This year I am working at St. Joseph’s Early Childhood development Center. I’m still getting a feel of the place and how they work, but so far I really like it. I get to play with kids all day! Last week they had me doing a bit of things around the school instead of being in the classroom, but sometimes I wonder why this is my particular placement. While it’s nice to be able to volunteer and help out the teachers, I sometimes felt like I was in the way. I had to have a background check for work but I’m guessing that because I’m not employed by Catholic Charities, I’m not allowed to be alone with the children. When there’s only one teacher and a child needs something that requires that teacher to leave the room, that said teacher has to get another teacher to watch her kids until said teacher returns. It would seem, at least to me, that they’re short-handed. And if they are, and I can’t help, it makes me feel like I’m someone else they have to watch or something. But that was the 1st week. At the start of the 2nd week, I was put in charge of more things to do around the school such as changing the bulletin board in the main hallway, running errands for different teachers and that sort of thing. There were times where I liked doing that more, but there were also times where I just wanted to go back and play with the kids! I do enjoy working with the kids, though. The age I'm working with ranges from 3-5. I didn't think I would like it, but I've learned that I like working with children who are old enough to see how far they can push things with you, but aren't old enough yet to question my authority. I still stand firmly on the belief that I don't have the maternal gene. My mother is a fantastic mother, who definitely taught me how to be a mother should that time ever come, but I don't know how much of my reluctance comes from personal feelings vs. generational mentality. Whether I become a mother someday or not, I still very much see a lot of my mother coming out in me when I'm at work with the kids. I even see some of the Newton genes coming out as well. When it rains or it's too cold to go outside, we have playtime in the gym. There, from time to time, I get to show my general knowledge of sports. Just the other day, I taught the kids how to dribble a basketball, hold a basketball and how to shoot it. Granted none of the balls went into the basket because they're too short (story of my life), but they seemed to have fun learning something new and trying it out. Reminded me of my Dad and Paternal Grandfather having been sports coaches themselves for a time.
Speaking of sports,these are photos from August 21, which was my first ever St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs baseball game. I can’t believe I actually got to go. I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to get excited about it and I don’t know why. This is my beloved rivalry! (Along with Mizzou and Kansas and Duke and UNC.) But it didn’t actually hit me that I was going until I started to see Cardinals fans on the train and it started to get me excited to see some of my people! That, maybe I wasn’t going to be sitting in the bleachers as the only Cardinals fan. I can’t explain the euphoric feeling that came over me being in Wrigley Field. Mind you its nothing like the pure joy and zen I get from bring in Busch Stadium (where I'm convinced Jesus has a summer house because it's so Heavenly), this was different. There’s something about being a die-hard fan of the visiting team in a rivalry game, sitting with friends you love and who love you, and having a Bud Light in an iconic baseball park that not only has been around for such a long time, but that movies have been filmed on, that makes one take a step back, take it all in, and think, “This is the good life”. The Cardinals won 6-2 that night and I felt blessed for the opportunity to go. (Thank you, Carol!)
