Bye Purple Room, Hello New Jersey

At our final "meeting" in the Purple Room, the students offered their most cherished moments of Summer Camp as I recorded their words on chart paper. My personal favorite Purple Room moment was probably this final meeting; listening to the little ones remember the small things about our six week camp felt so special as a first time "teacher." I especially liked the little stinker who responded "Everything" because he just couldn't pick one thing that could be his "favoritist."

Some close runners-up for favorite Summer Camp memory:

1. Giving the children special treats, and more specifically, their reactions...

On getting surprise hot dogs for lunch: "This is the best day ever!! I haven't had a hot dog this good in years!" 

And I believe it too. He's only had five years to try hot dogs, so I bet this one was pretty dang good.

On replacing Quiet Rest Time with a Dr. Seuss movie: "What? No Quiet Rest? YOU MEAN WE CAN REALLY SIT WHERE WE WANT? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!"

During our Pizza Party: "Ms Palensis you're my favorite teacher ever ever ever. You know why? Because you look like a princess and you gave us pizza."
Aw shucks. Believe it or not, replace "teacher" with "girlfriend" and I've heard that exact same sentence from my boyfriend. 

2. Cleaning up accidents (some not so accidental... can you say attention deprivation?), examining behinds ("Excuse me teacher my butt feels raaashy"), diagnosing minor pain as discomforts ("My penis hurts." Um, why do you think that hurts? "From walkin'." We only have two more minutes left, I'm sorry the lining in your Superman bathing suit does not protect against chaffing but you will survive.) 
...OH wait, these aren't my favorite things about Camp. Sorry. I'm just scarred for life. 

3. Pool Days. Because over the course of 6 weeks we got 8 children (all aged 5 or 6) to take the swim test. 6 out of those 8 had never been in water over their head, ever. It felt good to be a friend to play with and a coach to learn from at the pool. The parents really appreciated it too, which was nice. 

Overall I have so much to be thankful for after these six weeks. I'll never forget my first "classroom." Throughout the duration of camp I came across countless challenges and frustrations, but all were outweighed with smiles and happy memories :) I miss those kids already. 

Now I'm home, with little to do but reminisce on summer camp and relax. I think six weeks of chasing kids around a playground have caught up with me - I've only been home for a day and a half and I've already taken three naps. I half-heartedly partied at the annual block party last night, struggled through my first TRX workout in over six weeks this morning, and have been pleasently unproductive since. You ever get that feeling where you just don't want to do anything? Yeah, that was today. And probably the next two weeks until I start my next teaching adventure: Student Teaching (dun dun dun) Sixth Graders at Hollywood Elementary School. 

Until then...

Last Day of Camp!

TGIF!

This has been the longest week ever.

But also the most bittersweet week ever. 

Today is the last day of CYC Summer Camp and as much as I'm itching for our 3:30 early closing, I'm dreading having to say bye to the Purple Roomers. They were my entertainment for the summer and I just know I will miss them dearly come Monday when I have no one to play with. 

Looking forward to spending what is left of my summer in Jersey without work, but I can't help but feel that tiny heartache when I think about not being around my kiddies. 

Happy Friday everyone! Wish me a tear-free last day at Camp! 

Times, they are a changin'

I was cursed with an ever-fluctuating body mass. I understand most females battle with weight/body image at some point or another, and I predict it's something I will be personally struggling with for a very long time. 

I always gain weight in the fall and winter, but I typically lose some of it in the summer. Typically.  Last summer I lost a lot of weight in Spain, walking everywhere and eating differently.  This summer I seem to be holding on to every last pound of weight I gained during the cold season.  It's miserable.

I love working out, but unfortunately, I love food even more. I am conscious of nutrition but sometimes I don't care how many calories are in a waffle cone of Nutella soft serve. Can you blame me?

I realize this is the issue for most normal human beings and I am not alone. And the more I work with children the more pressure I feel to be health-food savvy. Seriously.  It probably wasn't until freshman year of high school that I started "reading labels."  Today I eavesdropped on a ten minute conversation between two six year-olds about the nutritional value in their lunchboxes.

Smarty Pants:"That granola bar looks yummy. Can I read your nutrition facts?"

Elvis: "Sure, it's right here."

Smarty Pants: "Thanks I'm just wondering how much fatty stuff is in it."

Elvis: "Oh ok are you looking for trans-fat? 'Cause that's right here. There's zero. But regular fat is right here if you wanna know that too."

Or how about this one:

Little guy: I LOVE McDonalds!!!!! (as he eats his fruit and yogurt salad.)

Cool Dude: *scouring* McDonalds is only a special treat. You can NOT have it all the time.

Little Guy retreats with his head down in shame and/or fear.

 

Damn kids and their healthy habits. Eat a poptart or something, will ya? Leave the trans-fat talk to the adults - you have the rest of your life to deal with it. Just ask Ms. Alensis.

PS- anyone that wants to motivate me to eat healthy for the rest of the summer, leave your application in my comment box. I'm serious. There's less than a month left of the summer and I'm well under my seasonal weight-loss goal. Please and Thanks.

