Celebrate Life

   This is a post from last year that I forgot to publish.  It has been in my draft folder for a year.  Does that tell you anything about how busy we've been.  While reading, remember that this was LAST YEAR at this time.

Brandon's graduation!

The view from our new apartment

Our honeymoon

It has certainly been 7 months since my last post and there has been SO MUCH going on...Here's the run-down:

In February, we were both accepted to school at UH! Nick is going to get his Masters in Educational Foundations and I am getting my masters in Special Education. We are excited and a little nervous about the time and concentration that going back school is going to take away from our free time!

In March we went on our honeymoon in Portland...it rocked! Spent time in Manzanita and then in the city. Despite the cold, we really liked the city itself!

Shortly after we returned from our honeymoon, our apartment was burglarized. It was a crazy experience, to say the least. Luckily neither of us were home when the burglar came. Our neighbors saw him knocking on our door, but just thought he was a friend of ours. He took our computers, camera, guitar, and jewelry. We learned a lot about security and what we will and will not accept as a living space. I had been inhibited about living there, but did not listen to myself...

The next week, we moved into a wonderful new apartment! Despite the reasoning behind why we moved, we feel like we are meant to be here! We now have a pool, bbq area, basketball courts, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a rockin' view and LOTS of security!

Unfortunately, the week after we moved in, Nick's dad passed away. We are so glad that he had the chance to visit us here on Oahu in January. He loved it here and was talking about another trip to visit us. We are so sad that he never got that chance. We are so extremely heartbroken over his passing.  His life was too short, as was Dona's.  My husband is amazingly strong, and I am right here beside him for when he doesn't feel so strong.

The next weekend, Brandon graduated from college at U of A with a bachelor's degree in Classics. I am so proud of him. We always been really close, like twins, and I couldn't have been more emotional as he walked across that stage! He moved to San Diego and is now living with Kevin.

After the Illinois/Arizona trip, I came back to O'ahu for the Punahou dance recital. My kiddos really did well! The next week, I headed back home to NM to help my mom organize the "Stuff" from my childhood and beyond. It was a week full of action, to say the least. We got everything organized, though, and I now have a new nickname... the "Slave Driver".

I'm now finally back on the island indefinitely and am so thankful to be home. Nick and I have been able to spend a lot of quality time together that we haven't had a lot of time to do since our wedding. It's been a crazy first 6 months of marriage! So crazy, in fact, that I am JUST NOW changing my name! Wow!

Aloha.

Gene, Frankie, and me

I was born in the wrong era...I just know it.  I belong with these people:

   

You see, Gene and Frankie sang about positive, fun things...like singing in the rain, strangers in the night (the good kind, not the robber kind), and taking life nice and easy...and they danced while they sang about it.  This is what I do every day, only I am not as accepted when I do such things in public.  

I'm sure they had their share of shenanigans, but as the evolution of societal shenanigans goes, I'm sure theirs did not include as many four-letter words and derogatory/ violent material as the crap that goes down today.  I just don't relate to today.  I am forever thankful for film and vocal recordings...they keep me connected to my "peeps"...hehe.

If only I was born decades earlier....Gene and Frankie, you'll just have to wait for me up there in tap dancing heaven...

Good thing about Hawaii?  Summer rain showers...glory...

That is what I love about you...

I'll begin today with a few recent pictures:

We're growing lettuce in our apartment window.  We attempted to grow it in our garden but quickly discovered that slugs REALLY like lettuce.  YUCK!  So we are attempting to grow it in pots!  Here's a pic of our sweet little lettuce...lett-i?  What is the plural of lettuce, anyway?  Lettuce, I think...

     

Secondly, my summer officially began a few days ago.  On day one of my break, I managed to pop these out.  I expect to be 300 pounds by next week:

  

Now onto the purpose of my post.  I've been thinking a lot about a phrase that I once heard spoken by a very wise man, whom I'll simply call "The Dr.".  In response to something wonderful done by another person, he said to him/her, "THAT is what I LOVE about you."  On the surface level, this can be interpreted plainly as his expression of thanks towards the kindness of another.  However, this wise man is also a very wise teacher, which implies that there is a deeper intention behind his statement.  

Not only is he saying "thanks", he is also administering positive reinforcement, which we all need on a very deep level in order to grow with confidence, yet frequently fail to recognize.  Not only is he administering positive reinforcement, he is acknowledging and suggesting social acceptance of a person for their positive attributes.  These are all teaching skills that can and should be used more frequently in our daily lives. 

