Futures, Being Poor, and The Bus.

3 realizations this past week: 1) Teaching is definitely something I need and want to do in my future. 2) College is not the time to satisfy my shopping addiction. 3) It will be a miracle if I make it through the year without dying on the MetroTransit bus system.

I started volunteering this Monday at a local middle school for an after school program designed for students who don't speak English as a first language. It is for a few hours every Monday afternoon, and there are about twenty 6th-8th graders (most speak Spanish, a few speak Russian, and a few Somali) who get together with the school Spanish teacher, the Spanish interpreter, a Somali interpreter, and now me! to work on homework and speaking English in a comfortable environment. I spent the afternoon revisiting the Pythagorean (?) theorem and reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a 6th grade boy who speaks very limited English. (It was actually quite surprising how little English some of these kids spoke, especially for living in a big American city.) We read for a while, then talked for a little bit in Spanish. I had only ever spoken it with my teachers or other classmates, so it was extremely cool to actually be having a conversation with a native speaker, especially a 12 year old boy. This experience I'm sure will only continue to motivate me more and more to become a Spanish teacher, it's like bridging a gap between languages! So cool...

Mall of America last week. Didn't NEED the boots, but now that I have them, I'm meant to own them. Of course I couldn't buy these amazing black heel boots without getting an outfit to perfectly coordinate, so 3 different shirts and a black skirt were also added to my wardrobe. (Oh-and a rockin' pair of earrings.) Even the bookstore. Did I NEED a baseball hat with an "M" on the front? No. But there was a sale and I don't have any hats that look good on me (I have a bad "hat head") and this one looked cute! The grocery store. Really Kayla, do you need Werther's Original Hard Candies? Yes...along with cheese in a can (it was on sale and it's fun to draw designs on the Ritz before you eat them) and chips & salsa, and Apple Jacks. (The Honey Bunches of Oats were too expensive...I was even being frugal.) I should start tapping on the streets for money.

I hate the bus. I don't think I will ever enjoy it nor understand it. I especially hate it when the crabby bus drivers are too preoccupied with themselves and getting done with their shift to help out a confused, panicked, blonde college student find the right bus stop. Is kindness that hard to show? Didn't think so. Long story short, en route to the middle school I kinda got lost in the middle of uptown Minneapolis and had a mini panic attack. I mean, I guess all's ell that ends well (meaning I didn't get kidnapped or mugged or murdered), but I'm not looking forward to trying to figure this out every Monday. I miss the Tahoe :(

This is the day...

Today is an amazing day!  The rescue is finally occurring for the 33 trapped Chilean miners.  I'm watching CNN as each miner is slowly pulled through the ground to the surface.  So far, 13 miners have been rescued. 

What has this to do with Kayla at college?  Not much, but, it's what I'm thinking about today as I write this.  I think it's interesting how to hear how, even though today is the 13th, the Chileans view today as a lucky day, because it's 10-13-10, and those numbers add up to 33. 

I love watching the families reunite, and hearing the miners talk about their faith and how they never lost hope.  Watching them drop to their knees when they reach the top and offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God makes me want to do the same.  What a wonderful day!

The most interesting interview was when one miner said, "I was with God, and I was with the devil, but God won." 

Anyhow, Kayla, even though you're in college and immersed in that life, just take a moment to think about this day and these people and the amazing things God can do.  Today is simply a good day to rejoice and thank God!

A Whole New World

When I was driving home from work this week, the theme song from Aladdin, "A Whole New World" came on the radio.  Suddenly I was smiling thinking of when Kayla was little and we'd sing this song together.  I always had to sing the "boy" verses and she got to sing the "girl" verses that Princess Jasmine sang.  We would be in the car together, singing this song from memory because we watched the movie so often.  She was very particular in us getting the song right, so, we'd sing it over and over again until we each got out parts right.  It's so funny to picture us doing that! 

