Circus Day!

Wednesday July 1, 2009

I am so exhausted. I didn’t remember how much non ceasing energy children have, especially when they are around their friends!

I got to work this morning at 8 and had just enough time to check my e-mail before I went to start setting up for the School Holiday Program themed Circus Day. I lead a balloon station where the children filled balloons with flour and then had balloon animals and/or hats made for them.

The children started arriving at 9:30. We had 60 children in attendance, all under the age of 10. It was a crazy place to be! My first rotation was stressful. I didn’t have any long skinny balloons made up to make animals out of, so I rushed and rushed and rushed trying to make them all for the children. By the time my next rotation came, I was ready. After the second rotation (each rotation had 20 children in them) I looked down at my hands and my left pointer finger and thumb had turned a blackish/blue color. I didn’t think that was a good sign so I called over another leader and asked them to help me finish tying up balloons for the last group. For the whole day, I tied and made give or take 240 long skinny balloons. No wonder my hands were so tired. I can’t imagine being a clown having to blow up and tie all those balloons at a fair or concert! And my goodness those kids are like little bugs going at a picnic feast. They all charged over to the balloons and were yelling out what they wanted all at the same time! Like it didn’t feel as though they had any sense of taking turns or waiting their turn.

The flour balloon station went well. I had the other leaders teach and take care of that. I was left with the balloon animals, which went pretty well except for my hands. We will see how they fair tomorrow.

For lunch we had pizza and hotdogs. Nothing else. It seams like some Australians, and its probably similar to some Americans, do not have any side dishes with their main course. So if you were to have chicken, you may have a roll, but that’s all. No veggie side or fruit side, just the chicken and a roll. So for lunch today we had pizza and hotdogs. No chips or fruit. I am not saying all Australians do that, but maybe that is just how I was brought up - To have at least one side with your meal.

After lunch the children rotated through different stations. The first group did some circus games and the second group worked with a “Little Devils” circus group. After an hour they switched. My job during that rotation was to work a circus games. I was put in charge of the bowling game. The child had to hit some pins with a ball. Personally, I think my station was the hardest. The other stations were a bean bag toss through a clown’s mouth, a fishing game that had the words “winner” or “try again” on the back, a lucky number game where kids had to draw a number and if their number was on the board they got a prize and a free prize station. Anywho, I did have a fun time and it was great to see the kids having fun. One really fun part was hearing the kids say “here” when we did role call. Here in Australia, with their accent, their “here” sounds like “he-ya.” Say that out loud a few times and you’ll hear how fun it sounds.

As the children were leaving, my thumb got scratched or something and started bleeding. I wrapped it in a paper towel, but it kept bleeding and bleeding and bleeding. I don’t know why. I was getting blood all over my hands and everything. So I went to get a band aid. I am ok now.

I was given these little tube like things called jelly sticks. Basically its jello in a horizontal stick wrapper. Its like go-gurt, but with jello. I tried some of it, and there is something weird to me about sucking jello into your mouth like through a straw. The flavor wasn’t very favorable either.

Jeff and I came home about 4:30. It was good to be out of the church into some peace and quiet. For dinner we had chicken and mashed potatoes and peas (see, not everyone has only the main course!). It was a very yummy dinner and one that I was really looking forward to. We watched the news and then a show called ScrapHeap. I then came to my room, I needed some alone time, to write and read and work.

I am sorry you won’t be getting these journals until next week. Its hard not having internet being totally accessible. If you have internet at a cheap cost in your house, you are very blessed. Tomorrow I am going to the MCG where I went for my footy game. Thankfully this time Three leaders will be in charge of around 10-15 children. It will be an all day thing, but it will, hopefully, not be as chaotic.