College Mentors for Kids

Today was my first day at College Mentors for Kids. I got to meet my little buddy today. His name is Clark. He is in 4th grade and will be 10 next week. I am used to crazy little boys from the families that I nanny for, but he was a little crazier than the ones I am used to. We didn't do too much today. He told me all about his Star Wars cards today and about his dog. We read a book, did a crossword puzzle, and decorated their journals that they have to write in each week. He seems really nice and fun, but he just does not listen too well. He will definitely be a challenge for me this year, but I need all the experience I can get going into teaching. I am looking forward to next week and I hope it goes better.

Traditions

My family has several traditions that we do each year. Most of the ones that I cant think of right now are the little trips that we take throughout the year. Every fall break my whole family goes down to Brown County and goes camping. we have been doing this since I was really little and every year we add more people. The next one is back to Brown County in December with my family, but this time we stay in cabins. This is the time when we have our Christmas with that side of my family. Next is in January when we go to Pokagon State Park, which is probably the best place to go in the winter. They have a toboggan run and the perfect sledding hill. We started this about 5 years ago and have been every year since. It is always a blast and we once again always add more people every year. The last two are in the summer. Over 4th of July we take our boat up to Lake Michigan. The water is usually still too cold to go waterskiing, but we make the best of us. My favorite part is when we go out on the lake to watch the fireworks set off from the beach. It is so beautiful and peaceful. The last one is our week long trip to Dalehollow at the end of the summer. We once again take our boat and we meet up with some friends from Georgia. Every year is different there, but we always spend most of the day out on the water wither skiing, tubing, swimming, or just driving around. I love going on all these trips with my family and I look forward to each one of them every year.

"Each day's a gift and not a given right"

I was listening to Nickelback's song,If Today Was Your Last Day, recently and the phrase "Each day's a gift and not a given right" really stuck out to me. Last Tuesday my Uncle Mike passed away. My mom called and told me after I was done with classes. The news was shocking. He was 58 years old and healthy. He had had a heart attack and when my Aunt Marcia woke up and found him it was too late. I couldn't believe it. My Uncle Mike was one of the nicest people you could have known. He loved being with his family and traveling. Every year we went to Brown County over fall break, Brown county in December, and Pokagon in the winter with them. In other words, we were close to him. The services were on Friday and Saturday. Seeing my Aunt Marcia broke my heart. They were married for 38 years and she never even got to say goodbye before he was gone. You should tell your loved ones everyday how much they mean to you in case you never get another chance. Live each day to the fullest and don't take your life for grant-it because "each day is a gift and not a given right."

Drops of Jupiter

I am thinking about using this song for my analysis in class. I have always liked the song, but didn't always understand the meaning of the words. 

Now that shes back in the atmosphere
With drops of jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that theres time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like june, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that shes back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that theres time to grow, hey, hey

Now that shes back in the atmosphere
Im afraid that she might think of me as plain ol jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the milky way
And tell me, did venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know youre wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way

Fall

While most people's favorite season is probably summer, my favorite season is fall. Early fall has the perfect temperature. It isn't too hot or too cold. It is the perfect weather for wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. It is just right for spending the day outside camping. Every year since I was little I have been going to Brown County State Park over my fall break. Brown Country is always beautiful in the fall because of all the colorful trees around there. My family including my aunt, uncle, and cousins come, along with many of my friends. My family takes our rv, but my friends and I usually sleep out in a big tent. During the day we don't do much of anything. Sometimes we go into Nashville, or play football, or just sit around the campfire talking and eating. Every year is different and it always seems like we have more people each year. I always have so much fun and can't wait until this year.

