really two characters in the story, and they had five girls in their group. After some thinking, they decided to make one girl the narrator, and the other two... CUPCAKES!!! Man, what brilliant little girls. After they created their script (without even writing it down --way impressive), they blocked out their whole play and created scenery out of desks and chairs in the corner of the classroom.
What resulted was the most adorable mini play ever. The two characters picked up the cupcake girls and ¨plcaed them in the oven,¨ and as the baked, they raised their arms like a ballerina... and later when they ate them, they lowered their arms like a ballerina. The play was totally polished and not one girl messed up or got nervous giggles or anything. At the end I wished I´d video recorded the whole thing!!!!!
I love when students totally surpass your expectations. It made me want to bring those girls real pink cupcakes the next day to congratulate them on a job well done. Haha. Sometimes it sucks that you can´t reward certain students for being way awesome... I mean, you can give them a good grade or a sticker... but some things just seem deserving of something more -- like a cupcake. ;)
XOXO
The cutest part of the day was definitely my 5th graders first period. The week before I had given kids books out to groups of 3-5 and had them read it, then create a short play based on the book. To my surprise, the classes LOVED this assignment (I guess it shouldn´t have been too much of a surprise -- they´re not allowed a whole lot of creativity, as class usually just involved workbook and textbook crap). As usual, some students took it very seriously, and others took it as a time to be silly. But the group that took it the most seriously this go around was the group of girls who recently got in trouble for playing ¨gentleman´s club¨ at recess... so, needless to say, I was shocked when their play was the BEST out of all of the 5th and 6th graders!
They had the best book, ¨Cupcakealicious,¨ about a little girl who eats so many cupcakes that she turns bright pink! :) They enjoyed the book, but quickly had a problem: there were only really two characters in the story, and they had five girls in their group. After some thinking, they decided to make one girl the narrator, and the other two... CUPCAKES!!! Man, what brilliant little girls. After they created their script (without even writing it down --way impressive), they blocked out their whole play and created scenery out of desks and chairs in the corner of the classroom.
What resulted was the most adorable mini play ever. The two characters picked up the cupcake girls and ¨plcaed them in the oven,¨ and as the baked, they raised their arms like a ballerina... and later when they ate them, they lowered their arms like a ballerina. The play was totally polished and not one girl messed up or got nervous giggles or anything. At the end I wished I´d video recorded the whole thing!!!!!
I love when students totally surpass your expectations. It made me want to bring those girls real pink cupcakes the next day to congratulate them on a job well done. Haha. Sometimes it sucks that you can´t reward certain students for being way awesome... I mean, you can give them a good grade or a sticker... but some things just seem deserving of something more -- like a cupcake. ;)
XOXO
Monday, May 27, 2013
Day 266: Picasso FTW
This is going to be pithy, because I NEED to thesis...
Today Pineapple almost cried in class thinking about how little amount of time remained. I laughed at her, but when I went in the teacher's lounge and found out that we only have three weeks left together instead of the four and a half I thought we had, I almost cried, too! >_< Brother.
Bachi class was wonderful as usual, and I asked them to all write a few comments about the blog project for my thesis. I made sure to make it anonymous and tell them they could write if they hated it or whatever - no problem. And so when I went to read all of their comments and they were all ridiculously glowing and positive (some of them even thanking me and claiming I was the best English teacher they'd ever had - ?!?!!?), I melted a little. Awww... my Bachis. <3
The more theory I read on bilingual education and language acquisition, the more I'm realizing that my silly little English classes with them might actually be a slice of pure brilliance... certainly without me doing it on purpose or even realizing it until now. See, Krashen (one of the most important language acquisition theorists - don't worry, you'll read more about him in my thesis... hahaha) has proven that learning grammar really doesn't do a whole lot for a person... what makes them really acquire a language and get proficient in it is something he calls "comprehensible input" - pieces of information in the target language which are relayed and understood by the learner. He has an entire theory which simply states that one best aquires communication through... yeah... communicating. But this only really pays off if the learning enviornment has low anxiety, encourages self-esteem and truly motivates students.
