When The Students Are Away...

This has become a summer tradition for Dan and I:

 


After the guys head to bed at night and leave for summer school and work in the morning we sit down and play a few rounds of Dutch Blitz. So far I'm up 6 games to 2. (If I did hastags they would be: hekeepstrying; winnerwinnerchickendinner; dutchblitz; morningritual; whenthestudentsareawaythehouseparentsplay; practiceforthegameswiththegirlsinthefall; solongasIkeepwinning; janaewinsmostgamesweplay hesagoodsport)

Everything's a Competition

This summer we have a house of 8 active high school boys. We made that choice last August before we knew we would be placed with girls. It's been fun, especially for me! The guys will come ask me for various household supplies and I get to defer them to Dan since they are kept in a locked closet in the bathroom. It's been a much better division of labor.

It's also been fun to find creative ways to determine who does various chores in the house. Once night Dan challenged the boys to a game of knock-out (aka lightening) to decide who had to clean up the snack. Out they went to practice their shots. About 20 minutes later I joined them to watch for a bit. It was fun to hear them cheering each other on; "Come on, Mr. you can get him out!" "Hurry!" "Mr. are you out already?"

The beauty of this is that once they all start playing, they will continue to play for 45 minutes or so and they end up tired and ready for bed!

Another time the competition was Tenzi but this time it was for the house chores.

The chores were all ranked from easiest to hardest and the 1st person to the the designated number received that chore. The competition was fierce as most of them wanted an easy chore. Then they willingly headed off to accomplish their chores.

We haven't gotten to eating competitions yet, and hopefully we won't ever get to those.

I Hate It When That Happens!

Just one piece and the border would be complete!

Time to hunt through all 55 million other pieces to find the 1...grrrr....

Keeping Track

In September, we had an assignment change at work. Instead of being substitutes for 60 Senior Division student homes, we are now assigned to Flex (or substitute) with the same four female student homes. We work 12 days then are off 3. We start at our 'A' home at 2:00 pm and transition to our 'B' home at 2:00 pm three days later, then at 2:00 three days after that to our 'C' home and then onto our 'D' home. We then enjoy our three days off until we start the rotation again.

The change from 12-2 to 12-3 was confusing for us at first and very difficult for others to follow. To keep it straight, I used a school calendar colored our days at each student home and off a different color.

Now that we've been at this for several months, we have it figured out fairly well and don't have to think too hard which home we go to when.

With the assignment change, the number of students we could work with has dropped from about 700 to 48. It may still seem like a lot, but 48 is much more manageable, and we are developing closer relationships with each student. We love our girls and have had a great time getting to know them better and sharing in their activities.

Mailbox vs Sentra

When backing up to check the mail at the student home...

...because you drove past it on the way into the driveway, use caution otherwise it can be extremely hazardous TO YOUR CAR!!! 

Ok, not so bad; I can live with that.

Yeah, not so much with that!

Yes, the all metal mailbox is just fine. It was leaning a little but a slight push and pressing down on the dirt around it was all the repair needed. Our car on the other hand...it'll be going to the hospital in the near future.

So if you see Dan walking everywhere, just know he still isn't allowed to drive the car. I suppose it's a good thing I love him more than my car.

(Yes,I know that I'm behind. Planning to come at the updates from both sides and meeting in the middle so it's not so maybe posts will happen sooner.)

Winding up the School Year

After Spring Break ended it was back to work for us. We picked up our assignments and kept rotating around campus. We did our best to make the most of the warmer temperatures and longer amounts of sunshine.

May and June finished up with some random things. We made another trek into Harrisburg for the National Step Competition. Some of the Houses we joined last year were here again. We took a home who hadn't been before. It was another adventure. If we go again, we need to bring sack meals. It's a long night and the performances just get better as the night goes on. We left early since the girls we were with didn't believe us when we said it would be long & they needed to eat a big meal before we left at 3:00.

When we returned from the competition the power was out all over town. Our badges didn't let us into the student home; thank goodness for security having master keys that let us in. We gathered flashlights and made the best of the time playing games, visiting, and laughing together until Dan and I finally sent the girls to bed.

Dan's Birthday was approaching so we opted to celebrate a little early on our time off. We were going to head to Texas Roadhouse when Dan decided he would rather somewhere else for his birthday dinner:

Not my favorite but Dan was happy.

He opened his gifts a couple days apart, before we went back to work (on his birthday) and a few days after when the final gifts arrived from an on-line order.

This year we had several girls performing in the Spring Dance Recital so we made sure to go support them. They had been working all year for this concert and they did well! We recognized several faces on the stage and in the crowd; always a bonus to our time at a campus activity.

