Wait and hurry up

I've thought about posting several times over the last week, but for some reason couldn't get logged into blogger. So that's why you've been looking at that cute picture of Caleb for so long.

Well...life is going to get much crazier starting now. Officially, I've been "at work" for the American School all month, but we really only got together for a few meetings until the container finally arrived last Tuesday afternoon. Followed on Wednesday evening by the arrival of the new director. Now that we are actually on site at the school, the finishing touches on the construction seem to be getting done. So now we are in a rush to get ready for school to open on Wed. the 26th. Caleb and Jared are more than ready - not only are they bored, but I've been gone more this month than usual and they've had a few more hours than usual on their own.

This is going to be a challenge: 4 grades - 5th through 8th. At least 3 different nationalities, some kids who've been in school in other languages (French, Arabic). Probably 11 students. I'm exploring some whole new ideas (for me) for teaching to make the multigrade classroom work in some of our subject areas -- more group work, more projects, more independent study. Interestingly, I think my few years of homeschooling are going to help me a lot, since it is the original multigrade classroom.... but I am wondering how many more students I could absorb.

Rick is in Greenville, Sinoe County helping Naomi Olson get settled into her position as nurse matron and trainer as a part of the ELWA hospital outreach project. We're please to have her back in Liberia though she will be in Greenville much of the time. She developed a special interest in the project in Sinoe when she was here in 2006, so when the job become available, she was pretty quick to volunteer.

I'll take some pictures this week and post them so you can see where the boys and I will be spending our days for the next few months. It is really exciting to be a part of this- it means a lot to the international community here in Liberia.

Astro Jacks

I’ve never posted on a blog before so I could be a bit too bland...

Astro Jacks are basically a string with one ball attached to each end and one free ball in the middle. So first you start moving one of the balls on the side up and down. Then the free middle ball (which I’m holding in the picture)stays in one place while the other ball spins around it.Well, I like Astro Jacks because when you move your hand up it makes the orbiting ball go farther away from the ball its orbiting. And its soo awesome how they are so unpredictable!!!
--Caleb--