completely blissed out

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Here's a bit of a rundown of what's been going on in the past week in Alaska:
1. Schoolwork and finally getting going in my class(es)
2. Turning a former chicken coop into a school--painting, cleaning, you name it
3. Teaching at said new school
4. Hanging out with the roomie
5. Buying a more masculine truck than my boyfriend's (sorry babe!)

The biggest new development in my life has been this new school project called FarmSchool. From chicken coop to school building, we've really been working hard to create a cool learning environment for the new kiddos coming out to learn at the farm. The kids are kindergarten to fourth grade in age, and yesterday was our first class day. Before that, however, my fellow students and I had to buckle down and clean, scrape, paint, organize and redecorate a formerly sterile-looking, ishy building. Here are some pictures of the project as we began tearing the place apart:


I'll post more pictures of the finished product when I get a chance. This entire FarmSchool project is part of my research assistantship, and in these past two weeks I have put in more than 40 hours of work strictly pertaining to the whole thing...helping to develop the lessons, readying the building for kidlets, etc. It's a major committment but one that I am glad to participate in. The kids are absolutely fantastic; we have a couple of stinkers but they keep us on our toes as teachers. Like I said, we have a fairly large age-range for such a small class size, but the kids seem to be adjusting to each other well and the older kids definitely aren't above helping out the little scooters. Yesterday held lots of exciting get-to-know-you games, an art project and a hiking tour of the farm. The routine will be fairly simple once we really get going in our lessons: opening community circle, nature exploration, art project, snack, outside time, closing community circle. All of the kids are homeschooled, which definitely brings a unique perspective.

On a different note, my grad class is going so well. I am beginning to see just what my SMSU advisors were saying when they were talking about how much I'd love grad school. The repeating theme for quite possibly each blog I tap out is this: I feel incredibly fulfilled in my decision to come here. This school is exactly what I was looking for in a graduate experience: challenging, kinesthetic, experiential learning. My advisor and classmates are awesome, affirming people who have every ounce of my respect, and we work together well in the classroom and out. My favorite aspect of our classes is the experiential learning bit...doing projects so that we know how to go about teaching them. Last night we built a hot compost pile as an adventure education project, and it was a smelly, disgusting delight. Danny, Katie and I were knee-deep in hay, food wastes from local restaurants, coffee grounds, cow manure, rock phosphorus and blood meal. As the system goes, putting everything together in a massive, layered pile will jumpstart the decomposition process and it does get really hot in there--over 140 degrees if layered and done properly. The family in the pictures is that of my advisor Steve. His wife and daughters are absolute dolls.






I did purchase a truck as well...a very manly beater that will get me from home to the farm in the winter. It's a black 1990 Ford Bronco, a sweet 5-speed manual with 33" tires, and it came with 32" studded tires for winter. 4-wheel drive, new clutch, all fluids new, runs great. I'm happy with my decision. The gas mileage is a drag, but I've become such a frugal Florence up here that I can't picture myself driving anywhere for the heck of it; it's quite the endeavor to go on a little road trip here...the closest destinations are hundreds of miles away. In my stay up here though, I would like to travel to Seward/Homer, Glenallen and Fairbanks...so the thing to do is get everyone to go with me, and have them split the gas.






On Sunday Curtis threw a welcoming party for me, which turned out to be a sweet shindig. It was nice to meet a lot of new people, including a couple my age who wouldn't be averse to doing something fun in the future. One benefit of the party is the fact that my house is now nearly spotless... : ) The food was fantastic...grilled italian chicken/Jamaican jerk pork/hotdogs for the kid units/chipotle roast, coleslaw, cornbread, Southwestern chili..yummmmmmmit. Plus, with Curtis going to Thailand in a month, it was good to get to know the people who would be able to help me out if I had a problem while he was gone--furnace, water heater, fuses, etc. Curtis' niece and nephews were also over, so having scooters hauling ass around the yard and house was a treat. I've babysat for them and they're sweet, smart kids...same ones that I went to the fair with.

Other than all of that nonsense, I've been in a content and blissed out state of mind in the last couple of weeks. This truly is becoming a home for me, one with structure, routine, laughs and learning.