I don't mean to be pompous, but I'm pretty sure we just described the classes I have with my Bachis. ;)
Grammar is never even mentioned - all we really do is sit around and chat and work on their blogs and get the giggles about stuff. It's HIGHLY nontraditional, and studies are showing that the more nontraditional the foreign language class, the better! Not that I'm claiming to have known that... all I really did for the class was try to put myself in their shoes. I asked myself what I would have wanted had I gotten to have a native girl from Spain come to my Spanish class two hours a week when I was a Junior in high school. The only answer I really came up with was that I'd have wanted the girl to be cool and on our level... maybe teach us some slang and some cool cultural differences... but mostly just make us feel comfortable and awesome and free to be ourselves - in her language.
In the back of my mind, I've always tried to think, if any of these kids started dating an American kid in a year or two... would they be linguistically and culturally equipped to do so? That was my goal. I am a WEIRD teacher, but I'll be honest and say that was my sole goal. And I'm proud to say that I think most of them totally could rock a relationship with an American at this point. ;) Hell yeah they could! They might become annoyed by the American, depending on what kind of American they got (haha), but linguistically and culturally, I have faith they could keep up. :-P
Anyway, the second best part of my day was my private lesson with Picasso!!! When I started classes with him a few months ago, even his teacher told me he was a bit of a hopeless case. But I refused to listen. Some days were a little more worrisome than others, but holy crap that kid has come a long ways! Today we were discussing PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS WHOLESALERS AND RETAILERS. And you know what? He had that crap down better than I did! I asked him if he could explain them to me, and he just sat there. I wasn't surprised, really. But then, all of a sudden, he got up, rearranged somethings, and put on a mini one-man theatrical play about it. HOLY CRAP DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He even managed to insert a joke about "Where's the house? By the warehouse!"
HAhahahhah. I laughed so hard. I didn't even think of that one.
We then got to transport. When the book said airplanes were public transport and not private, I squeaked in disagreement. Picasso smiled at me and explained (in English of course) that he'd thought that was totally incorrect, too, but his teacher had shut him down. I told him tomorrow in class I'd have it out with her and get to the bottom of it. He laughed.
He's so cool.
But when we had five minutes left and he still had two workbook pages ('cause we'd spent the whole hour going over the whole chapter and discussing it and acting it out and giggling about it - actually, time very well spent, in all), I knew it wasn't going to happen. Instead of telling him to do it, I asked if he was ready to go for it. He said no at first, but I realized it was just because he was clearing a work space free of distractions. Then, all of a sudden, he just started GOING CRAZY FAST.
HE GOT THE WHOLE THING FINISHED IN THOSE FIVE MINUTES - NO ERRORS AT ALL.
HOLY CRAP, DUDE.
When I asked him what that was all about, he said, simply, "Well, we were in a hurry, right?"
O_O
Dude... what??? How... how did you get so awesome??? o_O
Man, if his teachers could have seen him in that moment, they would have SHIT their pants. No joke. The word "shit" is necessary here.
His teachers always said he was capable of it, but didn't know how to get him to work.
And then I come along... not really trying all too hard... and BOOM.
I'm glad he did it for me and not for them, though... because they would have SCREAMED at him for not having done it earlier in the year... whereas I was just amused and taken aback and thinking he was awesome. Way to fool those MoFos (sorry - again, necessary) for so long, kid! I tip my hat to 'ya. You really had some of them thinking that you actually had learning disorders and crap... but nah... they just didn't get you.
Heh.
I love kids like that.
Way to show up those adults. Make 'em look like fools.
Sometimes I think I should not be a teacher. Because this is how I think. But other times, I think, this is EXACTLY why I make such a GOOD teacher. ;)
THESIS TIME.
XOXO
Today Pineapple almost cried in class thinking about how little amount of time remained. I laughed at her, but when I went in the teacher's lounge and found out that we only have three weeks left together instead of the four and a half I thought we had, I almost cried, too! >_< Brother.
Bachi class was wonderful as usual, and I asked them to all write a few comments about the blog project for my thesis. I made sure to make it anonymous and tell them they could write if they hated it or whatever - no problem. And so when I went to read all of their comments and they were all ridiculously glowing and positive (some of them even thanking me and claiming I was the best English teacher they'd ever had - ?!?!!?), I melted a little. Awww... my Bachis. <3
The more theory I read on bilingual education and language acquisition, the more I'm realizing that my silly little English classes with them might actually be a slice of pure brilliance... certainly without me doing it on purpose or even realizing it until now. See, Krashen (one of the most important language acquisition theorists - don't worry, you'll read more about him in my thesis... hahaha) has proven that learning grammar really doesn't do a whole lot for a person... what makes them really acquire a language and get proficient in it is something he calls "comprehensible input" - pieces of information in the target language which are relayed and understood by the learner. He has an entire theory which simply states that one best aquires communication through... yeah... communicating. But this only really pays off if the learning enviornment has low anxiety, encourages self-esteem and truly motivates students.
