VBS - Day 3 - The Spanish Channel

Here's my newest BFFFF's!!! These are some amazing kids! Because my church is across from the library, Sofia, the littlest one, well her Mami, saw our sign while checking out books! (I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes....Ace of Base ref) They are all cousins representing four separate families!!! It's only Miercoles, or Hump Day in our VBS and we are already this tight!!! Friday is gonna be a sad day!!!! (The joke is that VBS is "witnessing" or ministering to the kiddos, but look who is actually getting loved on!!!!!)

If you Advertise.....they WILL come

So...a funny thing happened on the way to church yesterday.... 40 kids and counting and a host of fabu-riffic volunteers showed up! Here's what you need to know about my church! I am still an Episcopalian in a very conservative Diocese that has been hit hard with the split to "Go Anglican!" When that happened, approximately 90% of our membership left. (That new Anglican congregation has already split!!) Prior to that, there had been a membership flight to a neighboring Episcopal church. So, from our little Epiphany Church, there are former members in three separate congregations. Well, guess what, all three of those have been represented with "children of all ages" at our Vacation Bible School so how cool is that! Not to mention, there's been probably five random families that have joined us, most notably a pair of identical twin brothers whose father and stepmother are both serving in Iraq and they're hanging with Gma in Florida! and "second notably," is the group I've lovingly nicknamed "The Spanish Channel," a group of six cousins (three pairs of siblings) who hail from Puerto Rico and are having a fab time! There's also two good sized home daycares that are joining us, but the best part is both caregivers are volunteering with us all week!!! Then there's all my godchildren who are mostly local (see my picture!) except for the lovely Lauren (who is modelling one of our Sheep Seed Bead Safety Pin projects) who is 15 and lives somewhere called OHIO, who is having fun hanging out and helping! (I hate her because she got to see the new Harry Potter park at Universal in Orlando last week!) So, tomorrow will be HUMP DAY and we'll be celebrating by making Tie-Dye T's so that we'll have our own shirts-of-many-colors to mirror Joseph's coat-of-many-colors. Our "little VBS program that could" has not disappointed and it's been a true lesson in faith for me who has directed this week of "organized chaos." (Besides, it's OK to step out of my HIGH SCHOOL COMFORT ZONE and hang with the extra-small, small, and medium peeps and peepettes!!!!) OH...and it's all documented on my FACEBOOK page....Cindy Lee Grubbs...go ahead! I double-dog-dare you to Friend Me!!!

Raindrops on Roses & Whiskers on Kittens

Yesterday, my baby girl turned 26. She is getting old! Many of her favorite people met at a local watering hole, Mossfire Grill, and I was proud to support the local economy with their $4.25 Raspberry Margarita specials! (My choice of hydration must have been in my subconscious because I dressed in the appropriate color for the festivities!) So why the title? Well, besides paying homage to Julie Andrews, I suppose this picture represents all of my favorite things. (Although I'm sure they would really appreciate being referred to as Thing 1 and Thing 2, even though we are huge fans of Dr. Seuss!) Birthdays are a great time for reflection. If your life flashes before your eyes as the Grim Reaper snags you, well the timeline from toddler to young adult plays like a movie in my head at every one of their birthdays. I'm so glad that I got to meet these beautiful people and play a part in their (arrested) development! With me in this picture is Charlotte (26), Tim (he'll turn 28 on Halloween,) and my surrogate child, Josh (27). He'll tell you that he has two moms....and he does! As they get older, (key word THEY) it's always a cause for celebration when we are all together, which is never often enough! I can't help it. Every minute I'm with them - good, bad, or indifferent - is a gift and a reminder of how I hit the jackpot on October 31st, 1982, and June 23rd, 1984, and about seven or eight years later when I first met Josh!

School's Out for Summer ??????

