Pumpkins

This morning as I woke up, I had visions, well flashbacks really, of Kenya. I saw the red dirt road Shurie and I took from the market to school. I saw the school field, Mama Shiro and Mama Kenju at the gate. I felt the floor of my apartment under my feet, cold and dusty. I heard the rooster and I heard Jane washing her clothes.

After the flashbacks stopped, I realized that I hadn't allowed myself to remember Kenya since I'd come home. That is a weird feeling.

On a different note, about a month ago I became a Girl Scout troop leader. The program I'm in targets underserved girls who couldn't otherwise be Girl Scouts. Working with them reminds me so much of my time with Kathy in Kenya...It is wonderful to be able to do what we love.

Last week I joined the Kindergardeners on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. In Girl Scouts the day before, we had a pumpkin exploration station where the girls got to feel, smell and dissect an ooey-gooey pumpkin. Most of them hated the goop, but enjoyed counting the seeds anyways.

The next day we loaded onto the bus. I had the honor of sitting beside a very talkative girl. She told me all about everything, really...her favorite food, her favorite animals, her brother, her parents...she described her bed to me in great detail, claiming it was as big as the school bus. And when we saw a horse in a field, she screamed!!! Horses were one of her favorites.

At the pumpkin patch, there were all sorts of farm animals for the kids to see. As we walked up to the chicken coop, one of the girls starting strutting like one, saying "bak-bak-bak-bak-baaaaaak" over and over and over again. The chickens must have understood her language because they all stopped where they were, staring silently at one another. The kids erupted with laughter at this sight -- ten chickens just standing there, not making a noise or moving a muscle! The poor tour guide couldn't get the kids to listen to her speech about eggs. I guess it just wasn't nearly as interesting as the chicken town meeting!

All of the kids were allowed to pick out their own pumpkins to take home with them. That sure made for an interesting bus ride home. ("Don't you toss your pumpkin in the air like that!" Miss Rachel said with a look of fear on her face.)

So again, I am doing what I love. I am playing with kids, helping them to gain confidence and realize that they are smart, creative and capable. And that's a pretty cool job.