A couple days after that it was "National Doughnut Day." Dan took some of the boys to the outlet mall and then to Dunkin' Doughnuts for a true celebration. I made sure not to miss out on the fun when I was out and about myself.

Something to Shoot For!

I didn't realize that...

...has so many locations:

Hmmmm...I wonder if our discount works at all the locations? And, how hard will I have to beg Dan to visit all of them and find out? Future break itineraries!

Backing Up and Bringing it Forward

Even though it will be out of chronological order with my previous posts, I'm going to back up to January and move forward to more current information.

End of January:

Winter blahs set in about January 6th. It was a long, cold, snowy, and hard winter this year. Many people said it was very atypical; colder and more snow fell than this area has experienced in about 30 years. When we came in and heard that the winters were mild and not much snow we were thrilled. Now we think they might have lied to us to get us to accept the job and move here. That or moving and getting record breaking winters is a Broadbent curse. (That happened our first couple winters in Illinois; coldest on record and most snow on record.)

Regardless, we survived and even managed to get out to a few school boys' and girls' basketball games; in between school cancellations, game reschedules, and late starts for school.

Girl's JV Game at the half.

Same girl's game final score.

  

 
Despite only making it to a few games, we enjoyed watching the teams play and cheering them on; no matter the score. Another fun aspect was seeing so many of the students we've met by visiting their homes. As of today we've been in 41 Senior Division homes and 2 Middle Division homes with an average of 11 students in the homes, that's a good portion of the school's population!

Most of the student homes we've been in have intercom systems. Some homes use them all the time and others not very much. Majority of the student homes had some remodeling done within the last decade; however, once in awhile we have been in a home that's soon to be remodeled with older intercom systems--ones that would be straight out of the Brady Bunch:

It even has a cassette tape player! Now THAT's Old School.

February:

Sometime in the fall we saw that Kristin Chenoweth was giving a concert in Lancaster, PA. We decided to splurge and purchase tickets. Since it was a weeknight, we took the evening off and headed the 30 minutes or so away to get some dinner and then attend her concert.

Such a special night deserves...McDonald's?!?!

The concert was FABULOUS! It was wonderful to be in the audience while she performed. She was very touched by the reception she received from the audience. Her family had lived in the Lancaster area and so she felt that she was coming home. Her concert was 90 minutes with no intermission. We would have gladly listened to her for another 90 minutes with or without an intermission! Listening to a singer who is also an actor makes a huge difference; she became the character she was singing for. Such a marvelous night!

The day before the concert we were covering a boy's student home. That morning Dan headed out to scrape off and start the student van for me so I could take the boys to school and he could head to his doctor's appointment. It wasn't a big deal except that day we had a late start that was quickly creeping upon Dan's previously scheduled appointment to follow up on his back.

He'd been outside for a little while but I wasn't too concerned. When he came it he didn't look ok & told me he'd slipped on the ice and hurt his knee. He headed off to his appointment and I took the boys to school then tried to get chores checked and such before he returned from his appointment. We then went over to the worker's compensation doctor's office to have his knee checked and found out he sprained his knee and couldn't work. He walked out of the appointment with a crutch!

Having watched some others from our training group and other houseparents fly solo because of spouse's being injured, having a baby, or surgery, I wasn't thrilled by the prospects of me flying solo. Thankfully he was out only 4 weeks and I survived the time ok. It was strange to work without my spouse for that time. We had been together all the time and to suddenly not have him with me was odd. I even went to a couple student homes he's never been to which is strange too. But we survived and are stronger because of it. (Yea, whatever.)

We've seen the following on bookshelves in more than one student home:

Whenever we see it, it just puts a smile on our faces. We can't proselytize but we look for this wherever we go.

Before Dan returned to work there was a large drug bust on campus. When the Home Live Administrators learn about drugs on campus, some of the students might be immediately terminated from the school (if they are selling or the middleman). Those who use or purchase might be spared expelling but they are on detention. The Home Life Administrators will often go search a room to try and find the contraband items. One of the homes I was helping had a student who's room was searched. This is what it looked like when the adults finished searching for the drugs:

Hopefully that left no doubt that the administration doesn't take drug use lightly. The student had to clean everything up. Lucky for him, he turned in all he had and wasn't hiding any in his room. Some other students weren't so lucky. Wish we could say it's the last we'll have of that problem, but we're not living in a perfect society.

And with that, I think I'm up to March!

Trust is Important in ALL Relationships

After seeing the following, a student came to us saying his computer had "trust issues:"

We thought it was a very clever description of the error message.


P.S. I'm trying to enter posts as close to chronologically as I can so scroll down, there might be one or two older ones I just posted.

