Only at Sand Creek . . .

Back in early September, when Duane approached us about having an after prom party on March 31, we all laughed.  Wasn't it dark, cold and snowy out then?  Seriously?  Well, he set it up and at 6:30 a.m. this morning as the sun was coming up over the horizon, Duane, Anna, Julian, Ethan, Sam and I were at work.

It was an entire high school of roughly fifty-five people from just west of Mitchell, South Dakota.  Every four years they have an after prom party with the all of the students and this year, we got to party with them!

My place of party from 7:00-10:15 a.m. was "The Giants Ladder" where eight students helped belay two students who were working together to reach the top of the ladder.  I managed to grab a couple of shots of different groups helping each other up as the sun was rising . . .

As they left, we all agreed we had actually had an awesome time.  We were exhausted, but happy because they had been so fun and polite.  We were even more happy when we found out that they had left us each a $30.00 tip!

Back at Sand Creek . . .

Yesterday we returned to Sand Creek Adventures for the start of our 2019 season!  Imagine my surprise when I met Lauren, a new staff who told us she had been hired to work with the team builds, finding out their needs and working with them.  

Wait!  I thought I was the "Team Build Coordinator".  That sounded very much like my job!     

The thought that kept running through my mind was, "Unoffended, unoffended, unoffended."  Had Anna, our course manager, not been trying to meet with me for the past two weeks and it just hadn't worked out?  Something was up, but before I jumped to any conclusions, "Unoffended, unoffended, unoffended . . ."  

And yes, Anna and I were meeting at the end of the day . . .

The first words out of her mouth when we met were, "You did a great job as the Team Build Coordinator last year and we still want you to do that."  

Did you all hear my sigh of relief? 

"But we want to up our game this year.  Lauren's background is conflict mediation.  She's working with us and Raksa's program to contact team builds before they arrive to see what they hope to get out of their time at both locations.  Her job will be to communicate our information with you and then you two will develop a plan and work with our other staff."

Insert "happy dance". 

"Of course, what I'd like you to do . . . "

Oh, here it comes!

". . . Is read these four books with me and we can come up with ideas that we can do with staff to help them with their team builds.  And I'd also like to come up with a file of ideas so that when groups come . . . "

I'm SO in!  I'll be putting in a lot of hours between now and May 15 (our tentative due date), coming up with a file and reading four books, fortunately my body can be home while I work at Sand Creek where it's always a great day!

Thankful Thursday!

I'm running a day late, but what I was thankful for yesterday still brings a smile to my face today!

Remember that Water Safety Aide Class I taught over at Black Hawk this week?  How it had started out as what I thought would be a class of two?  So I prayed for at least four to six students?  But God gave me "four plus six students" for a total of ten?

In all the years I have been teaching this class, I have never had such a fun, cohesive group.  We actually recommended every fourteen and fifteen year old for hire - and trust me!  That has never happened before!  There are just not enough good things to say about them and I am ever thankful for the time I got to spend with them!  

Eight. Or Ten out of Eleven.

That would be my work schedule.  If you start with last Thursday, I'm working ten out of eleven days.  I did have Saturday off.  If you start with yesterday, I'm working a total of eight days in a row - the Y, ISD 196, ISD 196 and the Y, ISD 196, ISD 196, the Y and Sand Creek, Sand Creek and Sand Creek.  Note:  two doubles in there!   So if you don't hear from me for a while, assume I am exhausted beyond all reasonable belief!  Or having a really good time! 

And then there were ten . . .

I've been praying for almost a month now for the Water Safety Aide Class I'm teaching at Black Hawk this week.  Last I had heard, I had two - only two! - students in the class.  Believe me, a class of two just isn't enough.  I needed more students!

So I asked God for students, telling Him four students would be good, six would be better.  My God is awesome at math - 4 + 6 = 10 - and I currently have ten students in class, three guys, seven gals!  And a good bunch to boot!

The Things You Shouldn't See . . .

I was walking Annie yesterday up Jaguar Path and happened to look over at one of our neighbor's homes.  It was 48º and sunny.  I was in a spring jacket even though there was snow all around and he was LAYING OUT!  Seriously.  With only his shorts on . . .  Think older and overweight.  Not a pleasant sight.  

I saw his neighbor, Matt, in his garage.  I stopped by and said with total disbelief, "Did you see . . . ?"  And he said, "That's why I'm  hiding in the garage."  We chatted a bit and then Annie and I took off.

A little while later we ran into Bob and Chris.  I had to ask again, "Did you see . . . ?"  "Yup," said Bob.  "He was drinking a beer."  Well, gee, I missed that!

Thankful Thursday

Today's "Thankful Thursday" is going to take a bit of a twist because what I'm thankful for today may or may not be a good thing, but I'm hoping it's a God thing.  

Earlier this year, Matt bought a second car which we certainly don't have room for in our driveway/garage because it was his "dream car".  Definitely APA - "against parental approval", but he is of age and he chose not to listen to us.  

Today - just a total freak "opps" - he locked his key in the trunk and he couldn't get it to open.  The locksmith was able to open a door, but it couldn't be shut again because there was no way to open it again.  Something to do with the electronics. 

The locksmith's supervisor came out and made a second key for Matt - to the tune of $166.00 more or less for both opening and key.  He also missed worked today because he wouldn't take my car and his (male) supervisor agreed it was more important to get the keys out.  What?!?

I'm thankful for two things - he struggled with the APA car and he was able to get back in.  In one of his more frustrated moments he acknowledged the waste of money today.  I'm thankful he saw that, too.   

Only at Sand Creek . . .

If you've been listening to the news at all, you've probably heard that Sand Creek in Jordan has flooded!  I sent a text to my boss today and he replied with this picture:

That would be the creek coming out of it's bed!  Did you see how the ice totaled our bridge to the low ropes course?  

