Europe with Teenagers

Last summer I took a small group of teens and adults to Paris, France for six days. It was fun. This summer I took a group of thirteen teens and three adults (four, if you count me) to Italy and Spain for ten days. It was amazing!

I am a teacher, for those who don't know that. I teach at the junior high level (though I would love to secure a high school position); my content area is Art. I have my BFA in sculpture/ceramics/jewelry-metals and a BS in Art Education. But that doesn't really explain my love of art and kids. I really love both, and teaching just came naturally to me. So, now along with my regular responsibilitues as an art teacher at the local junior high school, I lead international trips with a co-worker of mine. It has been an incredible experience thus far, and I think we have started something that is truly amazing for the kids in our district.

We returned to the Memphis area on July 20th after traveling to Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid. Neither the other teacher nor I speak any Italian at all, and my Spanish is more comprehension than anything else (I can understand some, but not too much). While traveling with students to a country where one cannot communicate very well may sound unappealing to many, Crystal and I seem to thrive! Of course, we travel with EF Tours, so we have a Tour Director with us much of the time, but not all of the time.

The kids who have traveled with us have almost without exception matured on the trips. This summer we had a terrific group, and I think that everyone really loved the experience and grew a lot from it. We visited some of the oldest structures on land, and walked the streets where many historic figures traveled before us. It was like walking through history, and it was truly fantastic.

Of course, we also did some serious shopping and spent time at the beach, so there was a very nice balance for everyone! I have posted many photos on Facebook, for those who are my friends there, but I will also post many of my more than 5600 photos on a Picasa album soon. Once I do that I will link to it. For now I will add a few images for you to see some of the amazing places we visited.

Ciao!

Park Guell in Barcelona, Spain. I really love Antoni Gaudi, so this was perhaps the best day of the trip for me!

Coming into Barcelona on the ferry from Rome.

Two of the girls on an overlook in Castel Gandolfo.

Leaving the hotel in Rome. It was a really cool place.

In Zaragoza, Spain

Two of our kids with a fellow traveler in Park Guell

Me in Park Guell

Most of the large group we were a part of, Park Guell

Me and several of our kids in Park Guell

Two of my girls in Park Guell

"Cocks" & "Peckers"

Now, before anyone out there in the Blogosphere starts freaking out, the title of this blogpost refers to the innocence of my son, who is three and a half. Gabe refers to birds as "cocks." I am not really sure where he picked the lingo up, but it is funny, so our giggles encourage him to continue with that name.
While we were visiting family in California, my sister-in-law, Gabe, and I went out hiking in the Berkley hills (Tilden Park, for those who are familiar with the Bay Area). He saw a few birds and called out, "Look Momma! Cocks!" Yeah, we laughed. It is so cute and super funny. So, anyway, while out on this hike we heard several woodpeckers (or perhaps one who was very mobile in it's quest for food). Gabe asked, "What's that?" I replied, "A woodpecker, Gabe." From that information Gabe began calling out, "Momma! A pecker, Momma! It's a pecker!!" everytime he would hear the tap-tap-tapping of a woodpecker in the trees.
True story. And so now you understand about "cocks" and "peckers."

Crazy Colors

I don't think I will keep these colors, but I wanted a change.
So there you have it.

Fairy(tale) Land

I went into downtown Oakland and over to this little park called "Fairy Land." Gabe had a blast.

I decided to leave after Gabe climbed into the crow's nest in the Pirate Hook/Peter Pan area of the park. He went up and up and into the crow's nest. I felt vertigo just watching him. Then he couldn't get down. He tried coming down facing forward. He tried coming down facing backward. He tried coming headfirst, and that's when I called for reinforcements! A very nice dad came to the rescue and climbed up into the crow's nest and tried to help Gabe down. It was useless. Gabe and I were both relatively calm, but I was beginning to feel a freak out coming on, as Gabe was not digging having this stranger assisting him when Mom was so obviously near. So the nice man lowered Gabe down through the hatch in the crow's nest where I was able to reach up and grab his legs while the man lowered him from above, holding only his hands. I feel anxious just recalling it! Am I a bad mom? I was letting him express his independence and have fun being a boy. Gabe loves to climb and is quite a good little climber. This was just a little over his level of present experience. Had I had another adult with it would not have been an issue as one of us could have climbed up as this dad had done and all would have been great.