I don't mean to be pompous, but I'm pretty sure we just described the classes I have with my Bachis. ;)
Grammar is never even mentioned - all we really do is sit around and chat and work on their blogs and get the giggles about stuff. It's HIGHLY nontraditional, and studies are showing that the more nontraditional the foreign language class, the better! Not that I'm claiming to have known that... all I really did for the class was try to put myself in their shoes. I asked myself what I would have wanted had I gotten to have a native girl from Spain come to my Spanish class two hours a week when I was a Junior in high school. The only answer I really came up with was that I'd have wanted the girl to be cool and on our level... maybe teach us some slang and some cool cultural differences... but mostly just make us feel comfortable and awesome and free to be ourselves - in her language.
In the back of my mind, I've always tried to think, if any of these kids started dating an American kid in a year or two... would they be linguistically and culturally equipped to do so? That was my goal. I am a WEIRD teacher, but I'll be honest and say that was my sole goal. And I'm proud to say that I think most of them totally could rock a relationship with an American at this point. ;) Hell yeah they could! They might become annoyed by the American, depending on what kind of American they got (haha), but linguistically and culturally, I have faith they could keep up. :-P
Anyway, the second best part of my day was my private lesson with Picasso!!! When I started classes with him a few months ago, even his teacher told me he was a bit of a hopeless case. But I refused to listen. Some days were a little more worrisome than others, but holy crap that kid has come a long ways! Today we were discussing PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS WHOLESALERS AND RETAILERS. And you know what? He had that crap down better than I did! I asked him if he could explain them to me, and he just sat there. I wasn't surprised, really. But then, all of a sudden, he got up, rearranged somethings, and put on a mini one-man theatrical play about it. HOLY CRAP DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He even managed to insert a joke about "Where's the house? By the warehouse!"
HAhahahhah. I laughed so hard. I didn't even think of that one.
We then got to transport. When the book said airplanes were public transport and not private, I squeaked in disagreement. Picasso smiled at me and explained (in English of course) that he'd thought that was totally incorrect, too, but his teacher had shut him down. I told him tomorrow in class I'd have it out with her and get to the bottom of it. He laughed.
He's so cool.
But when we had five minutes left and he still had two workbook pages ('cause we'd spent the whole hour going over the whole chapter and discussing it and acting it out and giggling about it - actually, time very well spent, in all), I knew it wasn't going to happen. Instead of telling him to do it, I asked if he was ready to go for it. He said no at first, but I realized it was just because he was clearing a work space free of distractions. Then, all of a sudden, he just started GOING CRAZY FAST.
HE GOT THE WHOLE THING FINISHED IN THOSE FIVE MINUTES - NO ERRORS AT ALL.
HOLY CRAP, DUDE.
When I asked him what that was all about, he said, simply, "Well, we were in a hurry, right?"
O_O
Dude... what??? How... how did you get so awesome??? o_O
Man, if his teachers could have seen him in that moment, they would have SHIT their pants. No joke. The word "shit" is necessary here.
His teachers always said he was capable of it, but didn't know how to get him to work.
And then I come along... not really trying all too hard... and BOOM.
I'm glad he did it for me and not for them, though... because they would have SCREAMED at him for not having done it earlier in the year... whereas I was just amused and taken aback and thinking he was awesome. Way to fool those MoFos (sorry - again, necessary) for so long, kid! I tip my hat to 'ya. You really had some of them thinking that you actually had learning disorders and crap... but nah... they just didn't get you.
Heh.
I love kids like that.
Way to show up those adults. Make 'em look like fools.
Sometimes I think I should not be a teacher. Because this is how I think. But other times, I think, this is EXACTLY why I make such a GOOD teacher. ;)
THESIS TIME.
XOXO
Weekend 264 & 265: Happy Thesising!
Blogs this week are going to be deceivingly short... because I have to THESIS!!! It's due Friday night, so I actually have to get my rear in gear and get this DONE.
