The Wall of Cards!

I just LOVE getting cards and mail! It makes me smile, it makes remember that people have not forgotten me and lets be honest, we ALL love getting mail (that is not bills!)

Every card I get I put on my mail in my spare bedroom! It gives the room some love and some color! I proudly say because of my AMAZING friends and family, I have about 80 cards on my wall! In ONE Year I have RECEIVED 80 cards! I find that breathtaking! It is not just about the card but the love behind each and every card on that wall!

Leap Frog!

My sister is LOVELY for many reason! One is she is out of this world mother, an incredible package sender, a marvelous support system to her younger sister, and this girl can find a DEAL!



For my birthday, I had ask her to get me some Leap Frog Dvds, for the computer! They are amazing learning tools. The one I had asked for is all based on letters and the sounds they make, a task I struggle with!



This past Tuesday was the test run for the DVDs! Man... did they pass with flying colors! The students were singing a long with the letters sounds and asking me to play the DVD over when it was finished! I am going to show them every other week and do other activities on the off weeks.

Swearing-In!

April 14th was a VERY exciting day for 10 incredible individuals! They became official volunteers! It the same event that took place for me about a year ago!

PS- Can you believe I have LESS then a year to go! Ok it is only about five days short of a year but still it is crazy to think!

I was honored to be there, see them take their Oath (A similar one to the President- all government workers have to take it!), then do a 'Radio Show' in Creole (the local language), and take them out to lunch after! It was such an amazing day and I am looking forward to getting to know them, seeing the wonderful work they are going to do! I feel like a proud Mom! This is a picture of the New Group!

Eastern Caribbean 81! They are the 81st group that has been sent to the Eastern Caribbean!

Glorious day are needed!

The only way to describe today would be simply Glorious! A day I need a day I have been longing for since around Easter. Since Easter I have been in a blah kind of mood, there was not a lot going on because of the Holiday, I was not seeing my students, and I felt like I was not getting a lot done. My schedule was re-arranged because of the new Peace Corps Volunteers and sessions they were having. There really are not a lot of things in my life right now that are constant (I am not saying that in a negative way), expect for my schedule. When my schedule was thrown off a little, this then threw me off a little. But I am back on track!

But anyways… today was Glorious! There is no other word to describe it! I enjoy my Mondays usually, it is the first day of the week, arts and craft with the students, and it is just a good day! But today, I had such a productive day, just what I needed to get me back up and going! I went to my worksite and we are waiting to see if a function is going to happen so there is not a whole lot going on for two individuals to be doing! I headed over to the Peace Corps office where I simply rocked out life! I had three forms to fill out and then I finally was able to print out some crafts/activities for the Library Camp that is happening this summer! I am enjoying organizing the camp but it was kind of a thorn in my side because it was half done for the longest time. But today, Week #1 COMPLETE!!! YaY! I was so excited, I put together a schedule, my friend is taking a look at it and then I am passing it on to the Library to see what they think! Now onto Week #2 which is about half done!

Before I knew it, it was time to head over to the after school program where I was greeted by all of my little ones and one of the telling me she misses me! It was sweet! We did some homework and then I was off to do arts and crafts! For crafts, I gave each student a paper ‘fish bowl’ and had they fill it up with all of their favorite animals found in a fish bowl. Then the students took different types of beans and popcorn kernels and glued them onto the bottom as rocks and what not! They turned out good! I was proud of them!

To top off the day, I found out I have two volleyball games this week! I think it is last two games of the season. It was a short season. I am not sure if they like a league playoffs, but we shall see!

Glorious Days are good for the soul! Keep you motivated and keeping one wanting more from life!

Birthday Fun!

Well a few days ago marked me starting the 24th year of my life. I do have to say the 23rd year was pretty amazing! I have had more adventures, more lesson learned, more experiences, and more personal growth in the last year then I have had in a life town. It was marked with moving into my own place, living by myself for the first time, living on an island that I was still trying to figure (to this day I am still trying to figure it out), starting a new job, and basically starting a new life for the next two years of my life.

If you would have asked me a year ago what I thought my past year was going to be like, in a million years I could not of every image the marvelous life I have lived. I would of never imagine that 7 strangers from 4 different states, with 7 unique personalities, would be become my family, the individuals that understood the full me, the ones I call when I want to quiet, and the ones I call to celebrate with me. These individuals will ALWAYS have a special and exceptional place in my heart. Nobody else will FULLY understand what we went through, the lifestyle we lived for the past two years.

You know, it feels goods to be 24 years. I feel wiser, I feel personally stronger, I know I have a better understand of who Michelle Nicole is! It is empowering and an up lifting experience for me. With the year I just had, I cannot wait to see what the next 360ish days have in store for me. Only God knows and I am excited to see the spectacular journey he is about to take me.

