"The Grand Essentials of Happiness Are: Something to Do, Something to Love, and Something to Hope For." ~George Washington Burnap

Dr. Seuss Day!
In case you don't have or work with kids, you should know that the schools around here (and maybe all over the country?) now celebrate Dr. Seuss Day around his birthday.  Where was this when *I* was a kid?!  I love this idea!  It's a way to get kids to read more at school and at home, and some schools celebrate by having kids dress in funny outfits or something throughout the week.  The closest elementary school to Pomona Hope invited us (the staff) to come and read to kids in the classrooms last Friday.

It was pouring rain and there were flash flood and tornado warnings in effect for much of the weekend (we ARE in California), but we braved the storm and joined a whole bunch of important people (it was really an honor to go!) at the elementary school to read books in classrooms.  We went to two different classrooms over the course of 2 hours.

I came prepared with several of the Dr. Seuss books my mom got me for Christmas (she gave me the whole set!).   Emily started of our sessions in each class, reading books she grew up with, and then Jeff and I each got to read one too. The kids really seemed to enjoy having new people in the classes.  To the first class, I read a book I'd never heard of before I received it, "A Good Day for UP."  It was written by Dr. Seuss and illustrated by someone else.  It really seemed to go over well with those kids. The second class was a little more exciting, because one of our kids was a student in that class.  As soon as we walked in, he was super excited to see us.  To that class, I read "There's a Wocket in My Pocket."  And the class was REALLY engaged.  Especially after I started asking them which words rhymed.  About halfway through the book, one girl pointed out that all the rhyming words are BIG (in all caps).  "Really?!  So you guys have been cheating this whole time?!"

I think Pomona Hope is gonna need more Dr. Seuss books.

Hopeful Dreams of a Future

About a month ago, I had a dream about our one student who came to us at the beginning of the year speaking no English.  He is currently in our youngest group of students (K-1st grade).  In the dream, he was years older, maybe a young teenager.  He dressed like he was emo and had long, side-swept bangs with a blue streak running through them.  (I have NO idea why these details stuck out in my mind.)  I don't remember at all what we were saying, but I remember being excited about how perfect his English was.  Not in the way you learn it in school, but perfect conversational English, fitting right in with all the other kids and no indication he ever struggled.  For some reason, I've remembered this dream for weeks.

This Monday, I was working with his group, and it was a transition time (when the students have a chance to use the restroom and get a drink of water as we move to the next workshop).  Students who don't need to do either seem to like to use that time to ask me questions or tell me about their day, so it gets a little busy for me, as they all want to talk at the same time and sometimes they get impatient.  I heard a voice next to me, about halfway through transition time asking, "Can I go to the bathroom?"  I turned to see that it was the student I dreamed about!  He had said it so perfectly that I didn't expect it to be him standing there.  I let him go, of course.  He didn't actually need to ask, since that was his chance.  But I really wanted to hug him, and maybe cry a little.

Art Time Fun

During the Art Project on Monday, the kids were coloring leprechauns.  First, I tried getting them to guess what it would be, and NONE OF THEM knew what a leprechaun was!  This is sad for my people.  So I explained to them about the magical, short, ginger people who hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows, and then had them color and cut out their leprechauns.  Many of the students took the coloring very seriously and spent the entire project time doing just that.

Working on Leprechauns on Monday

 But a couple of our kids finished early.  The kid who is on the left of the picture below finished first.  He is usually very shy, but this day was very proud of his art project and showed it to me.  Here's how the conversation went...
Me: Oh!  Good job!  It looks like he's dressed for a party!
Him: He is.
Me: Where is this party?
Him: In the mountains.
Me: Very cool.  Who else is going to the party?
Him: Everyone.
Me: Like who?
Him: Other magic people.
Me: If it's in the mountains, is the abominable snowman there?
Him: Yes.
Me: And who else?  Maybe the tooth fairy?
Him: Yes, they're there.  But no bad guys.
Me: Ok, no bad guys.  He's a nice abominable snowman.
Then he smiled and started to play with the boy on the right in the picture.

They're dressed for a party!

Everyone is going! (Except bad guys)

 They began walking around their classroom talking about the party.

It was a long journey to the party in the mountain.

 And then for some reason, the leprechaun went flat.

Children in motion are blurry.

But he got better and went home with his new friends.

I love these kids.  :-)