I'm not going to lie - a not so tiny part of my is a little freaked thinking this could be my last academic paper. I LOVE WRITING ACADEMIC PAPERS. I know I get all freaked out and stressed about them... but in the end, I love it. It gives me a weird high. I feel most authentically like myself when I'm doing it. I've developed a system that works over the years, and I'm really great at it. I've come to embrace my procrastination and to see it as my muse. I've seen my multitasking to be beneficial time my creativity needs to think without being noticed.
It's definitely not hit me yet that there's only one month left of this journey. As of July 2nd, no more apartment, no more Abby, no more roomies, no more school, no more Bachis, no more 3A, no more... anything that makes my life my life right now, actually... O_O
Of course, the weirdest part (as it always is with me), is that none of this freaks me out. Actually, I'm in love with the notion that I have no idea what comes next. That everything will change. I'm so excited.
But leaving my kids will be sad. I know I'm gonna pull a Miss Pineapple and I'm going to cry like a baby. I love those little kids. I really, truly, LOVE them. If I could be their teacher for forever, I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm not sure how much I've taught them this year, when all's said and done... but the amount they've taught me is incredible.
When I got to Spain in September, I felt so very small. I felt like nobody. I felt like I didn't really matter to anybody. I felt like hollow. Portland had used up all the spirit I had and spit me out with my little soul just barely hanging on for dear life.
But these kids... these kids and their cheers when I enter the room... each and every week. They way they run up and hug me at recess like I'm some sort of enchanted princess. They way they talk to me like I'm somebody so very important to them, and like I'm one of the few who actually understands them. Their smiles and giggles when I act like myself -- that me I was always so ashamed of being.
These kids have filled me with so much love and appreciation that I can't help but adore myself again. <3
On the second week of teaching, I wrote in this blog that it really wasn't for me; I saw it as a glorified babysitting position and I resented it. Looking back at what I wrote is so funny to me now, because I feel just the opposite. I feel like I've never really known where I fit nor found many people who really understood and appreciated me for me... but after this year, I've finally figured it out... at least for now! :)
After my thesis is complete, I'm going to be putting in all of my extra time and energy into writing each and every kid I've had a personal note. That's 275 letters. But I don't mind. They deserve to be thanked and told how much I adore them back and how wonderful they are, too. I can't wait to write them, actually! It might even be more fun (and certainly more work) than my thesis!
I know this is thesis isn't the last big piece of writing I'll ever do - in fact, it may be the first of many, really. And I know these kids won't be the last kids I'll ever teach - but they're my first... and that's what makes them so special. <3
XOXO
I'm not going to lie - a not so tiny part of my is a little freaked thinking this could be my last academic paper. I LOVE WRITING ACADEMIC PAPERS. I know I get all freaked out and stressed about them... but in the end, I love it. It gives me a weird high. I feel most authentically like myself when I'm doing it. I've developed a system that works over the years, and I'm really great at it. I've come to embrace my procrastination and to see it as my muse. I've seen my multitasking to be beneficial time my creativity needs to think without being noticed.
It's definitely not hit me yet that there's only one month left of this journey. As of July 2nd, no more apartment, no more Abby, no more roomies, no more school, no more Bachis, no more 3A, no more... anything that makes my life my life right now, actually... O_O
Of course, the weirdest part (as it always is with me), is that none of this freaks me out. Actually, I'm in love with the notion that I have no idea what comes next. That everything will change. I'm so excited.
But leaving my kids will be sad. I know I'm gonna pull a Miss Pineapple and I'm going to cry like a baby. I love those little kids. I really, truly, LOVE them. If I could be their teacher for forever, I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm not sure how much I've taught them this year, when all's said and done... but the amount they've taught me is incredible.
When I got to Spain in September, I felt so very small. I felt like nobody. I felt like I didn't really matter to anybody. I felt like hollow. Portland had used up all the spirit I had and spit me out with my little soul just barely hanging on for dear life.
But these kids... these kids and their cheers when I enter the room... each and every week. They way they run up and hug me at recess like I'm some sort of enchanted princess. They way they talk to me like I'm somebody so very important to them, and like I'm one of the few who actually understands them. Their smiles and giggles when I act like myself -- that me I was always so ashamed of being.