We would be sitting in the car on a long ride to see Gramma and Grampa, and Kayla would be bored so she'd want to start some sort of car game to pass the time.  She'd say, "Let's play Aladdin.  You be the Prince and I'll be the Princess."  (Of course.)  So, I'd just start singing, "I can show you the world, shining shimmering, splendid. Tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide."  And then from the back car seat, I'd hear that little sweet voice trying her best to sing, "Unbelievable sights.  Indescribable feelings.  Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky."  And we'd both sing together, "A whole new world.  A new fantastic point of view.  No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming."

These were such fun times!  I miss having that little princess that loved to dress up, went everywhere in a dress, tights, and crown.  She was always singing, always dreaming, and, she really hasn't changed that much!  I didn't realize until now, how that song really does describe her growing up, and our relationship.  Now that she's in college, I just want her to see and do everything she can.  I want her to use this time of freedom to explore and become the person she was meant to be.  I hope she is seeing unbelievable sights, having indescribable feelings.  I am sure she is soaring, tumbling freewheeling...

I'm glad she's in the Twin Cities, it is a place totally different than little old Minocqua.  It is a "whole new world." 

The end of the song, we'd sing together in harmony...here's the verse:

"A whole new world.  That's where we'll be.  A thrilling chase, a wondrous place, for you and me."

College is School, Believe it or Not!

Too often do people forget that a rather important aspect of college life are these things called "classes." (Or is that just me?) Yes yes, between hittin' up the rec center, being all Maroon&Gold at the football games (please win one), basking in this fantastic October sun, figuring out the city bus system, adding to my friends' and my "quote sheet," and doing those usual "college-weekend" activities, I spend random parts of my weekdays walking to and from and attending 4 classes. So, I figured I'd give you an insight to each of them.

Spanish. Ah, my love. (It should show that I'm quite dedicated to pursuing this as a major due to the fact this class is 5 days a week, for 50 minutes, starting at 8 AM. Meaning I must leave my dorm room no later than 7:35 AM. Granted, this is my ONLY class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays...but still.) For those of you familiar with Gloria from "Modern Family," this is my professor. Seriously. She's super stylin', from Colombia, and pronounces my name "Kigh-la." I enjoy this class, though that's not a surprise considering I've always enjoyed Spanish! So, it's a good start to my día :)

Paranormal Psychology. Be interested in this. We talk about telepathy, ESP, alien abductions, ghosts, and other weird phenomena. I'm a bit of a skeptic on this stuff so it's really intriguing to learn about. Our homework isn't difficult at all, just reading about cool claims of "seeing the light," bending spoons, x-ray vision and such. Last week we had a local psychic/clairvoyant/medium come in and talk to us, and needless to say, I'm still a skeptic.

Latinos in the US. Well...they say everyone in college runs into a class they hate. I refuse to elaborate more on this for fear that this blog falls into the wrong hands. I best stop now.

What is College Writing Seminar. My professor for this is such an interesting guy. From the first day when he walked in wearing a tye-dye t-shirt underneath a plaid flannel button-up I was like "Yes." In here we are discussing how the role of the University has changed over the years, and I find it extremely easy to keep interest in this subject! The downfall: it's a 2 1/2 hour class right in the middle of dinnertime and about 53 minutes into it, all I can think about is food. The upside: it's only on Tuesdays, so I deal.

And there you have it. My first semester of college, freshman year. Just when I think I will have this routine down, I will be taking math and science (excuse me while I gag) next semester. Darn general ed's....

These Rose Colored Glasses...

Maybe it's birth order, I don't know, but the two remaining kids are not anything like the one that left.  Let's start with Tyler....First of all, he broke his phone last week, and now that he has money, he doesn't want to spend it on a new phone.  So, he gets a used phone for free from his girlfriend and pays the activation fee.  Less than 1 week with his "new" phone, it gets stolen.  He had it in his locker during football practice, and he said his locker was locked.  I asked him how someone could steal a phone if the locker was locked, and he said that the lock sometimes falls open.  I think it's user error.  Anyhow, this morning he leaves for school, I drop him off, drive home, and he texts me saying that it's picture retake day today and he wants retakes and could I drive back to school to bring him his grey tee-shirt.  "How do you know your first pictures turned out bad?"  I ask.  "Because I'm looking at them and I'm all bruised from the football game the day before."  Why he has his pictures and I've never seen them, and how picture retakes are scheduled for today with no advance notice, I don't know.  At least this wasn't as bad as last week, when I returned from work and the store and got home at 7pm and he said, "Oh, I need a German dessert for my class by tomorrow morning."  and "It has to be home-made."  (I still haven't gotten the pan back from my "home-made" boxed German chocolate cake...)  Is all this "middle child syndrome?"