It's summer time! Isn't that the reason we all became teachers? For the summer va-cay? For all that time working on our perpetual tan? So why am I standing in front of a classroom wall? Did I read my calendar wrong? Did I not get the memo? I want to live the dream (a.k.a., the myth about endless days of reckless abandon in the summer) and channel Martha Stewart Home Improvements all summer or Jessica Simpson and check out Beauty all over the world. Well, happily, I can be both of these women and all I need are able-bodied assistants like Quianna, Ajai, Damaris, and maybe 20 others! My little sweethearts represent students who hope to receive their Associates degree when they graduate from high school as part of the Early College magnent program at Duval County schools. They are all rising Sophomores and there is only one obstacle....passing the Reading portion of the CPT (College Placement Test.) That's where I come in. (I'm sounding a little like the original "Friday" on Dragnet...and why don't we get to "wear a badge?") But I digress....This group of young hopefuls is entrusting myself and three other teachers to bump them up in NINE DAYS with all their deficiencies for the Reading and Math portions of the test. The pressure is really on me and my teaching partner because this is their last chance to pass the Reading portion!! They are giving the Math folks another year. (There's got to be a discrimination lawsuit there somewhere.) So, we read and we practice with paper-and-pencil and we talk about strategies and we practice online and we contemplate and we encourage and we all get to end our day eating in the College Cafeteria. That's a BIG THING if you are in the 14 to 15 age demographic! So, how exactly am I Martha? Well, I'm designing a plan for these peeps and peepettes and trying to build something that's lasting and holds its value. About Jessica? Well, I'm around young, innocent beauties all day, every day (even my guys) and it's rejuvenating for me....(Oh and the Florida State College campus we are at is also home to their Cosmetology School. Check out my NEW DO that was only 8 bucks!!!! It's a teaching college so I had the benefit of Nan the stylist and 2 of her instructors when she kept getting nervous about 45 cuts and 90 cuts....I learned a lot! The $10 pedicure is next week!) Well, let's all keep our fingers and toes crossed when they sit for the test next Friday, and I just pray that I am effectively providing them what they need.....Teaching can be a real nail-biter!!!! (which is why I'll never get a manicure there....I would choke from the enamel...ha ha ha)

Cindy-Lou-Who NEEDS YOU!

Hey Ladies!!!!

A funny thing happened on my way from school last week. Because we are a Turnaround (a.k.a, Troubled) School, we have lots of partners, community resources, state money, etc., for programs for the students. Well, thanks to a generous donation from an alumni couple, the Lastingers, there's some money to invest in higher degree seeking teachers from these schools as well! ALL EXPENSE PAID TUITION FOR THE PROGRAM!! I want to apply for a Specialist's Degree in Media Literacy! They will only be selecting 30 teachers from the 3 partnered high schools in Jacksonville, and I REALLY want one of those spots for myself! And, for those of us who apply by June 30th, UF is going to spend the big bucks ($800) for a four-day GRE-for-Dummies course! I passed the GRE too many years ago for it to count a second time and methinks my problem-solving skills are a little rusty (at least in the mathematics department!) Gainesville is only 1 1/2 hours away (just be careful of AAA's speed trap of the world, Starke, Lawtey, Waldo - seriously, look it up!!!) although the majority of the coursework is delivered online and discussed with the collaborative groups at the individual schools. Do I dare hope for my new study group to be just half as cool and affirming and encouraging as this UNE group? So, here's where I need you! I'm going to post my 400-500 "WHY YOU NEED TO PICK ME" application letter to docshare by Monday which will also serve as my Writing Piece for the course! (2 birds, 1 stone) I have to explain why I want to pursue this degree and what I hope to accomplish. Wish me luck!!! My "writing muse" finally returned from her vacation, so time to put the pedal to the metal!

Isaiah 11:6

My daughter, Charlotte, sent me this text yesterday. It was one of many that she took from her cell phone and it features 8-month-old Reece, who is the son of one her besties, who is also her Veterinarian. (No, Char doesn't require a vet's services because she's human! She's also a vet surgical tech for many of the vets in Jacksonville!) So what makes this picture so special? Why does the title allude to "A Little Child Shall Lead?" And when did Char become my hero? To answer those questions, you need to go back to March when Char and Michelle found out they were pregnant within days of each other. Michelle has been married for many years and was over the moon at the prospect of #1. Char was 24, had her own apartment, her own career, her own insurance, and was near the end of a relationship with someone she had known since middle school. If you have heard about oil-and-vinegar then you get the idea. Still, they celebrated the life they had created! My daughter's pregnancy was a miracle. Her ovaries have been a major problem since Day One and she had her first cyst surgery when she was in her teens! A little more than a month later at a normal doctor visit, there was no heart beat, followed by the pain of "delivering" a few days later. She had been playing around with the name Archer. We would have loved him! We do love him! All of us still carry his sonogram picture. Charlotte went to Michelle's baby shower and came home very sad. In September, little Reece was born. What did my girl do? Well, she could have held on to her pain, her deep sadness, her grief, and mourned forever. But she chose LIFE! She has become "Aunty Charlotte" and has custody (ha ha) every Monday. (It's a babysitting gig, but honestly, I think she would pay Michelle for the privilege!) There's a lesson to be learned here. Wallowing in self-pity hurts the wallower the most. It takes an immense amount of bravery and courage and "adultness" to leave a comfort zone of justified hurt and honestly CELEBRATE another person's joy. (P.S...last month, my very young niece had a little boy. Guess who bought her the pregnancy test? Guess who had previously gotten her a job at her veterinarian's clinic? Guess who was her primary confidant from week to week? Guess who dragged her mother to the delivery room waiting room? Guess who handed her mom a tissue on the way home because you know, I would have LOVED to have met Archer!)

