August is here!

Hello Friends,
I apologize for the breakage in blogging. Between project ending, moving into our new apartment, a marvelous visit from some fam and my computer crashing, I haven't been able to write out some thoughts for you all to read.
Things are going well. Last week my sister Leanne and her husband Luke came to visit and helped Veronika and I move to our new apartment! It is quite lovely. Although we were sad to part ways with our Rice Residence Room and all the accompanying memories, we have found a new place in our hearts as we admire the hardwood floors and natural light of our new place. We reeeeaaalllly like it and are excited to be able to relax and unwind here throughout August. It is about a 15 minute bike ride from work I discovered this morning...so that's good. Oh, and I have a bike! My lovely friend Colleen was given a bike during project which she passed on to me to use. It was given to her by someone at her church who had no use for it and wants it passed onto a someone in need of it after we're finished with it...so that's cooL! Bike riding has been interesting in itself...I've been riding on the sidewalks because I'm intimidated by the cars, turning left in normal traffic, and at the moment my tires are quite bald, I haven't gotten around to changing them yet...so there's not much traction when it's wet. I thought riding on the sidewalks would solve these problems until this morning when I had a little run in with a brick wall in order to avoid hitting a pedestrian's briefcase (well, moreso a scraping along the walk than running into it..).........I left the scenario with a nice abrasion on my left forearm and a new understanding of why you're not allowed to bike on the sidewalk. I'll be attempting to change those tires tonight.
The last weekend in July we had a debrief retreat which was marvelous. We got away to be beside the ocean and reflect on how God has really changed us this summer. It was a most excellent time. Saying goodbyes to everyone and transitioning from project to real life has been difficult, but we're managing and trusting that God will continue to build and stretch us as we seek to know him more. Throughout the summer, it feels like I've had 3 families: home, project, and coworkers. Being so far away from home and now project peeps, my schedule has now opened up to spend time with my coworkers, which is nice. We're planning a camping trip for mid-August and are spending time together during the week which is fun.
Veronika and I now have our own rooms in the new apartment, which is nice...but sometimes I get lonely and crash her Harry Potter reading party! ( like right now ...hee hee hee:). We are living with one other girl, Danielle, who is from Grimsby and quite a lovely lady. Strangely, we know some of the same people! Small world!
Work is going alright, I'm in the toddler room this week which is stressful because I haven't learned how to handled them yet...but my coworker Jenn is great, I'm learning a lot from her so hopefully this week won't prove to be a frantic one!
Okay, well I'm on my way to fix my bike and talk to Toshiba Technical Support about my computer problems. I apologize if you've emailed me and not heard a return...the process will be slow and steady as I don't have much access to the computer and/or internet!

Home in 21 days!

Kids Say the Cutest Things

Context: Sitting around the lunch table today in the Senior Room (ages 4-5), discussing (okay..to the extent that 5 year olds discuss...basically random bursts of thoughts whenever a moment of silence presents itself) the fact that Megan(one of the children)'s dad is going to Vancouver for a week in order to be in a wedding.

1. Megan: "Ya, my daddy's going to be the greatest guy!" (referring his position as best man in the wedding party)

...as the 'conversation' progressed, I was telling them that Vancouver is all the way on the other side of Canada...

2. Kelly: "Would you have to turn left?" (probably referring to the fact that it's on the left side of the country)

Usually, in these moments, I try and hold back...I try and just smile and entertain their understanding of the situation. But today I couldn't. These comments threw my coworkers and I into gut-busting laughter. After the hilarity of the moment subsided, we were able to affirm both of the girls' comments.

Good times.

the blahhhhhhg.

Well, this week was pretty dull and I feel as though I have nothing to report...but I shall blog nonetheless. The weather was especially dreary this week and, in doing so, it largely effected the moods of my coworkers, children and myself; everyone was quite on edge. Things were definitely out of funk this week, and understandably, seeing as how we were cooped up in the daycare all week. I do believe, as well, that the honeymoon stage is over concerning my job. As the week transpired I realized that I was no longer over joyed and anticipatory about each new day. Don't get me wrong, I still love my job...it's just the commitment sort of love now. The kind of love that negotiates politics and policies and chooses to love the children each day...even when I don't feel like it. At the beginning of project, one of the major lessons we learned was that love is a choice, not a feeling - at the time it was concerning working in a team with people whose personalities may not necessarily mesh well with ours, but I'm learning that this lesson is applicable to all areas of life! It's a pretty cool yet challenging concept.

