Functional dysfuncctional kids

At least that's what I think a fellow tutor of mine called my kids. I have 8 boys that range from 10-11 and one girl. They are great kids, and are all very talented....seperately. Together though they bring out the worst in each other. I lost my voice either by talking too much or yelling, and not yelling mean things, just yelling like "hey kids, we are going inside." My kids feel bad for me. My host mother offered to take me to the hospital. No mom, it is ok. I always lose my voice when I talk too much. People like me better this way. My fellow tutor said the same thing today as he bought me a slushie.

My week so far has been a roller coaster. Personally, I felt like Monday could have been stronger so I can prepare better for the next camp. I have a bike that I ride to school. It is a very 80s bike with the bright colors. The pedal fell off....not a good start. Monday was also my host mom's birthday. I went looking for flowers and only found a grocery store open where I bought a potted plant of purple flowers. The WHOLE exteneded family came over and she showed all of them. It was quite sweet. Also, they all tried to speak English to me and fatten me up more. How do you tell an Italian enough is enough or no means no? YOU CAN'T! I watched most of the Italian/Ireland game with them until I got so sleepy I almost feel asleep on the couch. It started at 9! Who does that?

Also, I never thought my screen writing class would pay off. At the end of each week, we have to perform a show for the parents of the English that the kids learned or know. We are doing Sherlock Holmes. Upon introducing myself I mentioned that I loved Sherlock Holmes and was reading the stories. When I asked what they wanted to do, the discussion lasted half a minute-Sherlock Holmes? Yes, si si, Sherlock Holmes. Conversation over. I have one kid, very smart, his Engish is good and everyone looks to him to translate. He stresses out with the small details but he helped me write the basic plot of our script. Another kid has ADD. I've had people tell me "I have ADD" or "so and so has ADD" but never believed it because if you put those kids in a situation they are interested in or want to be, they will be attentive. I recognized that. But this kid, is my ADD kid. Adorable, simply adorable. I call him my artist. He has a protractor and ruler and made a cardboard safe that looks amazing in just an hour. However, for him, that was a big deal and if he is not doing anything artsy, he has an incredile hard time focusing. I have the class clown, and the heartbraker, I also have some of the sweetest boys that I will probably ever meet too. Seperately, they are all adorable, but together they feed off each other and are the best kind of crazy imaginable.

Tuesday, I got a bike upgrade! Two baskets to carry my stuff. Awesome! So...I have one kid who has one arm. He lost one in an accident when he was little. He put his arm in a meat grinder and...you know the rest. Oh back story, last year, the camp had a big issue cause one kid broke his arm and there wasn't anyone watching him so insurance was involved and the camp got in trouble. So they stressed that we needed to be viligant. So of course, my student with the one arm, has his hand flat on the floor as another kid walks by and steps on the back of his palm. Oh might I add that this is also the class clown so I thought he was joing when he told me he couldn't close his hand into a fist. The guy that stepped on him, starts crying thinking that he broke this kids only good hand and had this tremendouse burden of guilt. My injured student went to the emergency room and was late to school today. I started freaking out like "oh my God they pulled him out." No they didn't. He was fine, a little tender and a little sprained but A-OK. I was so relieved that he was ok.

Today was better. And tomorrow we play water games. I cannot wait. It is in the 80s here with 50% humidity. No that is not horrible but I am a California girl, not only that, a Southern California girl....humidity is bad. I am sweating in places I didn't know I could. And not only that, the school grounds are dusty so its like a layer of sweat and dust on me and I feel muddy with a layer of dirt crusting on me. Its really gross.

On that note, I leave you. Leave a comment!