These kids have filled me with so much love and appreciation that I can't help but adore myself again. <3
On the second week of teaching, I wrote in this blog that it really wasn't for me; I saw it as a glorified babysitting position and I resented it. Looking back at what I wrote is so funny to me now, because I feel just the opposite. I feel like I've never really known where I fit nor found many people who really understood and appreciated me for me... but after this year, I've finally figured it out... at least for now! :)
After my thesis is complete, I'm going to be putting in all of my extra time and energy into writing each and every kid I've had a personal note. That's 275 letters. But I don't mind. They deserve to be thanked and told how much I adore them back and how wonderful they are, too. I can't wait to write them, actually! It might even be more fun (and certainly more work) than my thesis!
I know this is thesis isn't the last big piece of writing I'll ever do - in fact, it may be the first of many, really. And I know these kids won't be the last kids I'll ever teach - but they're my first... and that's what makes them so special. <3
XOXO
Friday, May 24, 2013
Day 263: Great Grandma
I was so miserable by the time I got home last night that I made up my mind I just wouldn't go to school this morning. It's the second sick day I've taken ever at this school, but I really needed it. I felt like CRAP - and the knowledge that I'm allergic to some allergy medicine had me too nervous to try to take anything for it. I have a thesis to do this weekend, and I can't be this sick and accomplish all that I need to do! >_<
I'd woken up after noon feeling a little better, and we had a mini birthday celebration for my roomie with cake and singing and everything. I was just beginning to feel a little better and decided to go to my room to do a little work, when I got a message from Grandma.
She was on Facebook to IM me to tell me that Great Grandma had died last night. :(
My maternal grandpa died when I was about 4 years old, I think. And my paternal grandma died when I was about 7 years old, I think. But, other than that, I really haven't had a family member die. Friends, yes - but family - not in over 15 years. And so, I didn't really know how to take it...
All I knew is I felt sad. I didn't know what to say to Grandma to comfort her. I didn't know what I'd say to Sam, either. I wanted to say the right thing, but all I could do was sit in my bed and feel... sad.
I remember when I moved to Fond du Lac when I was 18 and one of the first things I did was go to Great Grandma's house to say hi. Some other relatives were there, too, and Sam was busy playing with some maps Great Grandma had given him to disctract him with. Great Grandma was asking me how my life was, and then asked if I still only ate garbanzo beans and still talked to my invisible friends. I was so embarassed, but at the time so impressed she remembered those things.
"Oh sure I remember them," she laughed. "It's all you ever talked about when you would come here!"
All I could do was giggle and turn red!! >_< Hahaha.
Growing up, I got to visit Grandma and Great Grandma during Christmas some years. Great Grandma would always take the whole family to a hotel for a few days to celebrate - and it was always AWESOME!!! ^_^
One year I'll never forget was when we went to the Heidel House in Green Lake, Wisconsin. I think it was probably one of my favorite Christmases ever. I remember I'd just been given my first boy doll (with certain anatomical features) and simply could not get over it. I'd insisted I bring it to the hotel and I remember showing EVERYBODY what was under that doll's diaper. I also remember everybody being very joyous and drinking the infamous Brandy Slushes, giggling as I showed my doll off. ^_^ Hahaha. Meg and Great Grandma were the ones who had the best off-handed remarks about it, and I remember that because, I distinctly remember not understanding what they were saying to me and everybody else laughing. I felt kinda stupid, but since everybody was so merry, I decided they were just trying to tell me they like my doll a lot, too. Hahaha. Knowing those two as I got older, though, I can only imagine what they actually said about that poor doll - hahahaha!!! :) That Christmas I also remember sparkly teddy bear jewelery, crammed car rides to get waffles, Gina getting hurt ice skating on the lake, swimming in a big pool and Great Grandma being at the center of it all, cracking jokes and smiling and playing cribbage and giggling with (and sometimes at) everybody!
I think the silliest memory I have, though, is more recent. I'd gone over to visit her right after I'd gotten back from Brazil. I'd brought her a little glass frog and told her some stories and she smiled and giggled the whole time! Then, some friends stopped by to see her, but when they noticed I was visiting, they said they'd come back another time. "Oh, no!" she said grandly. "Don't be silly! My great grand-daughter has just come to tell me about her adventures in Brazil! Come listen!" She and her friend then had a brag-off about their grand/great-grand kids. Every thing that poor lady would try to say, Great Grandma would one up her, bragging about me and my experiences. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever, and she said it all with such smug pride! ^_^ I LOVED IT!!! She winked at me when it was all over and she and I had decidely won. HAHAHA!! Anyway, she always loved hearing about my adventures and always made me feel like she was truly proud of whatever I did. <3
Great grandma was also great at telling really dirty jokes - which was always really awesome, because you'd just never expect such things to come out of such a sweet looking older lady... until they did!! ^_^ And it's not like she'd just say them to family - no, she'd say them to her doctors and everybody else... and I loved her "Hater's gonna hate!" mentality!!! Hahaha.