Fortunately, we have two full weeks before our first group arrives to get things ready  . . . and maybe for the snow to melt!

Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibilty

Those, my friends, are the four core values of the YMCA where I taught CPR this morning.

I was teaching an "American Safety and Health Institute Basic Life Support Class", along with "Administering Emergency Oxygen".  I left home a bit frustrated because I couldn't get in to the ASHI website to see who had completed the blended learning portion before class.

My supervisor, Barbara, wasn't able to access ASHI from the Y either so we only had a report from two days ago which meant anyone who showed up for class who did not sport a "complete" on our old roster would have to show "proof of completion".  

Five people had completed the course according to the old roster, one brought in proof, and two said they were having a hard time accessing the program.  No surprise - Barbara and I were, too!  However, they said they had completed it and just couldn't print the certificate.

What it boiled down to was this:  if those last two had truly completed it as they said, when the website came up again we would have proof of completion and their staying in class today would merit their BLS/02 cards.

If they were lying to us and did NOT complete the on-line portion of the class, they would have spent a lovely morning with me, but NOT get their cards. 

Barbara asked them to be honest and left the room.  They both followed her out.  

The best part of the story?  Somewhere around three this afternoon, I was finally able to access the ASHI website.  It turns out that one of them hadn't even opened the links or started watching the on-line portion!  Liar!  Liar!

I would say that was pretty irRESPONSIBLE and disRESPECTFUL and that she probably didn't CARE if she was HONEST.  Sad situation, eh?  

"Two are better than one . . . "

^"Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV

Poor Matthew!  He's commented more than once over the past few weeks that Allison is his favorite mom.  I'm not sure if he's just giving me grief, trying to get a rise out of me or is really being honest.  I think, though, I may have moved up to "top mom" after lunch on Wednesday . . .

Matt:  "I bought another car."

Allison:  "You mean a different car."

Matt:  "No, I have two cars."

Allison:  "And two car payments and car insurance . . ."

Margo:  "It was purchases APA - against parental approval."

Allsion:  "You are only twenty-two years old.  You do not need two cars.  Obviously, your frontal lobe has not matured.  When you are twenty-four, you will grow a brain.  I hope you use it.  That is just . . . "

 I can't tell you how much I appreciated Allison at that moment!

Thankful Thursday!

On this particular Thursday, I am quite thankful for Wednesday because we finally baked our Christmas cookies with the F.O.O.'s (family of origin)!  I know you're thinking it's the middle of March, but we had a blizzard on our first baking date way back in December, sick children on our second baking date in January and a lot of fun on our third baking date yesterday!  Check out these pictures:

Yes, even Allison and I frosted!

Micah made a family birthday cake . . .

Matt and Kingsley

Micah and Matt in back, Kennedy and Kingsley in front

@whats_zup_bakes (Micah's Instagram)

2000 . . .

Miles swam as of today!

I'm thirty-eight nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean!

I may make it by Mother's Day.

Swim on!

To Barb . . .

. . . Who shared with me this morning that she turns seventy tomorrow.  Fifty years ago, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  She said, "Had anyone asked me back then if I thought I would ever live this long, my answer would have been no.  The legs don't work as well as they used to, but my brain is fine."  To which I responded, "To God be the glory!"  Happy Birthday, Barb!

To Sam . . .

Thirty years today!

Thankful Thursday!

On this lovely, warming Thursday, I am thankful for Barbara, our assistant Aquatics Coordinator.  I could leave it at that, but I'm guessing you'd like a few more details so as I share my details, please don't get frustrated with me because these are my details based on my experiences.  

My last class of the day at the Y is a home school group.  I find home schoolers very difficult to teach with very few exceptions.  This particular class contains four students - one who far outshines the others, two who are about the same, and one who is no where near the abilities of the other three.  Yet because their parents said they were all the same level, I have the privilege of teaching them all together. 

Barbara understood the challenge I was up against and hung around with my class, helping me to challenge my best swimmer or helping me to encourage my other swimmers, allowing me to work one-on-one as needed.  It made the class so much easier because in reality, I am teaching three very different classes to three very different abilities.  

And the best part was?  She's hoping to "hang around" every Thursday and "help out"!  

I ABSOLUTELY Love . . .

. . . our pediatrician!  Micah had a check up on Monday and we had one very important question for him.  

She has been invited to her favorite cousin's wedding this coming weekend down in Iowa.  Unfortunately, the groom's family has a peanut cookie that they make for all occasions (or at least, that's the story I got) and these cookies were going to be on the dessert table at the wedding, much to our dismay because . . .  

Micah has severe peanut allergies.  In the past, when she has been touched by peanuts or peanut products, she has gone into an allergic reaction.  As we talked about it, we agreed to go with whatever our pediatrician said.  

So we told him the circumstances, and asked him our question.  His response?  You'll love it!

1. "You could always wear long white gloves.  You'd probably look very nice in gloves.  Just make sure you carry your epi pen and Benadryl with you."
2. "You could be antisocial and talk to no one - while carrying her epi pen and Benadryl.   No hugging, no touching, no problem!"
3. "You could just go to the wedding and leave before the food comes out.  How far away is it?"  or . . .
4. "You could just stay home." 

Sadly, we went with option four, definitely the safest, yet saddest, option.

FInd the Mailboxes

My girlfriend down in Texas was lamenting the fact that it was "so cold" down there - it had been in the 40's this past week and it might even get down to freezing next week!  I told her if it ever got up to freezing around here, we'd all be in shorts!  Then I shared with her our mailman's favorite game - "Find the Mailboxes" - assuring her she could play it with her family tonight on a warm Texas eve . . .  

 

Obviously, those white ones are a bit more challenging to find!