take_the_good

Great week. Fantastic week. Have I mentioned how spoiled rotten I am at the Elementary School? 

We've pretty much had a special event every day this week, including (but not limited to) petting reptiles from the Desert Museum, visiting chamber orchestra performance, and a traveling troupe that takes students' stories/poems and turns them into short plays. Five of the kiddos got their writing turned into skits. One of the littlest boys had written a really short story about having something gross stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The acting troupe turned it into this giant musical number (a la the Chicago song, "Cell Block Tango") and when they started singing/tapdancing he went absolutely nuts with glee <3

Today was the therapeutic farm animal group coming and visiting. Also, it's up to 70 degrees here. Literally, sunshine and bunnies today (and miniature donkeys, calves, chickens, and goats).

Went to the first ASL class and it was way better than I thought it'd be. I ended up getting really anxious about it that day because I found out the other new aides at the school weren't going to make it that night but luckily Brooks talked me into going (ie: reminded me how I'd beat myself up over it if I skipped it) and I'm glad he did. This year they split up the intermediate/beginner level groups so that really helped. Also, we're not allowed to use voice at all during the class so it's actually really calm and peaceful which is super nice (probably the most calm part of my week, to be honest). It's still slow-going (like any new language) but I feel really good about it. The only thing that has me still a little worried is that I really like the teacher so far, but they're in the process of changing teachers (WHYYYYYY) so we'll see how that goes.

Prepping stuff for Monday, when I'm going to be doing a little treat for the kids for Chinese New Year. Doing some Braille cards so the kids can find which Chinese zodiac year they were born in, and got some festive New Year envelopes to give them all some pennies in. I love that they're the age that pennies are still a big deal <3 There was a big sign on the asian mart door saying they'd be performing a dragon dance next weekend so I'm super excited to take Sierra to that.

In other news, my mother-in-law sent me Science Ink, the book of science-inspired tattoos I'd been squealing over ever since I read the article about it online. SO. AMAZING. I want damn near every single tattoo in here--and I don't even LIKE the idea of me getting a tattoo. Just so pretty *swoon*

How's everyone else doing?