New Generation of Mermaids

Today at the summer program, we showed Disney's "The Little Mermaid" to a camp full of kids for their after-lunch movie.
 
I assumed that most of the little kids and girls would enjoy watching it.  But I didn't even think that many of them hadn't ever seen the movie.

I told them that I would most likely be reciting lines from the movie, and that I would even do a bit of a song and dance routine.

As "Part of Your World" came on, I ran to the stage, and proceeded to sing and mimic the moves from the movie.  Obviously, I was trying to be really corny for the kids, but it was also just plain fun.  I got a bit of applause from the kids as I took my bow when the song ended.

Then, when "Under the Sea" started playing, a coworker joined me on stage for a little bit of a dance routine.  It was really quite fun and silly.  The kids even put on the spotlight for us.

I'm sure the kids assumed that we'd continue to sing songs, but those were really all we had energy for.  I actually got a bit of a burn on my knee when I was getting all dramatic during "Part of Your World"!!!

It still stings...but it was so worth it.

At the end of the movie, when the kids were filing out of the auditorium, one of the youngest kids came up to me.  She said, "Cecilia, I never saw The Little Mermaid before, but I love it!!!"

It was perhaps the most heartwarming and best thing a little kid has said to me in a while.  Some of the kids in my group thoroughly enjoyed the movie, also saying that it was the first time they saw it.

I'm hoping that I hooked some of the kids the way I got hooked when I first saw the movie.  I'm hoping that I'm creating a couple of new mermaid fans for the next generation.

6 Til 30 - "Too Old For This"

The phrase "I'm too old for this" popped into my head today.

It was in reference to one of the kids in the after school having a tantrum.  Boy!  Do I have a hard time dealing with little kid tantrums.  I actually just don't have the patience for unreasonable behavior.

I know...I know...it's just a kid.  But you know, if only 1 child acts like that...I refuse to be another person in their life who just lets it happen.  Luckily, I know that my co-group leader feels the same way.

When this thought popped into my head, it did make me think some more about the direction of my life.  I just can't be at the after school, and not using my MSW nor gaining new skills. 

I have to add that not only am I too old for this, but I've worked too hard just to be where I am right now.

With the extra time I'm going to have on my hands in the next upcoming months before the summer program kicks in, I'm going to try to refocus on some of the things I would like to accomplish in my 30's - like traveling more and working on a business plan.

12 Til 30 - "Oldies"

For those of us who grew up in the '80's and '90's, when we turned to the Oldies station on the radio, we would hear songs from the 50's and 60's.  Soon, the music from the 70's were played on the station. Today, I'm hearing songs from the early '90's! 

I wonder how the kids I work with at the after school hear some of the songs I grew up to.

The after school staff get to run clubs during the week, which are basically extra curricular activities.  I decided to run a Rock Band club.

Let me go back into my history Rock Band.  I was totally one of those nay-sayers.  I was irritated with the game because I didn't think it actually taught them any musical skills.

Then I played it.  I was instantly hooked.  I took back all the negative things I had ever said about the game.

It's been pretty awesome running this club.  It's one of the best experiences to be in a room full of kids who didn't grow up with a lot of the songs I'm trying to expose them to.

There were definitely times when they would be a bit hesitant to try some of the "older" songs.  But when I would insist to play along, I would choose songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody."  Now, they know and love the song.

I've been trying to expose them to more and more of the older tunes on the Rock Band games, mainly because I know that they wouldn't get a chance to hear that kind of music on the radio.  It's perhaps one of the most awesome experiences to have a kid singing "Crocodile Rock" or "Eye of the Tiger" or "I Love Rock and Roll" as we're dismissing them.

26 Til 30 - Weird and Awesome

Working with kids has so many amazing rewards. 

To see them learn, understand, and make changes in themselves and others helps to give me hope that the rest of humanity can catch up.

Today at work, I was in the midst of a club that I lead (which happens to be Rock Band club).  I thought it was appropriate to show my hair to those who haven't seen it.

One child, who has somewhat of an anger issue (which makes him pretty darn good at smacking those drums) but will still connect with me in a non-angry way, commented that he thought I was so weird for a Filipino.  I was so confused by his statement.  It seemed that he didn't think that any of his friends who were Filipino would do anything like dye their hair a crazy color.  At first, I questioned him.  What exactly did he mean by all of that?

He kept saying, "You're so weird! You're so weird!"

I responded, "Well, there's nothing wrong with being weird and different."

But then he said, "I'm not being mean.  I mean, even though you're weird, you're still awesome."

....I legit nearly balled my eyes out.

Best. Complement. Ever.

Dia de los Muertos en Febrero

As another part of our school vacation week at the after school program, one of the other group leaders wanted to do a Day of the Dead/Cultural Celebration with her group.  I happened to know of a place to get molds for the sugar skulls, so I helped a bit in the celebration.

Though sugar skulls are mainly decorative and not really edible, we decided to create chocolate molds for the kids to munch on.

