December Update!

Camp Casey lately has been a lot of fun. It seems like this semester has gone by so quickly. At first, I was a little overwhelmed working at Camp Casey because of the number of children and I wasn't really sure how to handle them. It has turned out to be a great experience though. It is so interesting seeing how the kids are changing and learning new things. It is amazing to see their growth in just a few short months.

Whenever I first started volunteering at CWC, I was considering changing my major because I didn't know how I could possibly manage a classroom full of children. But each day, I am being reassured that I could do this. The kids definitely test you to see what they can get away with but once they know what kind of person you are, and vice versa, everything settles down.

I am really looking forward to going back to CCK. Its been too long since I was there for a weekend. I love those playing with those children because they never once complain. Yet, most people who are healthy complain all the time. Its uplifting to see how positive they are about their situations. CCK truly is a gift from God.

Update...

Camp Casey is going really well. At first, it was definitely an adjustment on how to deal with the children. Now that things have got settled, I really enjoy working with them. The kids are so much fun. They are very creative and eager to learn new things.

Camp Casey begins....

My first week at Camp Casey was very....eye-opening.

I have always loved children of all ages. I think that children are so imaginative and forgiving. They see the world as they want to see it and not as it is. They don't see all of the problems happening in the world but rather they see it as a happy place. I think we should all try to see the world in this way.

I love the classes that I help with. BookCooks or Adventures in Theatre are probably my favorites. Dance was very interesting. I was a dancer when I was younger. I was in dance classes probably more than I was at school...but once you become the teacher, things go crazy. I was the only teacher that day and had no idea what I was doing. Some of the girls loved to dance, some hated it, and all of the boys thought it was "stupid." I told the kids to make up their own dance, and at first things were going awesome. That is, until one girl fell and busted her chin open. She had to get stitches. I thought that she would hate me the next day, but instead she came and showed me her "battle wound" and just smiled about the entire thing. I was expecting her to be mad at me because I was the teacher when she got hurt but instead she was so forgiving and acted as if nothing had happened. I have to admit that at first, I was about to cry. I was so overwhelmed and wanted to change my major at that moment. It turned out to be a good experience and I am looking forward to the rest of Camp Casey.

Who will get my vote?.... McCAIN/PALIN '08

After taking the ABC News Match-O-Matic Quiz on quotes made by the presidential candidates, my results said that I had the same views as McCain. I totally agree with this, especially after watching both the presidential debate and the vice-presidential debate. McCain is not as entertaining as Obama, by any means, but once you truly begin to pay attention to what McCain says I think you begin to see that McCain knows what he is talking about. Sarah Palin is an excellent choice for the vice-presidency. Alot of controversy has been surrounding her because of her children and the situations that they are in. I know that I want someone who can relate to the majority of Americans. She has handled herself very well.

I was very suprised that I agreed with Obama on immigration issues. I think that sending them all back to their countries would be a disaster and would cause many more problems than it would solve. I believe that the one thing our economy needs most is more jobs. The unemployment level is way too high and if more people had jobs the economy would level out.

My favorite cause...

The cause that has been the most important to me is anything with children and education. Education has been put on the back burner in the United States and especially Kentucky. In order for our country to thrive we need to try to fix our educational system. This is a major issue in the election, especially to me. Its not so much because I am a student but because I want to be a teacher someday. I can see the effects of budget cuts on teachers and how they have to adjust their lessons because of that. Art programs have been cut from many school districts and that only hurts the children. I don't want for schools to keep cutting programs because of their budgets.

CCK was AMAZING!

This weekend I had the privilege to go to CCK. At first, I was really nervous because I only knew a couple of people that were going to be volunteering. I didn't know what to expect. Everyone was so nice, helpful, and made me feel like I fit in perfectly. I met some of the most amazing kids anyone could ever imagine. They were the most well-mannered and sweet kids I have ever met. You would think that they would be sad, upset, and maybe even depressed but they were just the opposite. They always had a smile on their face. Even when they weren't feeling that great, they never once complained or frowned.
One of the girls that I became really close friends with could barely walk in the morning because of her Juvenile Arthritis. I can't possibly imagine going through what she goes through everyday. She was extremely shy at first but by the end of the weekend, she was dancing with us and doing our morning aerobics. Not only did she love to do arts and crafts, but she was better than I was at making button bracelets and keychains. She was just as sarcastic as she was sweet. I wasn't expecting that but it was hilarious. I taught her how to play pool and she was so excited.
I also learned alot about another couple of girls. We all had a blast bowling, playing ping pong, and doing the other activities that were available. The beauty shop was one of the favorite things at Camp. We decorated our "Camp Rocks" shirts with spray paint and then we sprayed our hair and it was as colorful as our shirts.
There were so many camp songs that the kids had to catch me up on. They also taught me the cup game, which I spent playing with one of the girls for nearly half an hour. It was awesome.

Words can't describe how much I fell in love with Camp this weekend. It was one of the best weekends I think I've ever had. The kids were so happy and cheerful. They were really inspiring. I miss them already. I wish them health and happiness. The worst part of camp was Sunday afternoon when we had to leave (which was rushed because of the storm).

Where do I start?

I am really glad that I decided to join the Bonner Leader program here at LWC. I have already met some amazing people and look forward to getting to know them better. I can't wait until I start volunteering at Camp Casey. I love working with little kids because their hearts are so loving. I think we could all take a few pointers from them and give to others like they do.
I really would like to volunteer at The Center for Courageous Kids sometime this semester. What they do for children is beyond amazing. It is very inspiring.