Then, there's the third child, who I am no longer allowed to call "the baby."  I am actually fearful of calling her anything because of her quickness to anger toward me.  Last weekend, for example, she told me that she and her friends dressed up as cows and walked in the Beef-A-Rama parade.  "Oh, that's cute," I innocently said.  "Thanks for ruining it for me.  I wish I never would have told you," was her reply to me.  Okaaayyy....

And, don't even get me started on how hard it is to get either kid to do the dishes.  I think they'd rather live in a pig-sty and eat off the dirty floor then spend 20 minutes cleaning the kitchen.  Plus, each of them keeps telling me they "did it last week."  Wow, they are so overworked it's ridiculous!

Anyhow, they say you never remember the bad things, only the good.  Maybe that's why I'm looking back at Kayla's years living here and finding it hard to remember her doing those same things.  Although, if I really think hard enough, I know we had those same battles and trials (and probably worse), and we still have the hole in the basement wall to prove it:>

A Realization

So, talk about spontaneity. Saturday night a couple friends and I were like, "We miss our old friends in La Crosse! Coincidentally, Oktoberfest (ie: the biggest party in the Midwest right now) is happening in La Crosse tonight! Let's go!" After an exhausting afternoon spent dialing every contact in our phones who may possibly own a car, calling car rental places, and thus, realizing nobody will rent a car to three 18-year olds with no established credit, we got lucky and found a few people who had a vehicle and were down to go to LAX anyway! Meeting up with one of my best friends (that's us in the pic) right away when we got there was such an amazing feeling, and I realized that even though we hadn't seen each other in a month, nothing has changed, especially our strong and crazy friendship. She still runs like a goon. :)

You know what was a little strange though? I didn't have to approve this trip with the parents. I didn't have to go through the interview questions of "Who's driving?" "What time will you be back?" "What are you going to do there?" "Where are you sleeping?" I simply texted Mom when we were passing through Winona and said, "En route to LAX!" Of course, being all mother-ly and whatnot, she responded with "Be careful. But have fun!" And that was that! Of course I fill in my parents on what's been going on in my life at college, but it was just a strange realization, that I can really almost do whatever I want whenever I want now! Thankfully, they raised me well enough to know not to elope with some random guy I've known for like a week or to just stop caring and skip class all the time, I want to make them proud and be successful! So yes, college is spontaneous and independent, but the values and goals from back home will always keep me on track.

(By the way, my friend in La Crosse gave me a few of the most recent issues of our local newspaper. I just read them and I see that this columnist said "Wa-la" instead of "Voila." Again. Come on people, really?

Maybe I should be an editor...)

The Path

Ahh, it was so nice to have Kayla home for the weekend.  I am still caught by surprise by the lovely young woman Kayla has become.  It still is a bit strange to me that she is no longer a kid or a teenager that needs routine parental supervision.  She's taking care of herself, doing what she needs to do, and she's on the path to making a successful life for herself. 

She has always had a clear goal of wanting to be a teacher, and she has not waivered in that goal.  Now, she's in college to be a Spanish teacher, and after being there for just a couple of weeks, she is looking at this goal very clearly, and making sure she is on the right path to achieve it.  Right now, big questions loom, "is this the right college for this degree...would it be better for me to be at a different college and finish in 4 years and then work on my Masters while teaching?"  All good questions, and amazing that someone so young is so focused and clear in her vision. 

I'm glad she's thinking of these things and moving in the right direction.  But, I don't want her to worry too much about the future.  Like I told her, if she takes care of doing what she needs to do each day, the future will take care of itself.  Looking at the big picture is sometimes too overwhelming.  Just take it day by day, step by step, Kayla, and you will end up exactly where you are meant to be.