I've become quite distracted recently with thoughts of August. As a ministry, we are still working on projects of evangelism (reaching others with the gospel) as well as inductive Bible study ( learning about the Bible in its original context and how that applies to our lives today...right now we're studying the book of 1 Corinthians, it's fantastically fascinating.) among other things....and while we're having a hard time focusing on the here and now instead of the sights of home ( or a different home, for me here in Halifax), I have been daydreaming about August and having time to enjoy...............the beautiful weather...........the festivals every weekend...........the evenings that I'll be able to spend reading leisurely for hours.......watching movies (I'm making a list!).......spending time to cook a nice meal..........lounging in Point Pleasant Park.........watching free concerts in the Public Gardens every Sunday afternoon..........baking.......crafting.......sending postcards...perhaps attending some fitness classes at the Y!....preparing for C4C in the fall ...........hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....all things that I don't really have time for right now. But, alas, I shall focus on the here and now. I know that the next two weeks will be difficult, focusing and then saying goodbye to everyone, but a fun one as well because we have a debrief retreat coming up to help us process all we've learned here, relax, and enjoy each others' company one last time as a group. And Leanne and Luke are coming to visit after that!...so good times are in store.

This weekend is the Tall Ships Celebration in Halifax. It's pretty spectacular! The ships are so huge and beautiful! I'm consistently awestruck by the size of the ocean and everything in/on it! Did you know that a tuna fish is the size of a CAR, and a blue whale is the size of three school buses?! Here is a picture of my friend Becky standing next to a huge boat ( not part of the tall ships, but one that we saw on the way). God's pretty amazing and powerful in order to have created and maintain all the life in the ocean, not to mention all of us here on earth! My finite mind simply cannot comprehend it all! Also included are some pictures of a few friends and I enjoying the Tall Ships, as well as a traditional fish and chips meal down on the harbour.

Mossy Monday.

Today at work I was assigned the most bizarre task! In the playground where our children play, there is some old-ish wooden playground equipment that needs to be repainted. But...standing in the way of us and a beautiful new paint job was the accumulation of moss on the equipment. Over the years moisture has facilitated the growth of the gross plantae and today my coworker Meghan and I were given the task of scraping it all off. With buckets of warm soapy water and your average dish scrubbers and scrapers in hand, we tackled the equipment one post and railing at a time. It was disgusting. I began the day without gloves, thinking that I could hack it and convinced that the best work was done when in full control of my fingers. My mind was quickly changed, however, when I spent 5 minutes washing the green grime off my hands and fingernails in order to consume my lunch in a sanitary manner. blech. The afternoon progressed with a lot of scrubbing and scraping, bending and craning in order to reach the nooks and crannies that the breeze coming off the Halifax harbour had reached. Finally we finished at 4ish and were able to begin spraying with water and bleach (in order to completely kill the moss). Though a monotonous task, it was nice to do something brainless that allowed time for me to think and pray about life. I also got to know my coworker Meghan a bit better too, and hear about her obsession with the band White Stripes (whom I've never heard of, whoops.). I've learned that strange repetitive tasks can be quite therapeutic...and standing looking at the fully-scraped climbing equipment was strangely rewarding!
P.S. I also met my boss' cousin who is from K-W area!! Random! I love random Ontario connections.

Canada Day. August Accomodations. Tattoo. Facebook.

Hi friends, well...as I was surfing the web today and checking out some various blogs, I was inspired by Vanessa Strickland's to write less, more often. It seems as though my blogs have turned into giant stories which are neither pleasant for me to write, or you to read I'm sure...so here goes bringing you the bare facts. Hopefully this method will prove to be more manageable.

My Canada Day weekend was delightful. Although we didn't do anything extravagant, it was nice to have an extra day to be rejuvenated. Sunday after church, Melissa and I went to watch the parade which was short in comparison to anything I remember from Norfolk County, but high quality nonetheless. A bunch of us also went down to the pier to enjoy the fireworks as well, which were done well. My friend Paulman collaborated these memories into a nice little montage, if you'd like to see it, you can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA8dMk49UDc...the video is a bit blurry..but it gives you an idea of our fun-filled evening. You'll also see us playing line tag in the parking lot, singing along to "Livin' on a Prayer" ( a project theme song), and dancing in our random dance circle we started on the dock...there was a loud band at a nearby pub we could hear and dance to...we called it our 'safe circle', where no one was mocked for their skills, or lack thereof...good times were had by all! It was nice to hang out together outside of ministry and be 'real life' friends.

Praise God! He has provided a place for Veronika and I to live during August. We will be staying at our friend Becky's apartment which will be empty until her return in September.