Here's some tips when preparing for anything that involves melted chocolate:

• The best way to melt chocolate is to use a double boiler.  If you don't have a double boiler, place a heat-safe bowl into a pot of boiling water.  The bowl must be slightly bigger than the pot so that the boiling water is barely touching the bottom of the bowl.  The bowl must also be completely dry - the water affects the texture of the chocolate.
• If you plan on getting fancy and using different colors, you have to use different bowls.
• As the chocolate melts, continuously stir the chocolate around.  A wooden spoon or a frosting spatula is best, but any spoon can do it as well.
• Depending on the size and shape of the mold, always have enough chocolate around. When you're with kids, some of that chocolate will disappear before it melts.
• Be prepared for super hyper kids after they eat the chocolate.

My fave molds are the one with the flowers on the side,
 and the hardcore mustachioed one!

Fat Tuesday, Indeed: Mardi Gras Cupcakes, Cake, and Bundt

Perhaps because of the move, I've had a hard time feeling motivated to bake.  When I bake, I like to have everything I need at hand, and I guess I feel like I don't have everything I need yet.

Luckily for me, the kids I work with at the after school really enjoy baking and cooking (probably because it means they get to eat it afterwards).  Though we try to cook random [easy] things here and there, this week is the Boston Public's February vacation week and we had time to plan things out.

Considering that today was Mardi Gras in New Orleans, it seemed appropriate to do something Mardi Gras related.  I had recently learned about the King Cake at a Mardi Gras-themed event, and I thought it would be a cute thing to do with the kids.  Of course, with kids, it's even cuter with cupcakes.

I wish I had an actual delicious recipe at hand, but with kids sometimes the best thing to do is to have an already prepared cake mix.  I also wish I had an actual picture of the ginormous 5lb bag of yellow cake mix that the program happens to use.  It borders on the ridiculous.  Thus, we had a ridiculous amount of cake and cupcakes prepared.  That's 12 cupcakes, 1 8in pan, and 1 bundt cake's worth.

claiming my cupcake

not bad for a 5lb bag of cake mix

The one addition I added to make it relatively close to a King Cake was add a TBS of ground cinnamon.  Naturally, we topped the pastries with yellow, green, and purple sprinkles. 

Of course, I also added the little baby figurine as well.  Though each cake had only 1 baby figurine in it, I made sure that each cupcake had a baby figuring for each of the kids.

uh oh..feet first?

I made sure to stuff the figurine in each cupcake and frost it before they got to sprinkle their own.  I explained to the kids that there was a surprise in each of their cupcakes, so they had to be careful when they reached the center.  I also explained that the baby figurine was a symbol of luck. 

I believe that originally, there was a ring or a bean that was cooked in the cake.  But different variations and different religious connotations mixed in with the lore.  I'm assuming that the baby is related to the coming of Spring/Easter/Baby Jesus or whatever.  But luckily, the children didn't ask beyond the fact that it was considered lucky.

I also thought it would be cool to use the Mardi Gras beads in a different way from how they're usually associated.  The kids would get beads for being on good behavior - following directions, not being too rambunctious.  It worked pretty well, actually.

At the end of the day, the kids were asking about whether they deserved another set of beads, and some of them were holding on to the little baby figurine as well.

The cupcakes and cakes were also quite a hit among kids and staff, and fairly delicious for being a standard cake mix with the addition of cinnamon.

nothing left but crumbs and luck

Beach Day: Crane Beach

On Wednesday, July 27th, the summer program got on several yellow school buses and headed for the North Shore of Massachusetts.  This beach day was spent at Crane Beach, where the water is freezing once again.

But the sand was fine and the weather was gorgeous!

Crane Beach

There's something quintessential about sand dunes at New England beaches.  Whereas the beaches stretch out for miles on the California coast, these beaches are punctuated by grassy dunes and marshes.  Though, I'd have to say that I don't agree with how the majority of nice beaches have a fee.

Regardless of the freezing cold water, I still braved it and managed to stay in the water the majority of the time.  Believe you me, this is really difficult for someone who's been blessed enough to know the pleasure of more tropical waters.  But, for the kids, I braved it.

my poor freezing toesies

The water was amazing, however.  Clear and casting a blueish-green hue.

Crane Beach is really nicely kept.  There are outdoor showers to help rinse off the sand, and a fairly accommodating changing area.  Though, this isn't necessarily surprising to anyone who noticed the signs for the Crane Estate as we were pulling up to the beach parking area.

The one part about these New England beaches that I'm not the biggest fan of is the bugs.  Big green flies and mosquitoes are just flying around the more marshy areas of the beaches, waiting to bite at my ankles.  In fact, I had 1 huge bug bite from Crane Beach that made my ankle swell up a bit and itch for a week. 

Still, Crane Beach was a good time with the program.  I had fun swimming around with the kids and joking around with the staff.

I'd have to say, speaking of the staff, that it's been a pleasant work environment.  Though I'm one of the older staff and I'm probably the one with the most advanced degree among the group leaders, I know that I'm blessed to have a bunch of like-minded people to work with.  Even when the kids frustrate us to no end, we all are still able to laugh about the ridiculous things kids try to pull among other more adult levels of hilarity.