As a society, we Americans have accepted a norm that is focused on drama, fear, and negativity.  Our nightly news very rarely covers any "good" news, and if it does, it is shown at 5am.  Perhaps we simply are not recognizing the positive attributes of those around us.  If we are, we are surely not telling them that "that is what we love about them."

I'll never forget the first time the wise teacher said that to me.  I had done something small, that on any other occasion would not have been recognized.  On this occasion, it was recognized and announced, not that I was a good person for having done what I did, but that what I did made me a valid member of the group.  "That" was why they loved me.  I felt accepted, validated, worthy.  Isn't this what we all want? Acceptance.

While teaching this summer, I decided to use these words in combination with a strategy to enhance the social skills of a student with disability.  My college social skills class had encouraged me to promote the student's social acceptance (for which he had very little) by acknowledging something GREAT that he had done in front of his peers.  Apparently, research has shown that students with social skill deficits can enhance their skill set if an adult (especially one that is respected by the student's peers, as well) vocalizes acceptance of this student in front of his peers.  Because I was teaching dance in a public school, this was a simple task to take on. The MOMENT I saw the child follow one of my movement directions, I asked him to come to the front and be my assistant because he was dancing "with excellence."

Now, I've seen excitement, and I've seen pride, but I've NEVER seen emotion like he showed.  Surprise, fear, excitement, and confusion was painted on his face and carried through his movements as he wandered up to the front of the class.  I don't think this child had ever been told that he did good in front of his peers.  I'm sure his teacher had told him that he did well every now and again, but he is in a special education class with 4 other students.  In dance, he was with 20 peers...his entire general education class.  As he walked up to me, his peers were clapping for him, and I saw it....PRIDE.  He performed the dance move with me while his peers watched.  Applause!  Jumping up and down, throwing his hands in air, this child not only felt like he belonged, he felt like he had something to give to his society.  PRICELESS.  

When the applause had settled, I took his hand (this child craves physical attention due to the lack of ANY attention at home; although we aren't supposed to do that in the schools...shhh...don't tell) and shook it high in the sky as if he had won a big race.  Then I asked the class, "What was EXCELLENT about his dancing?"  The class gave 3 or 4 responses, all of which made his smile widen further.  To their responses, I simply said, "Those are some of the things that we love about him." (I'm also pretty sure we aren't supposed to say that we love a child in the public schools). Later that day, I witnessed the student playing with kids on the playground with whom he had NEVER played.

Thank you, wise teacher, for giving me the words to say and the personal experience to know their power.  

  

Happy 4th of July!  Here is a picture from our morning walk today...

aloha

Thesis Methinks-is?

I thought I'd start this post with the lovely picture outside my window right now!  Wow!  How fantastically inspiring!!!  Exclamation point!!

Now onto the purpose for this post...my graduate thesis.  From the moment I entered grad school for special ed, I knew that I wanted to write my thesis on the effects of movement (particularly dance) on children with special needs.  This summer, I've had the incredible opportunity to teach "dance" to K-4th graders at a local public elementary school.  I am now two weeks into teaching and have experienced SO MANY instances of children with special needs flourishing in the dance classroom.  I will write a separate post with describing those experiences.  I am JAZZED up about furthering my research.  What that will look like, I don't know, but for now I know in my heart that these kids are moved by moving (Possible title?).

Here are some thoughts that I had the other day while reflecting on my days' teaching and how that might relate to my thesis:

It is summer 2010 and I am sitting by the window of my highrise apartment watching a young boy (middle school-aged?) as he runs out of a two-story walk-up apartment building.  At first, I wonder if something detrimental has happened to him because he is flinging his arms and running at a fast pace.  Interestingly, he stops at the street corner (he is obviously not running from something/one) and kicks the button to cross the street.  The behaviorist in me stops writing my 4th school paper (in 5 days...yuck) and attempts to determine the function of his behavior. 

He then jumps, turns a 360, kicks one leg out and lands, which springs him forward toward the glass door of the next apartment building.  He hits the glass with the sole of his skater-sized tennis shoe in a ninja-like fashion.  "Oh NO", I say out loud.  However the door doesn't break. 