The Past IS Prologue

These two handsome guys are my son, Tim, a very young 27, and my cousin, Douglas, an even younger 51. Yesterday, My son and I made a trek to Tallahassee to celebrate the high school graduation of Doug's son Ryan. Tim practically lived in this house from 2001 to 2003 (translation: ate there a lot and used the laundry facilities on occasion) when he was in school at Florida State University and he grew quite very fond of Doug. While my cousin is legally blind and only has his peripheral vision, he has ears to hear and a heart to love. I am preparing for tomorrow evening's ENC 1101 class and Descriptive Writing! One selection I am using is an excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Here's the suggested Pre-Reading Journal Entry for this assignment from The Longman Writer.

Growing up isn't easy. In your journal, list several challenges you've had to face in your life. In each case, was there someone who served as a 'lifeline,' providing you with crucial guidance and support? Who was that individual? How did this person steer you through the difficulty?

I realized that for Tim, this picture represents one of his anchor people, throwing him a life raft when necessary, a swift kick when needed, directions home regardless of the time, and a confidant. (Doug also has the coolest folks ever who invited Tim to a Duke/FSU basketball game!) So, why the crazy title for this piece? Did MY past provide a prologue for Tim's future? Actually, this is a case of history repeating itself for the better! Doug's dad is Jack, my wonderful Uncle Jack, my awesome Uncle Jack, my gift, the one man who can redeem a whole gender of absentee males, etc., I've mentioned in previous posts that he is battling Parkinson's. Yesterday I spent several hours with him, and even in his weakened condition, I feel so enveloped in love and acceptance and self-worth with just one hug! I mean, if he loves me, then I know I am made of GOOD STUFF! I am absolutely elated that Tim can take up this the mantle as the young "Grubby" grasshopper with the next generation of Ingram men as his mentor. I'll be back on July 10th, when my life slows down just a little, for another touch! and if you are so inclined....say a prayer too, for my Uncle Jack, and for your ANCHORS!

From Prison to Palace

Well, the summer is almost here and what does that mean for anxious parents? Kids are under foot 24/7! Many churches in the summer offer a Vacation Bible School and this year, I'm so proud that our little "church-that-could" is presenting THE best program ever! We offered a Blue-Ribbon VBS for 10 years in a row. Than, our church fell apart, and four years later, after licking our wounds, the 30+ members who stayed behind decided it was time to offer something to the community and the ticket is VBS! Since I'm a teacher, it was unanimously decided that I would chair it (and no, I didn't get a vote!) I decided that preparing for this endeavor would be a teaching tool for me as well! Now that I'm a READING COACH, I am in the business of putting myself out of a job and empowering teachers! That was my philosophy with VBS and I wanted 100% participation from every family! Amazingly, that has not been too difficult, because when people are asked, encouraged, affirmed, and not given too much direction (essentially killing their uniqueness and special gifts), a lot can happen! Here's just a sample of what "ordinary Joes" are doing for this endeavor. Billy - he's 60 and his parents' ashes are in our cemetery. He's been her a long time! He's a printer and offered to blow up our advertisement into two huge banners. Yesterday, he met me at church and we hung them. He was SO EXCITED! Beverley - She walks with a cane and is a retired history teacher. She has a huge intellect and as she puts it, not a crafty bone in her body. What she does have is a sister who is a retired art teacher and together, they work with EMH kids with pottery and open air clay. Guess what! They are going to be working on a project together for the kids! Joan - she has been plagued with very poor health but really wanted to do something. In the VBS kits, they send a pack of "suggested" mega-price crafts. I gave them to her and she sat at home and figured out what to replicate, what to purchase, and what we could do cheaper. She even made a field trip to Joanne's Craft store to share what raw materials we needed to purchase! A true gem! Doug - one of my former middle school kids who won't let me go! He's home for the summer and volunteered himself and his brother to handle the games. he has some crazy ideas and the kids are going to be worn out! They are even going to make bricks from mud and straw, just like when they were enslaved in Egypt! There's at least 20 more stories of everyone's integral part, and I'm just so proud that my entire "classroom" has come together as a unit for a common goal! (Don't think I've been slacking, because I have been enlisting the help of some of my teachers just for a day here or a day there and I've been recruiting kids and spending money on the activities!) We're planning for no more than 30 and it will be the week after our UNE/blog time together is over....Anyhoo...I guess as teachers, even in the summer, somehow we are drawn to "children of all ages" just like at the circus, because we all walk a tightrope, wear a mask sometimes, clown around, while always soaring to great heights!