I've always felt very lucky to be able to call Great Grandma and Grandma and all of them my family. I always knew that, technically, I wasn't "blood related," and that none of them really had to treat me like I was one of them... but they always have and I've always felt like they are much more my true family than my actual "blood related" relatives. I loved the year that I got to live with Grandma and Sam, and we'd go out for dinners and drinks with Great Grandma, and spend holidays with the whole family. I truly felt included and loved in a way I never had before. <3
I'm so grateful for having been one of those lucky few who got to have a great grandma for so long, and had a great grandma who was hilarious and always made me feel proud about who I was. I know it seems strange, since I've almost always lived rather far from her and didn't get to see her much... but I really will miss her.
I hope that she'll be there to guide Sam just as Conor's been there to guide me... and that Sam can always feel her with him. I hope that lots of people surround Grandma with love, because she's usually the strong one for everyone, but I would guess that right now she needs other people to be the strong ones for her right now (and I'm afraid I'm much to far away to be of any real help... :-/). I hope that Grandma's right and that Great Grandma is somewhere right now having a drink, playing cards and telling more dirty jokes to unsuspecting souls! I hope that Conor greets her, because I think he'd love one of those drinks and a few of those jokes, too! ;)
All my love to Great Grandma, Grandma, Sam and the rest of my family. <3 <3 <3
XOXO
I'd woken up after noon feeling a little better, and we had a mini birthday celebration for my roomie with cake and singing and everything. I was just beginning to feel a little better and decided to go to my room to do a little work, when I got a message from Grandma.
She was on Facebook to IM me to tell me that Great Grandma had died last night. :(
My maternal grandpa died when I was about 4 years old, I think. And my paternal grandma died when I was about 7 years old, I think. But, other than that, I really haven't had a family member die. Friends, yes - but family - not in over 15 years. And so, I didn't really know how to take it...
All I knew is I felt sad. I didn't know what to say to Grandma to comfort her. I didn't know what I'd say to Sam, either. I wanted to say the right thing, but all I could do was sit in my bed and feel... sad.
I remember when I moved to Fond du Lac when I was 18 and one of the first things I did was go to Great Grandma's house to say hi. Some other relatives were there, too, and Sam was busy playing with some maps Great Grandma had given him to disctract him with. Great Grandma was asking me how my life was, and then asked if I still only ate garbanzo beans and still talked to my invisible friends. I was so embarassed, but at the time so impressed she remembered those things.
"Oh sure I remember them," she laughed. "It's all you ever talked about when you would come here!"
All I could do was giggle and turn red!! >_< Hahaha.
Growing up, I got to visit Grandma and Great Grandma during Christmas some years. Great Grandma would always take the whole family to a hotel for a few days to celebrate - and it was always AWESOME!!! ^_^
One year I'll never forget was when we went to the Heidel House in Green Lake, Wisconsin. I think it was probably one of my favorite Christmases ever. I remember I'd just been given my first boy doll (with certain anatomical features) and simply could not get over it. I'd insisted I bring it to the hotel and I remember showing EVERYBODY what was under that doll's diaper. I also remember everybody being very joyous and drinking the infamous Brandy Slushes, giggling as I showed my doll off. ^_^ Hahaha. Meg and Great Grandma were the ones who had the best off-handed remarks about it, and I remember that because, I distinctly remember not understanding what they were saying to me and everybody else laughing. I felt kinda stupid, but since everybody was so merry, I decided they were just trying to tell me they like my doll a lot, too. Hahaha. Knowing those two as I got older, though, I can only imagine what they actually said about that poor doll - hahahaha!!! :) That Christmas I also remember sparkly teddy bear jewelery, crammed car rides to get waffles, Gina getting hurt ice skating on the lake, swimming in a big pool and Great Grandma being at the center of it all, cracking jokes and smiling and playing cribbage and giggling with (and sometimes at) everybody!