Adventures in Shadowing

Our new jobs have been an education in so many ways. We've had to readjust our cooking skills, (now cooking for 14 instead of 2), discover the skills needed to run a house of 12 students who are rarely related to each other, learn how to create a chore program so the home is cleaned regularly and thoroughly, learn new names and faces, adapt to various dialects, become CPR certified, know how to drive 22-foot vans, know and uphold the consistent expectations for students and houseparents, etc. In addition to the required topics, we've learned about the area and what teens here like to do for fun.

Now that our classroom training is finished, we spend much of our time shadowing other houseparents. We go into their homes and observe how they run their homes. We take what we like and don't like and then keep track of it until we are assigned to our own home. Then we will incorporate it into our routine and hope for the best.

When we shadow, we will do everything the student home is doing. If they are going to dinner, we go with them. If they are watching a movie at home, we join in. If they are meeting up with other homes for a bbq, we get to join in the fun.

The first weekend we shadowed was Memorial Day weekend. Since the students didn't have school on Monday, many took the opportunity to enjoy some time with their families. That first home had only 4 students there and one went on a day visit with family (off with family for the day but not staying the night). One of the things the houseparents planned for the weekend was to attend a High School Step Competition in Harrisburg. Stepping was part of our learning process too.

We described Stepping to some family and friends as a combination of drill team, marching band (without instruments), and cheer. Wikipedia (a super reliable source...I know) defines step this way:

"Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance in which the participant's entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps. Though stepping may be performed by an individual, it is generally performed by groups of three or more, often in arrangements that resemble military formations.
"Stepping may also draw from elements of gymnastics, break dance, tap dance, march, or African and Caribbean dance, or include semi-dangerous stunts as a part of individual routines. The speed of the step depends on the beat and rhythm the performer wants it to sound. Some forms of stepping include the use of props, such as canes, rhythm sticks and/or fire and blindfolds.
"The tradition of stepping is rooted within the competitive schoolyard song and dance rituals practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, beginning in the mid-1900s"

A new competition to the two of us transplanted from Idaho:

Our visits also included some mini-golf & pizza to welcome upcoming 9th graders, dropping students off at Hershey Park (almost every weekend), celebrating birthdays with the students, being there for prom, and witnessing the Walk of Shame:

Yes, those are female & MALE students getting the boys dolled up!

Thank heavens for HouseMoms who can tuck in the hanger straps for boys who think they are spaghetti straps. One of the boys put on his strapless gown backwards; my biggest complaint was that the school didn't warn us about the hazard we discovered that night, cheeks hurting from laughing and smiling so much.

 

The Walk of Shame is with one student home. The boys take a bet with their housemom that she will spray them with the kitchen sink hose unexpectedly. If they get sprayed, they walk down their lane dressed in prom dresses and heals-after getting their nails, makeup and hair done by the girls next door-and other student homes come watch the fun. If they don't get sprayed, she buys them a quart of Rita's. This year there were three lovelies. We were present at the girls' home when the call came that they'd have 3 to make up and then we were present for the walk.

 

Dan, and another Flex-Houseparent from our training group, decided to add their own touch to the parade:

 

 

During the summer we commandeered a student home. That means for three weeks during the summer, we were in charge. Scary, I know! The regular houseparents were on vacation and we took over 100%. It was a good taste of what the job will entail when we are assigned our own home.

Between the guys' work & school schedule (some were there for summer school) we tried to fill the time with other fun activities. There was pool games, a 4-on-4 basketball game, pool, puzzles, bowling, a few rounds of spoons, July 4th fireworks, pool, secret service to another student home, pool, a concert by the US Army Field Band Jazz Ensemble, did I mention games of pool?

Commandeering added more experience and education to our belts. We're looking forward to all that's in store for us as we continue to shadow and cover other student homes.

A Funeral, New Do, and Amazingly Quick Trip

So much has happened in the last couple weeks and there's lots to update therefore the need to recap quickly is important. The sooner I update and catch up, the sooner I can move forward, just keep that in mind and keep it simple.

On February 26, 2013 Dan's Uncle Harold passed away. He was the last sibling of Dan's dad still living. The other siblings all died between the ages of 60-70 and Uncle Harold lived to 82! It was great to meet him a few times and hear his crazy stories and funny one-liners. We will miss you but we know you have had a wonderful reunion with family and friends he's not seen for years.

The last time I had my hair done I asked my hair dresser to style it some way we've not done before. This is what I ended up with:

It was fun and I felt like a million bucks. Too bad I won't be able to replicate it. After pulling all these bobby pins out I wasn't surprised that I'd started to have a headache.

 

Dan's previous post gave basics of the interview process for our new job. When we flew out we had a layover at O'Hare airport. It was fun to be back "home" even if it was for a few hours.