Thanks, anonymous "dad" at Fairy Land!!

But, aside from that little bit of excitement, all went well on our excursion. Gabe played with other kids, climbed on a crocodile. played "big bad wolf" in the little pigs house (as well as a pig or two) and basically had a great time running around in a park full of kids his age in a world created just for them.

So... on to some photos!

The crow's nest... oh... what a memory this will make! lol

Riding the carousel was a lot of fun... and the guy who ran it liked Gabe's shark shirt!

A cool little house which was locked... bummer!

Coming down the slide... Blurry, but look at that smile!

Hello, Mr. Owl!

Gabe confronts the Big Bad Wolf

Gabe loved the little houses, even though many were locked and his "magic key" wouldn't work

Discovering the birds on the Ark

Gabe is a "little pig" while Mommy plays "Big Bad Wolf"

Golden Gate Park

So, Gabe and I went out to Golden Gate Park with our friends Sarah, Ethan, and Vaughn (her two boys). We went to the Tea Garden and then to the Academy of Science. It was fun, but exhausting. Gabe gets really cranky when he is hungry and tired. First he was hungry, and then, well... he was tired! So I was dealing with a cranky little guy pretty much all day.

Gabe loved the aquarium in the Academy of Science. He was totally in his element. He loves fish and all that lives in the ocean, so he was having a great time. But, all good things must end, and so he had a few minor melt-downs right before we decided to leave.

I miss having Sarah around. I hope that I get a job out her and that we move out here. I think it would be great to be around Roger, Laura, Sarah, and Aaron. I know that Mike would like to be nearer to his family, too, and so near the ocean. There is just so much to do here! I have been having a lot of fun, and Gabe loves it here. But we will cross that bridge when (if) it arrives.

For now... more pictures!!!!!

San Francisco

I have been busy, busy, busy while here in the Bay Area.
I will begin by saying: I love first class! Gabe and I arrived at Memphis International Airport on Sunday morning to find that we were not going to make our connection in Cincinnati due to a delay of our initial flight. The woman at the Delta counter was exceptional! She looked at me standing there with my three-year-old son in a harness, sucker in hand, Diego rolling backpack in tow, all excited for his plane ride; two bags to check, a carry-on for myself, my laptop bag, and purse. She said she was going to see what she could do.
After calling American Airlines (she found that they had a few open seats on an earlier flight), she handed me two carbon copies of what I can assume were hand-written tickets, and told me to hurry to the American Airlines counter (a ways away from the Delta counter). She also sent my checked baggage with a porter so that I didn't have to lug all of that with me. I get my tickets and rush through security. Gabe was so great! He just trucked along and did everything he was told. I was so proud of him! (I still am, of course!)
I get to the gate as they are bording, and a man tells me to get up in front because I have Gabe. I do. I am walking down the aisle, looking for my seats, when it registers that I am in FIRST CLASS! OMG! I have never flown first class before (let me tell you... so awesome!).
Our connection was in Dallas. We made it to the gate in time to use the restroom and get Gabe into a Pull-Up (I didn't want any accidents on the flight). Of course, I was back in Coach for the second flight, but that's okay. I arrived to San Francisco almost 4 hours earlier than my original itinerary would have had us land.
Monday's interview was rescheduled for Thursday, so Roger, Gabe, and I went to Fisherman's Wharf where Gabe chased pigeons, saw sea lions, and had lots of fun. That is where we were able to score the great hat! We laughed so much watching him chasing pigeons, yelling, "Pigeons! Pigeons!" as he ran, with this ridiculous hat, wearing a monkey (or bear... whatever it is) backpack/harness, a camera swinging from his chest. He had a blast, and fell asleep on Roger's shoulders, head on head, on the walk back to the car.
Today I went for my first interveiw. I liked the school, though I don't know if I am what they want. I have a feeling they want a teacher who will happily take on first year art students but leave the more advanced classes for their current art teacher to take. I want high school so I can have my students for three or four years in a row. I hope that my interview on Thursday (which was initially for Monday) goes well and that I am a good fit there. They do not have an art program yet but are looking for the right teacher to start it. I think I could easily be that teacher.
Gabe is taking his first "real" nap since we arrived two days ago. We went back to the waterfront today with the express purpose of going to the aquarium. We didn't make it. Gabe ran around after pigeons and wore himself out. I carried him back to the BART station and back to Rog and Laura's where he fell asleep on the couch almost immediately. Poor little guy!
I will post more as I have more news from the Bay! Gabe steering the "pirate ship" that we toured on Monday. He was really in his element: looking for treasure chests, yelling, "Ahoy Matey!" and the like.
Gabe loves his new "Crabby" hat. He wants to wear it all of the time. We have to limit it while we are in the less touristy areas, such as walking to the MacAurthur BART station by Rog and Laura's place! lol
Roger, Gabe, and I were walking along the boardwalk along the wharf when Roger asked Gabe, "Do you hear something?" Gabe yells excitedly, "SEALS!" and ran the entire way, Mom in tow, until we saw the sea lions. He was so excited and really would have been happy enough just watching the sea lions do sea lion-y stuff all day.

