A Perfectly Normal Day
Today, like most days lately, was a day that was perfectly pleasant from beginning to end. As usual I was out of bed early, I grabbed some Cocoa Puffs and spent the morning editing the 5th and 6th graders’ writing pieces. It’s a lot of work editing all of their stories and, given more time, I would have had them do more editing and revising on their own, but with time winding down I want to make sure they publish their stories before I leave. I am excited to get the stories finished and help the children create beautiful books.
Around 11:30, MB showed up with the car to drive us to the center. She is soooo full of energy and constantly running around- this morning she was going school to school dropping off applications for a Rotary event for youth in Namibia that she is running. At the BNC, Bonita and I had a great tutoring session… we studied mountain folds in Geography, the rise of nationalism and political opposition in Namibia, and the circulatory system. As the best days tend to go, we joked and teased each other along the way.
We finished around 1:30 and as usual Denzel was hanging out in his wheelchair and I spent some time with him- hugging him, sharing my Clementine, and making him laugh. Denzel is 19 and he has a disability- I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but he has the cognition and maturity of a young boy. As I was tutoring Bonita, he was sitting with us and whenever I’d get up to write on the Dry-Erase board, he’d grab my back pocket and “trap me” from getting to the board then he would let go, sending me “crashing” into the board while laughing hysterically!
During lunchtime, MaryBeth usually reads a few stories to the kids while they eat their sandwiches and fruit. Today she brought 10 kids to the dentists (for FREE!!) so Cathy asked me to read the little rug rats a story. I read them “Guess How Much I Love You” (one of my favorites) and “Mia Hamm: Quitters Never Win”. The kids love being read to- even the big kids.
In class, the 5th graders were totally engaged in writing their second drafts and they worked so hard and efficiently! We talked about how all authors make mistakes and how good writers are constantly fixing their mistakes, whether they are the author, or me, or someone famous like Kevin Henkes. (We have been reading Kevin Henkes’ books as a mentor text for their writing… kudos to Mr. Toro for that idea.) I was able to conference with a few kids and continue editing their pieces.
The 6th graders were just as engaged. This group has really been a blast to work with- they all have spunk and personality. I’d love to take the boys in this group (Rivaldo, Rabon, Ronaldo, Simson, and Elias) and make a Guy’s Club with them if I had more time. I was not able to finish editing their work so we just read “Chester’s Way” by Kevin Henkes.
Near the end of the day, Meroldi, one of my all time favorites showed up from the boarding school she is staying at to get some extra help in Math. She is in grade 8 with Salome and Jennifer at Concordia which is on the other side of Windhoek. (Susmitha goes there, too- see the pix below) She needed a ride back to school so Timna, Simon, Katy, and I drove her back to the school and surprised Jennifer, Salome, and Susmitha. They were very excited to see us and we hung out in the parking lot until past sunset. These are the kids I fell in love with in 2006 and who still have my heart!
At night I made dinner with Katy- pasta with meat sauce- then we went with Timna, Simon, and Nangula to a Spoken Word performance at the art college in town. The poems/verses were enjoyable and it was a nice cultural experience. I particularly enjoyed a poem by a young Namibian who talked about the pride of being a father. (“There’s pep in my step, a slide and glide in my stride, a grown man, my son’s yellow teddy in hand, a father’s pride…”) I also liked the title of another guy’s: “Why walk when you can fly?”
Today really was nothing special- it’s a typical day for me but I feel like I have been in more aware of each little moment lately. I truly enjoy the day to day routine, be it here or back home. There are so many little moments to be grateful for if we just stop and see.
Thank you for reading… enjoy your day… God bless you!
The pictures are of (1) me tutoring Bonita, (2) me reading "Guess How Much I Love You?" during lunchtime, (3) me and Salome, (4) me and Susmitha, and (5) Jennifer, Meroldi, Salome, and Susmitha at their school
Around 11:30, MB showed up with the car to drive us to the center. She is soooo full of energy and constantly running around- this morning she was going school to school dropping off applications for a Rotary event for youth in Namibia that she is running. At the BNC, Bonita and I had a great tutoring session… we studied mountain folds in Geography, the rise of nationalism and political opposition in Namibia, and the circulatory system. As the best days tend to go, we joked and teased each other along the way.
We finished around 1:30 and as usual Denzel was hanging out in his wheelchair and I spent some time with him- hugging him, sharing my Clementine, and making him laugh. Denzel is 19 and he has a disability- I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but he has the cognition and maturity of a young boy. As I was tutoring Bonita, he was sitting with us and whenever I’d get up to write on the Dry-Erase board, he’d grab my back pocket and “trap me” from getting to the board then he would let go, sending me “crashing” into the board while laughing hysterically!
During lunchtime, MaryBeth usually reads a few stories to the kids while they eat their sandwiches and fruit. Today she brought 10 kids to the dentists (for FREE!!) so Cathy asked me to read the little rug rats a story. I read them “Guess How Much I Love You” (one of my favorites) and “Mia Hamm: Quitters Never Win”. The kids love being read to- even the big kids.
In class, the 5th graders were totally engaged in writing their second drafts and they worked so hard and efficiently! We talked about how all authors make mistakes and how good writers are constantly fixing their mistakes, whether they are the author, or me, or someone famous like Kevin Henkes. (We have been reading Kevin Henkes’ books as a mentor text for their writing… kudos to Mr. Toro for that idea.) I was able to conference with a few kids and continue editing their pieces.
The 6th graders were just as engaged. This group has really been a blast to work with- they all have spunk and personality. I’d love to take the boys in this group (Rivaldo, Rabon, Ronaldo, Simson, and Elias) and make a Guy’s Club with them if I had more time. I was not able to finish editing their work so we just read “Chester’s Way” by Kevin Henkes.
Near the end of the day, Meroldi, one of my all time favorites showed up from the boarding school she is staying at to get some extra help in Math. She is in grade 8 with Salome and Jennifer at Concordia which is on the other side of Windhoek. (Susmitha goes there, too- see the pix below) She needed a ride back to school so Timna, Simon, Katy, and I drove her back to the school and surprised Jennifer, Salome, and Susmitha. They were very excited to see us and we hung out in the parking lot until past sunset. These are the kids I fell in love with in 2006 and who still have my heart!
At night I made dinner with Katy- pasta with meat sauce- then we went with Timna, Simon, and Nangula to a Spoken Word performance at the art college in town. The poems/verses were enjoyable and it was a nice cultural experience. I particularly enjoyed a poem by a young Namibian who talked about the pride of being a father. (“There’s pep in my step, a slide and glide in my stride, a grown man, my son’s yellow teddy in hand, a father’s pride…”) I also liked the title of another guy’s: “Why walk when you can fly?”
Today really was nothing special- it’s a typical day for me but I feel like I have been in more aware of each little moment lately. I truly enjoy the day to day routine, be it here or back home. There are so many little moments to be grateful for if we just stop and see.
“Earth’s crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.”
Aurora Leigh, Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Thank you for reading… enjoy your day… God bless you!
The pictures are of (1) me tutoring Bonita, (2) me reading "Guess How Much I Love You?" during lunchtime, (3) me and Salome, (4) me and Susmitha, and (5) Jennifer, Meroldi, Salome, and Susmitha at their school
posted by Jim | 7:04 PM
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