Today I went to the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo...which isn't nearly as bad as it sounds and I didn't return with any permanent markings. It's an annual indoor entertainment extravaganza involving marching bands, acrobats, gymnasts and singers. It involved lots of music, which tickled my fancy, and I have come upon the realization that I love marching bands. I'm fascinated by how so many people can make such a amazing sound while and walking and synchronized! It blows my mind quite frankly.

Well, it happened again. I was sucked in by facebook! I recently reactivated my account to check some birthday dates and a few pictures, which quickly led into hours spent catching up on everyone's summers. Unfortunately this led to feelings of homesickness as I saw pictures of everyone I know and love back home. I realized that life is happening without me at home ( weddings..beach parties....birthdays..cottage fun..baseball!). I know, however, that God has called me here this summer and is stretching me as I grow to know him more. After participating in a pick-me-up ice/let loose ice cream and painting party with Joanna and Kacey, I have recovered and returned to my deactivated state. And so, this is the dance facebook and I do........ohhhh facebook. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Leanne and Luke's visit at the end of July(..sister and brother in law)!

Goodbye for now friends!

Beautiful Babies. Family Fun.

Last week I worked in the Baby Room all week!! I really enjoyed it. The Baby Room is occupied by infants ranging from 6 to 18 months. The ratio is 4 babies per 1 staff member, and the floor space is licensed for 8 babies (aka. bebbies) so I worked alongside my coworker Marlie, because her usual partner in crime was on vacation (to Ontario, go figure!). During the week I experienced and learned a lot about the first year-ish of life, changed a LOT of diapers, cuddled with some sick babies, and got to know my coworker Marlie quite well. I also gained a whole knew respect for Marlie and Sarah (the usual baby room staff), and anyone working with babies for that matter, on Wednesday morning when Meghan (another summer student) and I were left to hold down the fort as Marlie attended a dentist appointment. Let me tell you...it was not pretty! Meghan and I unsuccessfully attempted to master the flow of routine in the baby room...unfortunately what came of it was a lot of spills and bumping and untimely eating. The babies survived no worse for the wear...although Meghan and I were a bit frazzled. It was a great week overall and marked the first for many experiences in my life, including being vomitted upon in a projectile manner(It was quite the unexpected escapade! I took one for the team to save a mom from going to work in barf-covered clothing...no harm was done and my coworkers affirmed that I would be stronger for it...it served as the joke of the day and I definetely felt like the rookie! :) I certainly feel equipped to handle my responsibilities in the church nursery now!
The Baby Room is exciting to be a part of because of the unique developmental milestones you get to observe. For example, Jordan started walking this past week! It was so cool to be a part of this stage in her life. I also love watching how their sounds, words and eventually vocabularies progress and grow. (I know, I'm a CYF nerd!) The babies and I have become good friends, I love being a familiar face that they greet warmly and I'm convinced by some of their dispositions that if they were 19 years older we would be good friends.

This week I have been floating in between rooms as needed which has been nice because I've got to spend time with a bunch of different kids and teachers. One thing that I and Veronika have noticed while working is that there are certain YMCA-isms, which I shall share with you. These are phrases that are used with the kids, either in disciplining them or just random conversation, that we found surprising to hear when we arrived, but they're actually effective with the kids!...the names are used randomly:

• "No Justin, that's George's work, go find some new work." - they refer to what the child is doing, no matter what it may be - whether colouring or playing with blocks - as "work"...at first I thought that this was strange but I've learned that it's quite effective because all of the kids know what it means right away without having to be wordy.
• "Put your words (and/or sillies) away friends!" - used usually before lunch or when standing in line to leave...whenever the children's undivided attention is needed.
  
• They used the word "body" a lot, in ways that we would think sound silly, but to kids it clearly articulates what needs to be done/what has happened. For example: Saying "Calm your body" when a child is crying, it makes more sense to them then "calm down" because, well, where is "down" anyway? Other examples are "You just hurt Grace's body" or "You need to move your body!"(made famous by Yvonne when telling children they need to hurry up :)
• "Red light friends!" - when children need to stop what they are doing.
• "No thank you" - a phrase children are equipped with early in their speech to let their friends know they don't like what their doing instead of having a temper tantrum/hitting them.
• "UH OH Louis, you should not being doing that. " - said in a serious tone to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.
• "DANGER Ava, come off that table." - similar to above.

This is daycare lingo!.....and inside the walls of daycare, everyone is called "friend" and smothered with lots of hugs and kisses.