 

 

 As we flew I took some pictures from the plane:

Chicago from the air.

 

Our potential new landscape.

 

We arrived at the student home a little after 5:00 pm and the interview process began. We stayed in the student home in a hotel-like room over night and the next day had a tour of the campus. We were also interviewed by a couple employees and signed a preliminary offer letter. With just a few hours remaining before our return flight, we visited Chocolate World before heading back to the airport. A little of what we saw and did with the few hours we had to ourselves:

Downtown Hummelstown, Dan leaving a note for our host family, Hershey's Chocolate World, the middle school on the hill, the student house we stayed in, and the landscape around the student home.

It was a quick trip but we still enjoyed ourselves.

 

Here is where I'll end for tonight. Remaining to blog (packing, drive east, new job).

 

Why?

Because for some reason we need to have a sixth address in our 2 ½ years of marriage...

When we moved to Kennewick, WA we suspected that our time would be temporary. As the months came and went, Kennewick began to feel more like home. It was a tough move in so many ways and full of challenges we couldn't foresee and don't want to experience again. Yet through all that, as I type this I ponder on the things that brought us joy in Kennewick. Despite the challenges, it was the right experience and place for us for that time in our lives.

So as our lease ended in February and we continued renting month-to-month until April because we knew a move was happening. We'd felt for some time that the time to relocate was coming and that Boise would be the next place for us to call home. Dan began his job search in Boise and after his work ended with Biomat he spent part of a week looking for work and finding us a place to live. I kept busy finishing up my time at both of my jobs and even had the chance to teach seminary one more time before we moved.

While Dan was in Boise that first week he had a great interview and was very excited about the opportunities presented by the company. He then proceeded to find a house for us to rent. He returned to Kennewick excited about what was coming next and looking forward to our new opportunities. If only life were that easy...

Dan was to hear something from that job on Friday. Friday came and went and no call came. The next week Dan called to follow up and left a message with the individual he'd interviewed with. We stayed in contact with the rental agent for the house we wanted and were working with her on the lease. A few days passed and still no call from the potential employer. We let the house go and continued looking for work while not completely letting go of the job possibility.

After several days, Dan tried calling the secretary who'd scheduled his interview. No answer there and then we began to realize this job wasn't going to pan out after all. Now the panic began to return. I'd given notice at my jobs to leave within a few days and neither of us had any employment after that. With uncertainty and faith we went ahead with our plans to move.

Dan left for Boise on Tuesday and I followed on Friday. We stayed with his brother & sister-in-law and their children when we first arrived. Then began the frantic search for employment and a place to live. Right after arriving, we received counsel to find housing so we put aside the job hunt for a couple days and searched for someplace for us to live. Thankfully we found an apartment within a short time frame but the manager was going on vacation and we wouldn't be able to move in for another 10 days or so. We discussed this with Andy and Angela and thankfully it worked out ok that we could stay with them longer than we first thought.

After our wait we submitted our application as soon as we could and then we waited the couple additional days to be sure we'd get the place. Yea, our application was accepted and we now had a place to move into. The day we signed our lease we unloaded a few carloads of our things and started the moving process.

The dreams of a house larger than what we left in Kennewick have faded as we are trying to settle into our 900 sq ft apartment. Finding locations for all 1200 sq ft of stuff is very challenging but we're making progress and being creative (our bed and the spare bed are on 5" risers so we can store boxes under the beds).

No, I haven't forgotten to mention our employment, that's still pending. We are looking and keep looking since our small savings will be depleted soon. Hopefully that will be another blog update in the VERY near future.

Stay tuned as our adventure continues...

I've Now Protested, Have You?

Another playoff game = another post....

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since one of my jobs (I only had 3 when I left Kennewick) was at Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery I became involved in some protesting of sorts. To kick off the month the community and private agencies that work with victims of abuse held a Circle of Caring at a city park. We came in our blue shirts and brought our posters. The event was held in the early evening as people were heading home from work. We spread out on either side of the street to hold our signs. It was all about raising awareness.

Here is where anyone there indicates they knows someone who has been a victim of abuse:

Then each Monday in April is designated as Blue Monday so out came my Child Abuse Prevention shirt. Also, one of my jobs was to find volunteers to hold signs at a busy intersection during the morning commute on Mondays. It was a challenge and I was successful in finding people to help me 3 of 4 Mondays.

It was touching to think of the kiddos I help as I held our signs. Even more touching than that is that our kids on Wednesdays and Thursdays helped make our signs. (The handprints are of the kids in the Wednesday class plus they glued the signs and phrases onto the poster board.) I them proudly held them each time in honor of all the children in my life.