Reasons to Run in the Rain

Normally, I use rainy weather forecasts as an excuse to skip my outdoor run. Today, however, I was feeling so bad about myself after eating nothing but junk all day that I forced my running shoes on despite possible scattered thunderstorms.  Here's why I enjoyed my abbreviated jog, and why I recommend running the risk of being caught in inclement weather for the benefit of a workout:

1. It's cooler. Everyone has been suffering the brutality of a heat-wave-ridden July and August with obscene humidity levels.  If the thick air and scorching pavements are preventing you from running outdoors, use the cool summer rain to counter that.
2. Once that first raindrop hits your head, you bet your legs will start moving faster to beat the oncoming downpour. Faster run = better workout.
3.  And if you have a charming boyfriend like mine who makes disgusted remarks on the way you sweat like his roommate who happens to be a 285 pound defensive lineman, maybe you could use the potential rain showers as a disguise. "No, that's not sweat! Are you crazy? It started sprinkling half way through my four mile jog."  ;) 
4. It's badass. When someone sees you treading through muddy grass on a rainy day people will see you as a dedicated health nut. Which I am not. At all. But it's nice for people to think that even for just a minute. 

I didn't have enough time to run as far as I would have liked, but the few raindrops I felt on the short run I did map out felt fantastic. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving...

... That I'm feeling relaxed after a mini-vacation with my family in South Carolina. We spent a day in one of my favorite cities of all time, Savannah, sat on the beach, drank a lot, ate a lot, and talked a lot, and played a lot of Pictionary. I wish I could have stayed more than 4 days. 

... having a family with whom I can party, hang out, confide and relax. 

... "Savannah Smiles." A Dualing Piano bar on River Street that is beyond fun. What I'm loving even more was that they appreciated our Jersey roots.  Note the "Phrase of the night" on the picture below. 

... the vintage Coppertone Poster Ad I got antique-ing with Momma. It's got the perfect black ribbon with which to hang the sign in my room.   :) 

 ... that our culminating activity (a Water Party/ Water Tour of the Purple Room) was completed with great success. The kids loved showing off their hard work to their parents and I loved watching the smiles on their little faces and their parents' alike. 

One of the 6 stations at our End-of-Camp Party

... that I get to drive back to good 'ol NJ this weekend! Can't wait to be back down the shore and reunite with mah friendssss 

The Amazing Adventures of a Crayfish

As a culminating activity, the Purple Room decided to author their very own book.  Using construction paper, markers, binder rings, and a round-robin brainstorming of material, the students completed a story to show their parents with a little help from their (patient) teachers. It goes a little something like this:

The Amazing Adventures of a Crayfish by the Purple Room

(The Abridged Version) 

Once upon a time there was a crayfish and he ate leaves.  The crayfish went under a rock to look for food. Then I put a big rock under the pond and the crayfish fell asleep under the rock.  He woke up and he looked for food. 

 Then after the crayfish ate he went for a little swim.  After he went for a little swim, he went to find some friends.  He was crawling around. 

Then the next morning I put in a shiny black rock and it was so small that the crayfish couldn't get under it. He scraped the rock and it broke and something magic came out of it. 

 And then he shared with his friends. And he lived happily ever after.  

Have we taught these kids well, or what? All good things come from sharing and lives will always go on happily ever after. The end.

Here's one of the students showing his Dad the book. I didn't take any solo shots of the book, and I can't post my kids faces on the internet.  Maybe tomorrow I'll remember to scan in pictures of the book for your enjoyment. Probably not though, because probably no one cares, and that's fine. 

Flying to Savannah - Mini-Vacay part I

I am generally anxious over all modes of public transportation, flying alone being the most anxiety-inducing.  

I lost sleep over worrying about flying by myself all on my own for the first time. I was nervous about driving myself to a long-term parking lot and then finding a shuttle to bring me to the right terminal. I was nervous that my luggage wouldn't fit in the over-head bin (which it barely did.)  And I was nervous I would miss my connecting flight in an anxious run through the maze of the Atlanta Airport.  I'm neurotic. 

Surprisingly, I got myself and my 2 Vera Bradley bags onto both planes with time to spare.  Only one of the silver studs I was wearing was left behind due to a three-way battle between me, my rolling luggage and the over-head bin. I guess I came out on top, although the luggage came in close second with an earring K.O. 

On my first flight I had a window seat. The crystal clear day made for a heavenly view.  The window not only provided me with a scene at which to cast my gaze, but also a supportive structure upon which to rest my head.  I was passed out within minutes of take-off.

My own heavy REM-style breathing woke me up. Startled, I sat up and finished my book. Was it rude to fall into a head-back, mouth-open, deep sleep on an hour and a half flight with not even two inches separating me from the business-man next to me? Je was wearing a blue button down, reading something obviously heavier than "Heaven is for Real:" a four-year-old's account of his "visit to heaven."  

The rattling of the beverage cart interrupted my sleepy internal debate, and a new debate developed. ToDiet Coke or not to Diet Coke? ..Maybe some sleep would do me good.  Did I really need an extra can of fake sugar and caffeine after the diet coke and a generously sized iced coffee I consumed earlier?

I decide Yes. The answer is always Yes when the question is "Diet Coke?" 

With my new jitters I got bored reading my own novel and glanced over to see what Business Man was reading. 

I'm not exactly sure what the type 8 font read, but I do know it had a header of "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY"on every page, a title that stated something along the lines of "Blah blah Civilian Protection, blah blah blah." 
Oh, and it was signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

I'm glad I decided not to drool on my aisle 17 neighbor.