Self-reflection from a six-year-old

"I didn't HIT anyone at all today."

The following words were spoken by one of the six-year-olds in my after school activity today, at the end of the day, as we were cleaning up and getting ready to head to the busses for dismissal. Keep in mind, this comment came with no prompting what-so-ever from me. Only all day of reminding him the day before to keep his hands to himself and to control his body. I thought it was pretty amazing, for such a young kid to come up with something so, well, profound--for lack of a better word. Or maybe my standards have just been lowered beyond belief. Who knows?

What was the most amazing thing a kid has said to you today? This week?

I guess I'm doomed in the love department, according to my favorite five-year-old

So we are on the bus to build-a-bear workshop today and the subject of weddings comes up. Annette (another young staff member) mentions that she's going to give her bear to her flower girl in her wedding and Lucy eyes her with approval. Lucy is my favorite five-year-old, and we've been having an ongoing war over where she gets to bury my shoes on the Burroughs playground. I mention, within Lucy's earshot, that Annette's idea is a great one, and this leads Lucy to innocently ask the question dreaded by all single staff that work with young children. I believe the conversation followed in the following way:

Lucy: Ms. J, are you married?


Me: (chuckling) No, not for a while, thank goodness.


Lucy: Oh. (pauses, clearly taking this information in for further processing, then) Ms. J, do you have a boyfriend then?

Me: (laughing harder) No, Lucy, I don't have a boyfriend. (laughs like a teacher, you know the difference between teacher laughing and real laughing)

Lucy: Of course you don't. Because no one is going to love you if you have sand in your shoes.

Me: (uncontrollably laughing at this point, and rather speechless, thinking to myself "you've got it all figured out kid") but I manage to spit out a "is that so" and move on.

Some kids just have it all figured out. And, I must say, it was rather astute of her to put together the events of several days, with the shoe events taking place over the course of the week, to wrap them all up in one neat and tidy little package. What a kid, right?

Ok, now it's your turn. Spill it readers. What is the funniest thing a child has ever said to you? I want to hear good ones!!!!

The future. A scary thought, no?

I think I will be scoring for Pearson again, up here in the Twin Cities. I start my PCA gig on Thursday, and I take on the role of the other gravedigger in Shakespeare's Hamlet tomorrow. I really am going crazy, aren't I?

I have signed on to work three jobs starting next week. I'm going to go insane! It will be good for me. The discipline of having to be somewhere and do something again. When am I going to work out though? This leaves the EARLY MORNINGS only, and I hate exercising in the EARLY MORNINGS. Now that it's getting nice out, I might just go ahead and cancel my YWCA membership. Then again, it's only $20 a month. (I get the scholarship rate.) If I'm not using it though, how much further can that $20 a month go? Only time will tell. I'll give myself another week to decide.

Can you tell that I'm trying to be more financially responsible? I've always considered myself financially responsible. I do write down every purchase I make big or small, and a have only a little credit card debt to pay off. I worked my way through undergrad and let my scholarship pay my tuition, so I don't have any student loan debt to pay either. Somehow I'm getting the feeling though that I can let myself get real behind if I let it slide any more. I'm starting to STRESS!!!

I'm trying to figure out my next year's plan of action as well. It's looking like either become a full-time nanny here in the Twin Cities or move back home to Atlanta. I don't want to move back home. The financial security is nice (and alluring), yes, but the more I think about living under parental smotherage, the more I want to smother myself.

Maybe I'll take a teaching position somewhere. Like this school. I can do it! Maybe not. I'm so indecisive lately, and that scares me too. Every time I go apply to graduate school I want to smother myself as well. I get to the "Statement of Purpose" section on programs such as the University of Minnesota's Special Education Learning Disabilities program and I absolutely FREEZE. That's probably some kind of sign that says I should be applying to grad school right yet, right? Probably.

I've looked at all kinds of grad programs as well. Non-profit management, education, creative writing, public health, public service, even NURSING (my first major in college!) I can't justify the cost of going back to school just yet. I keep telling myself I just need to get more life experience. More years in the work force! Only time will tell. However, my education awards will expire soon enough! I'm so indecisive. Enough about my indecisiveness though.

This weekend was spent at the fifth grade Math Masters competition with some of my favorite Nellie Stone students, and researching some Life After AmeriCorps opportunities. Things will work out. I have faith. They will!

So, I think I've found a part time job

For now, at least. I had an interview with J, over at Farenheight 360 in St. Paul, and I have an interview with a client for a PCA (personal care assistant) tomorrow. In retrospect, I feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing, instead of barking up restaurant's trees and not having them call back. I've always worked with children, and I have a pretty good head on my shoulders, so I don't think this will be too hard. Plus, I just think I'm darn good at what I do. It pays pretty well too, with good flexible hours I can work around my AmeriCorps school schedule until I'm done in July. Then I can pick up more hours once that is done. It seems that they work with a lot of students too, so if I do decide to go back to school, they would be flexible with those hours as well. I'll definitely keep my faithful readers posted. But it seems that I will be taking care of still MORE children. Good experience. Good experience.

Speaking of good experience, starting tomorrow I'm up to RED LAKE, Minnesota to do some service work with their AmeriCorps team, which basically means we get to meet with the chief of the tribe there and pretend to be disaster victims for their disaster relief training. I'm sure it will mean some other things too, and I will be happy to report them as well once I get back. I'm looking forward to getting out of the Twin Cities for awhile and away from my house mates and babies that live there.

I make a GD difference, now what about you?

This guy says it so brilliantly, I couldn't have said it better! Teaching, oh how I loathe thee, let me count thy ways. But I love thee, and this video sums up my thoughts of the week. Thanks MOM!

Nellie Stone Johnson

If you go to my school's web site now, you will see a bunch of the kids that I work with. That group of red-shirts? That's them. I love those kids.