Without affect, he walks to the corner of the street and waits patiently until the light turned green for him to walk.  The calm before the storm?  Or is it after the storm?  Has the full storm yet occurred?  I continue to watch...

Green.  He sprints like lion towards it's prey and jumps onto the curb as if he had a skateboard underneath his feet....and off he went, down the street, out of sight.

I think:

1) Maniac Magee

2) Thank GOD the frail elderly ladies that normally cross the street were not crossing at the same time, for they would have been taken DOWN by his whirlwind.

3) This boy has more energy than he knows what to do with

4) The potential of that energy in DANCE CLASS is off the charts!  I'd love to help him channel it into focused art!

5) I wonder what that energy looks like in the classroom! 

And then I realize...I already know.

Best thing about Hawai'i?  FRESH MANGOES!!!

CSA Hooray!

In our hankering for a fresh summer, we joined a Community Supported Agrigulture (CSA).  CSAs provide a box of prodcue straight from the local farmer, ensuring that the vegetables are of upmost nutritional quality, and supporting the local economy! 

We didn't know what to expect, but upon picking up our first CSA box about an hour ago, this vegetarian has NEVER been more excited! LOTS of salad greens, tomatoes, eggplant, mango, kale, swiss chard....oh my!  We couldn't have bought half of this from the grocery for what we paid for a weekly box. 

I also love that someone else chooses the vegetables for us.  If I were to pick veggies, I would pick what I am comfortable with cooking.  Now, I'm learning to cook kale and swiss chard!  Plus, even though we love eggplant and mangos, we never buy them because they're expensive! AND someone else has done my shopping for me!  How about that!

All around, all positives! 
The picture above is of the loot from our first box...

Best thing about Hawai'i?  Most vegetables are in season year-round!

Summer!!!

Summer's here! With summer comes a flurry of emotions: excitement for all of the possibilities of summer adventures, sadness to see my first class of students graduate, relief that I have free time on my hands, grief that I am taking 3 summer school courses, and the list goes on. Here are some pics from the last few weeks of my life!

Ducks on the school ground on the day of graduation

Bell pepper embryos...hahaha...I found them inside my bell pepper and thought they were cool

Graduation!  Our kiddos graduated!

Getting ready for our 1st annual end of the year hike!

Floating in the air! 

The view from the top

The crew! We made it to the top!

Can you see the hikers?

Picnic at the end of the hike

Dia de el Mayo

May Day is a fantastically huge event here in Hawai'i.  Although I've lived here for 5 years, today was my first May Day experience.  Here are photos from the event at my new school.

 

Conch shell blowers

   

Line-up by of royalty by island

 

The royal court 

  

The whole court

Kindergarten hula1st grade hula2nd grade hula4th grade hulaMaypoles!5th grade Maypoles!

The result of the maypole dance..beautiful weave

6th grade girls' hula

The Queen's hula

Awesome thing about Hawai'i?  Flower leis!

Aloha

Tonight I say aloha to one of my childhood friends.  She was killed in a car accident today in Albuquerque.  We haven't spoken in many years, although not out of malice.  We grew up together, sharing many a dance stage.  Today a man chose to rob a bank and speed away, hitting her car and killing her and her friend in the car.  She was out on a lunch run; just picking up lunch for her coworker...a normal, every-day event. 

Many, many emotions have overcome me.  First of all, life is too short (as cliche as that may sound) to not move forward in the directions of your dreams.  WHAT are we waiting for?  A long life is not guaranteed...

Second, America is sad.  People are in such states of desperation due to drug abuse, failed economy, etc that they are making decisions to do things like robbing banks and burglarizing homes.  And with what to show for it??   Words need not describe...

The other night I had the worst nightmare dream that I have ever had.  I dreamt that my brothers died.  In my dream we were not old, we were as we are now.  I woke up with the worst feeling...It was like my heart no longer existed.  I wanted so badly to hug them and I wondered why I don't call them every day just to tell them that I love them.  It made me so sad to live so far away from them.

I wonder...why do we hold grudges?  Why don't we live for the moment?  Why does it take such a tragedy to recognize what is important in our lives?  Have we conditioned ourselves with busy work past the point of reflection? 

May we all start to live with an awareness of life...of what it is today...right now...at this moment.

I am heartbroken, sad, sentimental...

 Here we are as kids...my friend who passed away is to my left...I'm sure you can find me...the smallest, scrawniest kid...