Those cookies don't look very good

Today was our last religious education class so I decided to bring in some special treats for the kids. Having witnessed the effects of cupcakes, brownies, oreos and pop on small children, I decided to go with a healthier but hopefully equally tasty menu.

Well...the homemade blueberry muffins and home popped popcorn went over well but I thought I would share this gem in regard to my fresh out of the oven honey bee cookies (that I should mention I LOVED when I was a child).

Chris: Um Ms. Kate, I don't like these cookies
Brian: Oh man, I took 3 of them!
Andrew: Oh oh! Ms. Kate!!! (frantically waving his hand)
Kate: Yes Andrew
Andrew: Ms. Kate, I didn't take any of those cookies because I came in and looked at those cookies and thought "Those cookies don't look very good!"

I love first graders, where else can you get that kind of honesty? :)

Two conversations too good not to post

(These conversations were from two different but equally cute little boys that I babysit for)

K: O.k. let's pick a book out before bed, how about "If you give a moose a muffin"
A: Um Kate can we please not read that
K: Sure, but why not?
A: If we read that book I am really going to want a muffin

Conversation 2
K: O.k. its time for bath
M: Umm Kate, I really don't like my bellybutton. Actually I don't like all bellybuttons.
K: Why is that?
M: They are too distracting.
(distracting from what, I do not know)

Some of my favorite things

Last night I went to a talk held by a local university. It involved two of my favorite things:

1. Ending malnutrition in children in developing countries

2. Peanut Butter

Don't think those two go together? Project Peanut Butter does. Dr. Mark Manary, Pediatrician, teacher, and founder of Project Peanut Butter gave the speech last night. As someone who worked with malnourished children in India, I was intrigued by his research and innovative solutions to solving severe malnutrition. It started with a simple study to see if severely malnourished kids could recover at home (instead of in the community health centers or hospitals) with a peanut butter RTUF (ready to use food) that had extra vitamins and minerals and some sugar to make it taste good! After discovering that this supplement worked and worked better than previous supplements, Dr. Manary went about finding ways to use local ingredients and to produce this peanut butter locally. And he did! It was a very hopeful story, a beautiful blend of assessing a problem, finding a solution, and making that solution sustainable (both culturally, financially, and environmentally).

Dr. Manary was very knowledgeable individual and he talked about the difference in malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa and in India. In Africa, the problem is a lack of food which is different from India, where cultural beliefs about food are the root cause of malnutrition in children. The talk just illustrates how important it is to know the culture and situation you are going to serve. What I liked most about Dr. Manary's talk was that he lives in Malawi, he lives in the villages, and it was through trial and error and careful observation of daily life in the village that Dr. Manary found what worked. Once he did, he worked to make sure that the food was culturally acceptable. Once he opened up the plant to make the food, he employed Malawians. He took an idea and gave it over and let the people of Malawi make it their own. I am really convinced that that is the only way to make sustainable change.

I could not figure out how to attach his website but just google Project Peanut Butter and you can learn more about it!

Here are some pictures of the kids I worked with while in India. I especially like the first one, I keep it on the cover of my binder to remind me why I am going into medicine.

Six is a good age to be

I love first graders...because they are still innocent, they still think learning is cool, and they will happily sing a new song about God and when the time comes they will clap with all their might and shout Amen (clap clap) Amen!

Today was Valentine's craft day in Religious Education so we wrote a Valentine to God. The best part of the day was when one six year old raised her hand and asked if God had heard our Valentine to Him. When I said yes her eyes got really wide and a big smile spread over her face. If I teach these children one thing I want them to know that God always loves them and He always listens to their prayers. No matter where they are. I think that sunk in today, at least with one student.

There is a special place in my heart for those first graders who just can not seem to focus on the lesson, who add to the spice of our class by intermittently interjecting things like "I once made a Valentine for a girl, actually it was yesterday,....it was because she was going somewhere...where was it, where was it? (muttering to himself)...oh yeah it was close to Illinois. A few minutes later he exclaimed "CANADA......SHE WAS GOING TO CANADA!" Life would be so boring without these sweet wonderful kids!

I pray that as my little first graders continue their educational journey they always cling to the excitement, joy, curiosity, and love that shines so clearly through their hearts. May they continue to write Valentine's to God long after February 14. May they come to know the God that loves them deeply and calls to them "Come, follow me."

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

Lloyd

Once again I was taught a new thing by a 7 year old.
Lloyd, the friendly golden lab decided that he was going to sneak a piece of Twin 2's pizza. Luckily I caught him and shoed him away while saying "Stop eating the pizza Lloyd."
Twin 2 looked up from his project and in a very matter of fact voice said:
"Kate, Lloyd is an animal. Actually he is a dog and dog's don't understand our language." He then resumed going about his project.
Who knew that after 4 years of college we still could learn something from first graders? :)

New skills

Last night I had the pleasure of sitting for two seven year old twin boys.

The highlight of the night had to be:

Twin 1: "Hey Kate, want to know how to get up off the floor with no arms?"

Me: Of course!

Twin 1 stuffs his arms into his pajama shirt and flops onto the floor

Twin 1: First you put your leg like this (demonstrates), then you move your other leg like this, and then you just get up like this (successfully pulls himself off the floor with...you guessed it no arms).

Me: Wow, who taught you that?

Twin 1 beaming with pride: I taught it to myself!

Other highlights included:

A rousing game of Twister

Hot Lava (jumping from blue foam square to blue foam square)

And a secret mission which ended with them getting (happily!) into their beds and going to sleep.

Success!