I think the silliest memory I have, though, is more recent. I'd gone over to visit her right after I'd gotten back from Brazil. I'd brought her a little glass frog and told her some stories and she smiled and giggled the whole time! Then, some friends stopped by to see her, but when they noticed I was visiting, they said they'd come back another time. "Oh, no!" she said grandly. "Don't be silly! My great grand-daughter has just come to tell me about her adventures in Brazil! Come listen!" She and her friend then had a brag-off about their grand/great-grand kids. Every thing that poor lady would try to say, Great Grandma would one up her, bragging about me and my experiences. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever, and she said it all with such smug pride! ^_^ I LOVED IT!!! She winked at me when it was all over and she and I had decidely won. HAHAHA!! Anyway, she always loved hearing about my adventures and always made me feel like she was truly proud of whatever I did. <3
Great grandma was also great at telling really dirty jokes - which was always really awesome, because you'd just never expect such things to come out of such a sweet looking older lady... until they did!! ^_^ And it's not like she'd just say them to family - no, she'd say them to her doctors and everybody else... and I loved her "Hater's gonna hate!" mentality!!! Hahaha.
I've always felt very lucky to be able to call Great Grandma and Grandma and all of them my family. I always knew that, technically, I wasn't "blood related," and that none of them really had to treat me like I was one of them... but they always have and I've always felt like they are much more my true family than my actual "blood related" relatives. I loved the year that I got to live with Grandma and Sam, and we'd go out for dinners and drinks with Great Grandma, and spend holidays with the whole family. I truly felt included and loved in a way I never had before. <3
I'm so grateful for having been one of those lucky few who got to have a great grandma for so long, and had a great grandma who was hilarious and always made me feel proud about who I was. I know it seems strange, since I've almost always lived rather far from her and didn't get to see her much... but I really will miss her.
I hope that she'll be there to guide Sam just as Conor's been there to guide me... and that Sam can always feel her with him. I hope that lots of people surround Grandma with love, because she's usually the strong one for everyone, but I would guess that right now she needs other people to be the strong ones for her right now (and I'm afraid I'm much to far away to be of any real help... :-/). I hope that Grandma's right and that Great Grandma is somewhere right now having a drink, playing cards and telling more dirty jokes to unsuspecting souls! I hope that Conor greets her, because I think he'd love one of those drinks and a few of those jokes, too! ;)
All my love to Great Grandma, Grandma, Sam and the rest of my family. <3 <3 <3
XOXO
Lily, Me, Great Grandma & B on Great Grandma's birthday party in 2010. :)
Day 262: I Don't Wanna Be a Chicken
And today sucked.
My school is literally in the middle of a field. Which is kinda a cool setting for a school, until allergy season rolls around. Half of the little kids in my school are coughing with runny noses and puffy eyes so big they can barely see. It's so sad!!! :(
But what's also sad is the fact that I'm suffering just as badly as they are!!! >_< *COMPLAIN!*
The only reason I got through my private lessons tonight was because of Mr. Nachoman. First, he'd gotten a new jump rope, and one that was bigger so that I could use it easier! :) I'd taught him the first week of the jump roping fad at school how to do a cross while jumping, and he had worked his butt off to do it half as well as me. A month later, and now he can do it backwards, frontwards, on one leg, etc. He wanted me to show him my moves again today, but I was tooooooo sick. I tried hard, but messed up every time, and finally his mom told him I couldn't breathe. He wouldn't take no for an answer, though, and told me he knew I could do it. When I finally did the cross without tripping, he cheered! :) Aww! <3
Then, at home, when he was changing out of his school clothes and asked me to sing him a song that he didn't know. I tried to sing "I Can Do Anything Better Than You Can," which is his class' song for the Summer Festival, and which we practiced on Tuesday for half an hour, but he wasn't having it. He wanted a new one. My head being so stuffy and full of allergy snot juice, it was way difficult to think of any... and the only one that came to me was...
"I don't wanna be a chicken.
I don't wanna be a duck.
So I shake my butt!
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom."
Yep.
I sang it over and over again. And then started lacklusterly doing the dance, too. He seemed appeased by it, so I just kept going for a good five minutes while he got changed and went to the bathroom and stuff. When he came back, he was SINGING IT TO HIMSELF. WHAT THE HELL!!?! And with perfect pronounciation, to boot!
What happened next was a 35 minute "I don't wanna be a chicken" dance-off. I kid you not. He went and got dressed up in one of his mom's dresses (she had left us at home alone while she went grocery shopping, and when she came home, she was NOT amused - hahah, I tried to tell him - CRAP) and we made up a Flamenco dance to the song. Somehow. Don't ask me how. It was actually kinda good, though! HA!
