Finally saw this cuteness! The ending was silly, but the rest was predictably darling. We all know I'm in love with Zooey (all because of this, actually), but the flame for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, first kindled in Angels in the Outfield (a sigh from my eight-year-old self) is stronger than ever!
Then Sara and I sneaked into The Time Traveler's Wife, which was horrible and full of middle-aged women who hissed at us whenever we giggled.
Since the LA team taught us this simple multiplayer stealth game, our whole summer school - staff and students - have become obsessed. The object of the game is to avoid getting your hand slapped in one move or less. We've found the funnest way to play is in a big group on a moving subway! Here are Luke and James having a showdown in our apartment.
Try it at home! To start, everyone stands in a circle, facing inward, and bows as the chosen leader says, "Ninja." Immediately everyone springs into a ninja pose of their choosing. The player to the left of the leader begins the game by making one offensive move, trying to hit the hand of the player on either side of him. Whoever he attempts to hit must avoid the attack, only using one move. The remaining players must stay frozen until it's their turn or someone else tries to hit them. You're out if your hand is hit, you move more than once, or you move when it's not your turn (and you're not being attacked).
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Lately I've been having all kinds of adventures. I spend most of my days outside, tilling, planting, harvesting...tending trees and animals alike. I visit my neighbors regularly, helping out however I can. Sometimes I find myself in a strange alternate world where I'm a pale, eerie monk, openly delighted in the face of death. But normally I'm my cute pixelated self, always taking the time to smell the blooming flowersbell peppers.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Just spent 4+ hours on the phone with mi madre maravillosa. Sooo nice! I love her como loco. Aaand I'm working on my Spanish. Obvi.
Sorry about the brightness/blurriness! This is me with a beloved 2009 family. They're moving at the end of the summer, so I may not get a chance to see them again. Please pray for their transition and that they would remember everything they've learned at church and SAY Yes the past year. I'm really going to miss them!
After eating lunch on Central Park's gigantic rocks, the second group headed to Mobia while mine migrated to a nearby playground. Most of the staff congregated near the playground's center, keeping an eye on the kids from a distance and feeling leisurely.
Ashley writing a letter to her future husband (This was definitely a conversation starter!)
Chris had to interview two coworkers - me and Nicholas - for his homework this week.
Today we took our last field trip! It was another repeat from last year, and definitely a favorite. Half the kids played at Central Park while the other attended a workshop at the Museum of Biblical Art. We rejoined at lunch and switched activities in the afternoon.
My group went to the Museum first. There, they got to observe and discuss simple photography before each receiving their own digital camera. Then they were able to tour the busy neighborhood, snapping fifteen photographs of their choosing. After that, we returned to the museum, where they were able to meet individually with photographers to discuss their photos and choose the best to print off and take home.
This is another trip repeated from last summer. It's one of the more challenging - we have to get there early and stay under very specific size limits. Mostly, it's hard to get the kids, many of whom are still struggling with English, to understand the presentation portion. The kids are so thrilled to get the cameras, though, and it's always fun to see them grappling with them for the first time. Some kids show impressive talent we wouldn't otherwise see, and all of them enjoy the chance to make art of their choosing!
I don't usually watch TV (ours doesn't even get channels), but Luke dug up this box of '90s cartoons on VHS and they've been perfect for these consecutive sick days. Sonic, Arthur, Pokemon (original series), VeggieTales, Disney singalongs.... When I ran out of Arthur tapes, I started watching episodes on youtube. That's how I found this crazy guy:
As for movies, I’ve been rewatching a lot of classics (Roman Holiday, Double Indemnity). I watched a documentary on Danielson, his family, and Sufjan Stevens, which was pretty good I guess. Daniel Smith is sort of a genius and sort of a terrifying fanatic…which I guess we should all be, so, eh, I don’t know. I mean, he’s really cool but also really intense. Then…yeah, the only other thing I’ve watched is the E! True Hollywood Story of the Brady Bunch. Super boring. I’ve kind of exhausted the decent youtube movie options, though. ...And kids shows, and music videos, and TV classics, and K-dramas....
"Rainbow" is one of the kids favorite songs, and the lyrics are great: they're all about the way God kept His promise to Noah and keeps His promises to us!
