from one thing to another

Since my kayaking trip, I've been so busy with schoolwork, Farm School and all things life; a bad excuse for not posting, I know, but bear with me as I recount the events of the last few weeks.

School
Yesterday I was able to say that I finished my first full year of graduate school (minus the whole "I'm leaving next week for a 3-week long kayak expedition/Curriculum Design class"). It may not be too big a deal for some, but for me it was fairly monumental, considering that my life has changed so much in the last nine months. I have experienced a lifestyle change that I never thought possible, one that is incredibly fulfilling and promising. In learning much more than academics provided, I feel that I've grown much more confident and strong than when I was living back home in Minnesota. My schoolwork has been more than satisfactory, and I feel so good about what I'm learning, and how I'm learning it. With a new thesis in tow (yeeeeeeeeeeeeah, I changed it to something a little more close to my heart and doable) the next semesters of graduate school are going to fly by, simply because I've learned how to be a grad student. Tonight we are having a BBQ potluck with salmon, potatoes, lots of good microbrews and whatever else anyone decides to bring. I made a salad of mixed organic spring greens, a raspberry lime vinaigrette, crumbled Danish bleu cheese, cut up red grapes and clover sprouts. Yummy and springy! Looking forward to reconnecting and reminiscing with friends about how the year's gone.

Farm School
Today was my last day of teaching, which makes me ridiculously sad. It's been such an integral part of my life, from planning lessons, to learning so much about kids and their psychologies and personalities, to preparing and executing some really fun days where the kids learned a ton (or, didn't learn anything at all and had a ton of fun)...it was an enriching experience, one I am loathe to leave behind. Because my tenure as a Farm School instructor was based on my Assistantship eligibility, I'm not sure if I will continue teaching in the fall. Maybe they'll want to give the assistantship to a new student who has the time and energy to do the same work that I was doing with Farm School. At any rate, the kids gave me big hugs and thank you's today, which was sweet, but I'm still going to miss the dickens out of them! I went with a couple of the kids to check out the new baby animals, so stinking cute.

There's more where that came from.



Also, a couple Saturdays ago I went to a crafting creation thing sponsored by the Waldorf charter school up here in the Valley...made a really cool butterfly mobile and got to hang out with cool moms and kids all morning. The butterflies were made doing wet-on-wet painting, something I'd never tried. You get your paper all wet, and then use watered-down paints (not watercolors, though) to create cool designs. Schwing.
Rya painting

Alani helping her little sister

The group of little ones

Aila and Katie, such cutiepies!


A few kiddo pics
Nadine (full-time sitter for Trill and Leila) and Leila racing

These girls are the most fulfilling distractions from homework. I love when they bomb into my little office with their energy and giggles.

LEILA took this picture of Trillium. She held the camera so steadily, and looked at what she was taking a picture of before she pressed the shutter button. SO phenomenal.

and then she took this picture of me. Kinda blurry but still cool. She's THREE, folks.

Kayaking
So my trip a few weeks ago was stellar; now I have this 3-week long expedition looming over my head. This will be the longest trip I've taken, the longest I've been out of contact with the outside world (including Boyfriend Charlie, which I still have not a CLUE how I'll deal with), the longest solitary thing I've had to plan for. Fortunately the group I am going with is awesome, many of the same people that were on my first trip out, and my tent group is made up of myself, Danny and Katie, fellow friends and grad students. I've been working out and researching different stretches to do before/during/after the trip, and have asked around for ideas for food and gear that would be necessary/appropriate/a luxury to pack.

so. I'll be leaving April 29th, and will be out on the waters in Prince William Sound until May 17-18th, depending on weather. The group is 12 big, and I'm nervously excited for it. : )

Probably will get some more pictures up from this weekend and next week before leaving...then I'm out of here! Much love.

Oh yeah, the Berrigans got me this sweet turtle when they were in San Francisco for house-sitting for them. SO cool, I love it. Looking for a good piece of leather to put it on.