Happy Birthday to Me!

     This past week was a bit of a blur.   We're all getting used to some new things and it's always hard to change gears.  I am now an official substitute in the Carroll County Library Outreach Program!  This means that I get to drive the bookmobile around to daycares and schools doing story-times and checkins/outs.  It is super fun!  I love to tell stories!  While I'm training though, I am working a little more than I hope to work when I really am just subbing so it's been a tough week.  I realized mid-way that I was wanting to add something new to our lives without anything else changing - which just isn't possible.  Adding anything inherently changes the dynamics of everything else.  And so we are all getting used to some added responsibilities in one way or another.  I will say that my girls are doing well.  They each have some extra responsibilities around the house now and they are doing pretty good.  Of course they each need a little reminder or cajoling once in a while, but I think even I need that at times.
     We did get to do a great lesson at Art Club the other day on still lifes.  I love that my girls are getting to learn about famous artists along with other children and then attempt their own works of art in the style of the artist that week.  My friend Marta does a wonderful job with this!  Thankfully that takes some pressure off of a subject that is one I'm not terribly comfortable teaching.  And who doesn't love a change of scenery once in a while anyway?

     Gwyn's troop is teaching a program at Padonia Elementary called "Science Is Fun."  Each week two of the girls lead a lesson on a science subject and the first week was Seeds to Flowers.  Celee and Lyla get to go along as participants so they get to join in the fun!  The Juniors did an awesome job!  They totally handled it on their own.  They are very intelligent, confident, and capable young ladies!

     Then it was my birthday.  It didn't feel much like a birthday on Friday.  I had to be at work at 7am.  But I did meet Jason and the girls for lunch "in town."  I was excited because Jason sent me some beautiful daffodils that I can look at an imagine Spring while ignoring the white outside.  I also got a super yummy chocolate ice cream cake - my favorite!  I was blessed with many cards and well-wishes from loved ones so that helped make the day special too.

    Friday was also Family Movie Night at our church.  We helped out for that.  Gwyn and Celee are so funny b/c they were really excited to put the word "Staff" on their nametags for the event!  They got to hang out with friends and watch Despicable Me 2.  We've seen this a bazillion times but it's always fun to watch movies with friends in a big space.

   Saturday all three of the girls' troops participated in a World Thinking Day celebration.  They always start this off with a Ray of Sunshine Ceremony.  I helped out with Lyla's troop.  They did Guatemala.  Celee's troop did China.  And Gwyn's troop did New Zealand.  They each did such a good job!
     I was really surprised at how much information the girls in Lyla's troop remembered about Guatemala.  I even had to keep telling some of them to slow down and let other people talk because they wanted to tell each group that came to the table so much!  Then for their performance they did a Mayan Welcome Dance to Marimba music.  They did such a good job and were so cute!
     Celee's troop acted out a Chinese folktale complete with a Chinese dragon puppet!  Celee had a pretty long speaking part too.  They did such a good job someone asked their troop to do their performance again at another function!
     Gwyn's troop did a Maori dance with poi.  Then they did the Haka.  They also did a great job!  It's so neat to see the girls learning so much about indigenous cultures in different countries instead of just the mainstream culture most everyone is familiar with.
     The girls also got to sample dishes from each of the countries at the celebration.  Then at the end everyone exchanged SWAPS.  It was a long day, but the girls all had so much fun!  And I think they will remember the things they learned for a long time.

 
      My other big excitement was I picked up our fertile eggs!  We, along with three other families, split up two dozen that I got from a local farmer.  In about three weeks we should have some chickies!   I made the mistake of putting them in the incubator immediately when I got home from picking them up.  I should have waited until morning because I was up all night worrying and fretting over them.  The temperature and humidity were awesome until I put the eggs in and then it all went crazy.  So it took about 24 hours to get it stable again.  Long night.  Oh, well - it's all good now.  So hopefully we'll have a good hatch rate.  The girls are turning them throughout the day and we're marking off the days.  We may have a house full of chickens later if the weather doesn't warm up soon though.  I was reminded of a lady I used to deliver meals to in Hattiesburg.  She had chickens in her house and I thought that was always so gross and crazy!  And now look at me.  I do not intend for them to be in the house any longer than absolutely necessary, but it's a little bit "that's what I get" for judging her then.  In my defense though - it wasn't cold in Hattiesburg.  :)