(This past week...)While floating in between classrooms, filling in where needed and doing random tasks (fixing fences and filling sandboxes), in short fulfilling my task as summer student, I've enjoyed getting to know the kids and staff better. I'm finding that I enjoy my time more now that I'm used to the routine(it's very stressful to go into a classroom unguided when you're not sure of their activities or the norm of structure/discipline, etc.). My coworker Yvonne is very grateful that we ( the summer students) have all come out of our shells and are willing to be crazy, an attribute necessary to survive in the world of daycare! My coworkers have become my third family (the other C4C students I'm here with would have to take second place, we've grown a lot together and are living in very close quarters)....I feel really blessed to be working with the lovely ladies at the centre. They've taught me a lot about loving (kids, and each other!), forgiveness and the importance of team unity. Walking into working everyday I feel surrounded by friends, which is comforting and doesn't really make it feel like work at all! I am very thankful for my job, the great opportunities it's providing me with, and the joy it's added to my summer. Praise God!

I've also gotten quite a bit of sun this summer, which has been nice, as we take the kids on outings daily as long as the weather permits. (Friday I went with the Rompers to the Museum of Natural History...who would think that I'd get paid to do touristy things?!) Pictured are some photos from our trip to the Public Gardens with the Rompers(2-3 yrs.) and Juniors(3-4 yrs.). These beautiful children bless my every day!



























My Family visited this past weekend!!

Last weekend Mom, Dad and Kelsey came and explored Halifax. We endeavoured in lots of fun adventures while they were here! They were able to visit my workplace which was nice as well ( ya know...introduce one family to the other!) Friday afterwork we went on the Harbour Hopper which was a fun and informative way to explore Halifax. The Harbour Hopper is a land/water amphibious vehicle that was used by the U.S. in the war (I don't recall which one exactly) to carry troops from the water to the land - Some people from Halifax bought three of them for 1.5 million dollars, repainted them and added seats...and now they're giving tours of the city and harbourfront! The tour was an hour long, about half in the water and half touring around the city. We were able to see and learn about the sites and sounds of Halifax. I especially appreciated learning about how the city was formed and the defining day of the Halifax Explosion. We also learned that the building I work in is environmentally friendly: There are pipes that reach down to the deepest, coldest water of the harbour and pump it back to cool the building. They save $40 000 in air conditioning every year!

On Saturday we roadtripped to Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg and Mahone's Bay. Although Kelsey and I's initial perspective of Peggy's Cove was skewed due to the carsickness we were suffering from, we couldn't help but awe at the beauty of the view. In the quaint village of Lunenburg (home of the Bluenose!) we ate ice cream while sitting on the pier, basking in the unexpected but appreciated good weather. It was nice to get out and experience some of Nova Scotia's beauty outside of Halifax.

the pictures: Kelsey and I on the dock in Lunenburg; Kels, Ma, Pops and I at Point Pleasant Park Sunday afternoon after relaxing and napping next to the ocean(this activity is a favourite pasttime my friends and I here; Point Pleasant Park is beautiful and close by. On the particular Sunday we were there, there was a "Dog Jog", so Kelsey enjoyed watching all the dogs.).


All is well here in Halifax, the weather is beautiful! I'm looking forward to participating in Canada Day festitivities this weekend and attending The Tattoo ( a large multicultural concert) this upcoming week...to be posted about at a later date!

Special Visit. Retreat. Pleasant Partying.

Once again I return to my blog with lots to say and report on, but not enough time to do it in! So I shall choose to expand on some highlights of my past few weeks!

A few Saturdays ago I was blessed by a special visit!! My sister Danielle, her boyfriend Kevin, as well as friends from home Jon and Amy stopped by for a few hours because they happened to be in the province! Jon and Kevin were groomsmen in a wedding held in Cape Breton (Danielle and Amy accompanied them as their dates)...and since Halifax is only a few hours away, they decided that they were just too close to not stop by. We had a marvelous time! Since they had not eaten, we went out for dinner to a restaurant called "The Thirsty Duck"...one of a few oddly named establishments on one of Halifax's main streets, others include "Your Father's Moustache"(a restaurant), and "Your Mother's Underwear"...random, I know! Anyway, we had a great time chatting and it was wonderful to visit people from home while so far away! The visit was filled with lots of laughter as Kevin and Jon entertained us with their random stories, sounds and general brotherly goofiness! I was also able to show them around my humble abode and the major sights and sounds that I experience daily in Halifax. (Note: all visitors welcome! haha) I look forward to my next special visit from my parents next weekend!