I Have Young Ears

Created by Train Horns

Mace and Asthma... not a good combination

Yesterday I had a terrible asthma attack while at work. Two girls started to fight in the hall during my lunch, and a few teachers came running in to the lounge covering their faces, eyes streaming. The school cop had used mace to break up these two young "ladies" and it was wafting all throughout the building. As I had already been struggling with my asthma (gotta love an insurance company that repeatedly refuses to fill a medicine that my doctor has repeatedly informed them keeps me from hospitalization) I remained in the lounge, hoping the mace would blow out through the then opened doors. I was wrong. It came in as more and more teachers felt it necessary to see what was going on. Soon I was having a hard time breathing so I took my not eaten lunch and went quickly out the front doors, coughing and hacking as I tried not to breath (and this was in the hall on the opposite side of where the mace had been used). I think having all of the doors open created a draft that created a worse situation immediately but fixed the mess after a few minutes. I had to drive home and get my nebulizer. I coughed and felt like I was going to vomit from my lungs (does that make sense?) all the way home.

I used my portable nebulizer while driving back to work (perhaps unwise, but I had 15 minutes to get home, do a ten minute treatment, and get back to school about 8 minutes from home). I returned to class just as the second bell was ringing and started teaching.

I think that this area is killing me. The pollution is not something many people talk about, but the air quality is not very good for an asthmatic. I long to breath in air that is not tainted with the exhaust from a factory burning coal. I really love the friends I have made here (don't get me wrong) but this place is killing me.

The Best Darn Dog in the World

For the record: Rosco is the best dog in the world. You might disagree with this statement, but you would be doing so in error. Were you to meet him you would undoubtedly become a member of his growing fan club.
Gabe is the President of Rosco's fan club. They are great friends and I cannot imagine a better dog for a boy than this wonderful, loyal, obedient, and kind American Pit Bull Terrier.

"They Won't Build No Schools Anymore..."

This week I have had a few frustrating moments with my students. I teach at a junior high, so perhaps you can understand why my job can be frustrating. But, regardless of the level of frustration I at times feel, I love what I do. I know that education is the key to a better life.

It is difficult to aspire to better than what you experience at home. Many of the kids I have taught over the years have come from anything but an ideal home. Often the kids come from single-parent homes where the one parent has to work too much to be much of a parent at all. The focus is on getting more money and not on building a strong family. Kids are often left to their own resources to come up with breakfast or dinner, or both, and I have been surprised that some of them make it to school at all.

This week one of my students told me that he is dropping out in February. He is in the ninth grade and is dropping out! He thinks he will have a better life by leaving school and doing... what? What will he do? What will become of this poor, foolish young man? Will he become just another statistic of a failing system? I tried to talk to him but he is just too smart to be taught. Perhaps you know the type? Perhaps you were (or are) the type. No one knows more than an apathetic teenager!

Today I read that Memphis City Schools are in such a poor financial state that they may have to close the schools this fall. They will shut the doors! Can you imagine an entire city closing their schools?? What is going on? How can we be in such a bad place that we cannot afford to educate our children? And what will become of these kids? I can tell you that the first thing that came to my mind was that they will have to build a bigger prison if they shut down the schools. When I told this news to Mike he referred me to the video below. The song is "I am a Prisoner" by Lucky Dube, a South African reggae artist who was killed in 2007. He was a good man. This song and video are, I think, very appropriate and call to us all to help protect our schools, help raise students and not prisoners, and make learning and education a priority. If the government has to choose between housing the criminals or teaching the children, what choice do you think they will make?