Working full-time in the summer isn't ideal, but at least we get to play and have fun.

Beach Day: Houghton's Pond

Goodness. It's been a busy summer.  I have so much to share!!

Though it's not as relaxing as it can be, I've been able to go to the beach almost every week at the summer program.  So, I'm going to write a little bit about the beaches we've been to.

Houghton's Pond is located in the Blue Hills of the Greater Boston area.  It seems like it's a great place to go hiking and to have some outdoor BBQ action.  When we went on July 20th, the program took advantage of the BBQ pits and the beach area of the pond.

I had never swum in a pond before.  Up in Maine, the boyfriend's family took me canoeing and we swam around a bit in the river.  But swimming in a pond has not really come up.

Compared to the coldness of Singing Beach, Houghton's Pond was an absolute pleasure to swim in.  It really felt like bath water.  I suppose that in general pond water isn't super clear, since there's dirt and rocks from the forest floor.  But it felt really pleasant to swim in.  We also got to share the water with some geese.

honk honk, said the goose

The swimming area was pretty shallow, so it was a great place to take the younger kids.  At some point, the little kids decided that they wanted to hold on to me while I swam under water like a mermaid.  That was pretty fun, actually.

There were quite a number of people at Houghton's Pond for a Wednesday.  It was difficult not to run into other people while playing around in the water.  Still, it was a pretty nice place to be.

Gorgeous day for a swim

Week of Sick of Work

Though I was sick and probably should have been resting all week, I ended up working as a sub for a day program.

Because it is mainly an after school program, the usual group leaders weren't available for the morning hours.  So, I was called in to sub for a group of 1st Graders.  For the most part, there are supposed to be at least 2 people who are leading a group, and the groups are separated by age and grade going up to middle school.

Let me tell you.  I only worked 4 days for 4 hours a day, and I'm pretty over it all.  Mainly, I got pretty tired of waking up early to get into a packed subway with people shoving and pushing to get to work.

Here's some highlights from my work week.

Schedule
Working with the kids was really what you would expect with kids.  I mean, they're going to be rambunctious especially considering that they are on vacation and have a full day of playing.

But, being that I was a sub, and a sub with a cold, there was a lot of redirection that the kids needed.  By the end of the week, my poor throat felt like some creature had clawed around it.  To add to that, I was by myself for most of the morning on Friday, with a group of 13 kids.

I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have been by myself.  But I get that tons of places are often understaffed.

To top it all off, the usual group leader told me right before I ended my week that she had realized that no one had told the subs that she had planned a week of activities.  Yes, there was a schedule, like Group 2 would be in the gym at a certain time.  But for the most part, the other sub and I would just have to make up some activities.

Older
By the time my shift was ending, the kids had already eaten lunch and were settled in to watch a movie.  Being kids, they don't necessarily know much about quality movies.  But I do think that adults have a role to play in guiding the type of entertainment they watch.

Well, they opted for the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" on Tuesday and the "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, I joked with the other sub that I've done pretty well with avoiding these movies.  She didn't seem to get the joke because she said the first one was pretty funny and she hadn't seen the second one yet.

I kind of had to take a mental step back.  I said that I was really more used to the classic kids movies, especially "The Chipmunk Adventure."

If you haven't seen it...you really should :)

She then said, "Oh...I've never heard of that.  I've only seen the first movie."


*internal gasp*

Wow.  I realized she probably had never even seen the t.v. cartoons!  I was definitely of a different generation than her!  But I would rather be old because at least I know the awesomeness of "The Chipmunk Adventure."

Things Heard From the Mouths of Kids
In the gym, I heard this almost ever 5 minutes:  "Teacher!  Play with me!"

One little chubby kid was often the one who would get his toy taken from him by another kid.  He probably gets bullied quite a bit, and yet I have the feeling that he also got what he wanted from the adults in his life.  Well, this kid had the audacity to look me in the eyes, with a big smile on his face as we prepared to go to the auditorium for the movie, and say, "Hi Fat Teacher."

As I'm playing catch or tennis with this one particularly behaviorally disobedient kid who's great one-on-one, and another student is trying to get my attention, he says, "I'm waiting!!!"  What??  You know that's something he hears a lot from an adult.

This tiny skinny girl would approach me all throughout gym, moaning about how hungry she was.  Seriously, though, she was ALWAYS hungry.

Glorified Babysitter?
Honestly, while I feel like the after school and day programs and the community centers are a god-send, I do feel like it is just a way to ensure that the kids are engaged in some activity outside of hanging on the streets. 

But they get to provide a place for the kids to do their homework or other activities that would build up their academic education.  They also get to work a lot on their social skills.

I kind of felt like I struggled a bit though.  Kind of like I was more of a glorified babysitter than anything else.

I don't really mean to sound like I'm better than anyone.  In fact, if that week has taught me anything, I don't hold a candle to the folks who do that job full-time.

I don't hold a candle to teachers, to child care workers, to after school staff, to day care staff.

As a social worker, I had the absolute luxury of being able to close my door.

So, thank goodness this is just a part-time position.  I'm going to keep looking for my office with a door.