Ishmael Beah

Last night Ishmael Beah had an author's speech at Emens. His speech was very motivational and informative. Listening to him tell his story was even better than just reading the book. He spoke about his life back in Sierra Leone before and during the war, as well as when he came to New York for the first time. He explained how the little things in life that we take for grant-it are never heard of in Sierra Leone. He told us how complicated it was to explain turning on the faucet and getting hot water. In Sierra Leone you had to boil the water and add cold water to get the temperature you want. He also had to explain the moving sidewalk to his uncle. His uncle thought it would be a good idea to have one in Africa so you could just stand on it and you would get out of the war. Ishmael talked about how difficult it was getting back to the US since he did not have a bank statement or land statement. He said the people didn't understand how had the war was in Sierra Leone and why didn't have these documents. Once in the US he started to attend school. He did not tell anyone about his experience until college. He began to write his book his sophomore year and did not intend for it to be published, since he just wanted it for himself. It ended up getting published and he now travels around giving speeches. He said in the future he wants to attend law school. He is also in the process of writing another book. He was very inspirational to listen to because he never gave up hope. Someone once told him that if you are still alive, there is a chance that something good might happen to you, otherwise you wouldn't be alive. He said that is what kept him going the whole time during the war.

My Worst Experience Flying

Two summers ago my sister and I were in Dallas, TX trying to get home. We arrived at the airport to find out that our flight had been delayed, then delayed again, then canceled. We followed some people to another terminal to try to get on another flight that was going to Indianapolis that night. Well that didn't work so we were put on standby for the following morning. Unfortunately my luggage was put on that flight so I had basically nothing. Never believe the people when they put you on standby and tell you that you will be on the next flight, you won't. We got to the airport plenty early and waited and waited for them to call our names. It never happened. We were put on another standby list and we didn't make it on that one either. We were so upset and just wanted to get home. We were told that we would be on the standby list and be on the next flight home. We waited by that gate for what seemed like forever. Finally they called my sister's name, but not mine. Well we weren't going to split up so they assured us we would be on the flight leaving the next day. Sure enough, we were and we were put in first class. It was all fun on the way home until we landed in Indianapolis and my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Ever since then I have been really cautious about what I pack in my suitcase since I lost so much that was not replaced. It was my worst experience flying.

Lake Michigan

Going up to Lake Michigan is one of my favorite places to go. Every summer we take our boat up there over 4th of July. Sometimes we never even get to take our boat out and ski because the lake is so rough, but sometimes it is so smooth that we drive it across the lake to Chicago. That's just one of the things about Lake Michigan, you never know how the waves will be and they can change in an instant. One thing is for sure though, the water is always freezing. Even so, we usually take our dogs to the beach and go swimming. The beaches are beautiful. They may not be white sand with palm trees, but there are sand dunes that are fun to run down. Watching the sunset on the beach is a must when I am there. Watching it go down over the horizon is amazing. at night I like to go to one of the beaches and walk out to the lighthouse and look at all the stars. It is so peaceful out there. It may not be Florida, but it is a lot closer and the water is just as pretty.

A Simple Smile Can Brighten Your Day

Last year I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center. Kids with all different types of disabilities would come out and ride horses in a class as a form of therapy. There was this one boy in particular that I remember working with. He was around 7 years old and I think he may have been autistic. He hated to have people tell him what to do and even worse to have someone touch him. He also did not want anything to do with the horse and got frustrated with it easily. During the class they would play little games, practice steering the horse, and trotting around the arena. Some days were better than others, but they all consisted of him not wanting to do what he was told and complaining about it. The worst was the trotting part. After each class, the kids had the option to walk their horse back with us and untack them and brush them. Of course he never wanted to do that either. There was one day towards the end of the year where he volunteered to trot first and his complaining was replaced by a smile. After class he walked back with me and held on the the horse's lead rope. The horse kept stopping to eat grass, which usually made him upset, but this time he thought it was funny. When I left that day, I knew I had made a difference and coming there wasn't a waste of my time. All it took was that simple smile and laugh on one day.

My Favorite Quote

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." 

-This is one of my favorite quotes because how it relates to life is so true. When a storm comes, people usually stay inside and in a sense hide from the storm because they don't want to deal with the bad weather. Just like in life when something goes wrong or doesn't go your way, you like to sit and watch and complain about what is happening. Instead of waiting for the storm to go by, you should be out making the best of it by playing in the rain. In reality you should not just sit and watch your problems, but make the best of them.