Another very large highlight for me recently was our project retreat. We were whisked away by the staff to Camp KejimKujik, a National Park in Queens County(about a 3 hour drive away). Here we were able to really relax and recharge from the busy and stressful (not bad stress, but stress nonetheless) lives that we've been leaving. We were blessed by the teachings of a guest speaker named Mike Woodard, the director of Campus Ministries. The theme of the weekend was "Supernatural Leadership", and he really imparted a lot of wisdom on us concerning how to be God-focused and surrendered leaders. It was a very special and blessed time. We also spent a lot of time in quiet reflection in God's creation - the camp we were staying at was on a lake, it was lovely to just sit beside the water and spend time with God. The top picture is of one of my apartmentmates, Amber, and I the night we arrived...we were beside the lake basking in its beauty and watching the sun set (I attempted skipped stones, which she was amused by, but I couldn't get it to skip more that once...either it's a special boy skill or the rocks weren't suited for the job...I like to think it's the latter..)
It was on this retreat that I realized quite a few things...one of the lighter ones being that I'm addicted to being by the water!! There's something about a large body of water, I don't know what it is - but I love it! At first I thought I was addicted to being by the ocean, but the lake seemed to satisfy me delightfully as well! I think a large part of it is that the weather is very different (much cooler, and always breezy) here, nothing like the thick heat of Southwestern Ontario that makes me irritable. (Don't get me wrong - I love home and miss it, but I don't miss the weather!). anyway...that was a random tangent...The retreat was really wonderful! Saturday afternoon was free time which I spent with my good friend Joanna (she's lovely - she attends University of Western Ontario in the Nursing Program)....we rented a canoe for an hour, paddled out into the lake a bit...and then just sat in the bottom of the boat and talked as we drifted back towards our destination. It was delightful...soaking in the sun, being on the water, and enjoying great conversations! (See picture!) Another thing that came to me this past weekend was that I forgot how much I love camping!! There's something to said for being in sun, water, and nature, having to survive without the conveniences of western society, and having nothing to do but relaxing activities! My new MEC gear also made a world of difference...my new sleeping bag kept me very warm as I slept outside under the stars Saturday night! Soooo, I'm sure that you can gather from this paragraph that it was a fantastic and refreshing weekend(minus our raccoon problems!...they ate some of our food...).

The last highlight of late actually happened today at work! Today was the main event that my coworkers and I have been working towards ever since I started work: the annual graduation/birthday party. Every year Purdy's Wharf Child Care Centre holds a big party/mini carnival for the children and their families to celebrate those going into school and to celebrate the birthday of the daycare being established, this was the daycare's 16th birthday! The afternoon included a special presentation by the senior class (an adorable rendition of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" as well as a few other songs), the presentation of the diplomas and then lots of partying, cake, games and fun! As a summer staff, I was often given duties related to this event and as a result, quite emotionally invested. The day turned out great, and I left with lots of warm fuzzies. Watching the parents and kids together, interacting...watching how proud and eager with cameras in hand the parents were...and how eager the children were to show off their accomplishments ...really really warmed my heart and reminded me of a few things: why I'm enrolled in my program(Child, Youth and Family Studies) ...how amazing it feels to invest in another person's life(we, as daycare workers, have a direct impact on the kids' lives/development, and in turn the parents', because if the kids have a great experience, so do the parents!) .... as well, it rekindled my passion for working, not just with children, but families. My heart also melted as I observed my coworkers and their love for the children in their class...they were moved to tears as they presented the diplomas and spoke of the children moving forward to "big school". I have never seen such an amazing investment of love (but at the same time, appropriate boundaries..etc.) and I am continually realizing how important it is for every child to have loving adults in their life. I am learning a lot from my coworkers about working with children and at the same time growing a greater love for kids (if that's possible..). I really hope and am striving to be an effective and loving influence and support in children's lives as they have been to their students! Although I've only been working for 3 weeks I find that I'm not looking forward to when they/I have to leave...they're really adorable and there's a special attachment that forms when you invest into another's development. Watching them grow, mature and become amazing young people is really gripping my heart! It's really cool to sit back and imagine the incredible adventures in store for their life...what their occupation will be...what kind of person they'll be...and think about whether we, the daycare, had any impact on that. Anyway, I'll stop blubbering above my love for my job, coworkers and these kids......the day was really amazing (although tiring...), I was able to unleash my creative talents by womanning the face painting booth, which was lots of fun. Pictured is one of the students and myself after I transformed him into a tiger! (don't tell anyone...but he's one of my favourites!) I've actually had quite a few opportunities to display my craftiness at work ( which I of course love!) ...through designing and making the kids' graduation caps and painting the sign pictured. *sigh*...I really really love my job!