At the end of it all, I asked if even even knew what the song meant. I thought he didn't hear my question, because he didn't say anything for a second. But, all of a sudden, he just sang the whole thing in Spanish - perfectly. It made him giggle, and it shocked the shit out me.
Why are 7 year olds so smart?!!
After our song and dance, we sat on the floor and just chatted. We'd never done anything like that before, and it was really cool. We had a 15 minute conversation about school and other things and I totally forgot that he wasn't just another native-English speaking kid. O_O Damn!
My school is literally in the middle of a field. Which is kinda a cool setting for a school, until allergy season rolls around. Half of the little kids in my school are coughing with runny noses and puffy eyes so big they can barely see. It's so sad!!! :(
But what's also sad is the fact that I'm suffering just as badly as they are!!! >_< *COMPLAIN!*
The only reason I got through my private lessons tonight was because of Mr. Nachoman. First, he'd gotten a new jump rope, and one that was bigger so that I could use it easier! :) I'd taught him the first week of the jump roping fad at school how to do a cross while jumping, and he had worked his butt off to do it half as well as me. A month later, and now he can do it backwards, frontwards, on one leg, etc. He wanted me to show him my moves again today, but I was tooooooo sick. I tried hard, but messed up every time, and finally his mom told him I couldn't breathe. He wouldn't take no for an answer, though, and told me he knew I could do it. When I finally did the cross without tripping, he cheered! :) Aww! <3
Then, at home, when he was changing out of his school clothes and asked me to sing him a song that he didn't know. I tried to sing "I Can Do Anything Better Than You Can," which is his class' song for the Summer Festival, and which we practiced on Tuesday for half an hour, but he wasn't having it. He wanted a new one. My head being so stuffy and full of allergy snot juice, it was way difficult to think of any... and the only one that came to me was...
"I don't wanna be a chicken.
I don't wanna be a duck.
So I shake my butt!
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom."
Yep.
I sang it over and over again. And then started lacklusterly doing the dance, too. He seemed appeased by it, so I just kept going for a good five minutes while he got changed and went to the bathroom and stuff. When he came back, he was SINGING IT TO HIMSELF. WHAT THE HELL!!?! And with perfect pronounciation, to boot!
What happened next was a 35 minute "I don't wanna be a chicken" dance-off. I kid you not. He went and got dressed up in one of his mom's dresses (she had left us at home alone while she went grocery shopping, and when she came home, she was NOT amused - hahah, I tried to tell him - CRAP) and we made up a Flamenco dance to the song. Somehow. Don't ask me how. It was actually kinda good, though! HA!
At the end of it all, I asked if even even knew what the song meant. I thought he didn't hear my question, because he didn't say anything for a second. But, all of a sudden, he just sang the whole thing in Spanish - perfectly. It made him giggle, and it shocked the shit out me.
Why are 7 year olds so smart?!!
After our song and dance, we sat on the floor and just chatted. We'd never done anything like that before, and it was really cool. We had a 15 minute conversation about school and other things and I totally forgot that he wasn't just another native-English speaking kid. O_O Damn!
Day 261: Wednesday. Not much to say.
The best part of today was definitely talking to my Bachis - both during class and after out on the patio. They are pretty much my favorite teenagers ever. ;)
The worst part of today was finding out that I'd practically make the same amount of money working for my school, as I would doing the government teaching program - only at my school, I'd work more than double the hours! >_< After this news and talking to Pineapple, I decided I would lean towards taking the government teaching job - and then I got the email. My placement is in a school in Alcala.
>_<
NO!!!!!!
I want to live in the CITY!!! And be URBANE!!!! And buy a VESPA!!!!! RAWR!!!!
I emailed the program to see if I can change it - and man do I hope I can!!!! >_<
XOXO
The worst part of today was finding out that I'd practically make the same amount of money working for my school, as I would doing the government teaching program - only at my school, I'd work more than double the hours! >_< After this news and talking to Pineapple, I decided I would lean towards taking the government teaching job - and then I got the email. My placement is in a school in Alcala.
>_<
NO!!!!!!
I want to live in the CITY!!! And be URBANE!!!! And buy a VESPA!!!!! RAWR!!!!
I emailed the program to see if I can change it - and man do I hope I can!!!! >_<
XOXO
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