The actually Birthday, My Birthday was on a Thursday. Thursday are usually my favorite days but with school no in session they are not as exciting but because it was April 8th, the excitement grew. My self and Austin (PCV) did a presentation with the trainees about their budget and money and all of that good stuff. Then it was off to work for a little while. After work, I met back up with Austin to eat lunch and chat for a while. Once lunch was over, Alicia (PCV) met us in town to go and hang out until it was time to catch our buses back to ours homes. I was very excited to reach home knowing that I would be talking to my bestest that night! She is fantastic and I do not call her enough, she just brings so much joy to my life and makes my heart smile!



Friday! Five of the Seven PCVs (One is out of State and the other is with her Family!) all met up to hang out at the Beach all day long! It was great to take a Sun Bathe, Play in the Sea and just be surrounded around all of these amazing individuals. It was relaxing, it was fun, it was exactly what the doctor order to rejuvenate the spirit! Then once we came back to town, Austin’s landlord met us there and we hung out with some of the trainees that were still in town. Then it was time to head to my house for MEXICAN night! Again, it is something so easy to make but none of us eat it enough! Three other friends came up for dinner as well, I had just enough seating and plates! HaHa! Again, it was great to eat really good food, Beth and Alicia cook it all so I could chat with the company, and again just be surrounded around all of these individuals who cared about me and wanted to celebrate with me! It was a low key night filled with laughter, debate, and good conversation! A night I will not forget, a night that will always remind close to my heart as one of the best birthdays I have had! Yes, I missed my family and my friends back at home but Friday was filled with my ‘another’ family, my family who is on this journey with me!

‘There is a Party going on!’

The last day, naturally is the BEST day! Every camp I do must end in a BIG Whoo-Rah, this one was no different!

I was thinking back to my days as a student in Elementary School and how I would celebrate Easter and I did my best to recreate that moment! The students don’t get to camp on time, which is fine, but I hate to start an activity as people are still showing up. We spent the first half an hour or so just coloring some Easter pictures and chatting it up! Then the FUN will begin!



Before all of that, again there was another GLOURIOUS surprise! I thought I was going to be by myself which caused a little anxiety in my heart! I found out the night before as I was hard boiling 30 eggs, making about 3 dozen cookies, making a birthday cake, preparing the prizes for the hunt, and painting the ‘Easter grass,’ that a PCV could help me because her schedule cleared up! Amazing! Simply Amazing!

Where was I before that side bar! Yes, the FUN! We started off by dying Easter Eggs! Now, we did not have any fancy little kit, with fancy little tools to make the eggs look pretty but rather we had good old fancy tin containers, a little vinegar, rubber gloves and some food color! I did not let the students dye them in fear of the mess it might cause (Yes, I know I am NO FUN!)! About 5 out of the 25 students had dyed Easter eggs before so it was a big treat! They dyed their eggs then placed it in the ‘basket’ they had made the day before!



After that, I had the student split up into two groups, young and old because I did not want the older students to over take the younger students in the hunt! While the younger students were doing their hunt, the older students were playing ‘Bunny BINGO’ with the other PCV!



It was a RIOT to watch the excitement in the younger students’ (5-8 years) eyes as they were about to search for all of the eggs, it just warmed my heart! They all had to find three eggs and than a ‘special egg’ if they could find it! The special egg was the decorated eggs; with a special egg you got a special prize! Once the little ones were done with their hunt, they were precious, with many, ‘Miss Miss I found a special egg’ and ‘Miss can we keep our eggs!’ I softly told them, they would much rather trade their eggs in for what I had for them! The prizes, each student got a little thing of bubbles, a pack with a pencil with a neon pencil top eraser (thank you Grandma!), stickers (Thank You Mom!), a cookie, and a glow stick! (Thank You Dad!). If a student found a ‘special egg’ they received a box of crayons! (Thank You Family!) If the students said Thank You they got two extra sweets! I had made some real Kool Aid (Thank You Jennifer!)! Kool aid is EVERYWHERE on the Island, but it is a similar to a “Target Brand” and we all know, that Kool Aid brand is the best! I ask one of the younger students how the juice ones and she answers with a Kool Aid Smile “It is DELICOUS!’



Now it was time to switch! The older students (9-13) were just as excited to take on the hunt and win the prizes! But naturally, I messed up with Math a little and there were not enough eggs for the students to find! It was still as funny because they are running around trying to find the eggs and they have nowhere to be found! Mid-Way through I hide some more eggs so they could all find their three and a special one! One of the older students came up to me as I went out there and grabbed my hand and in pure desperation said “Miss, where are the Eggs! Help Me Miss!” My honest answer was, “I don’t know, I don’t remember where I put them!”



Overall, I could not have asked for a better camp! Round 2 of camps always goes better than round 1! I was more prepared and had the supplies! I had amazing help and the students just enjoyed the moments!

What topped of the day was, when of the young girls asked me when we were cleaning up, “Miss when is the Party?” I told her with a smile on my face, “we just had a 2 hour party hunny!’

Day Three!

Today was a GREAT day at the Library Arts and Craft Camp! We made preparations for Thursday, the BIG Easter Party Day! The day before I thought I was going to have my team of help back, but a last minute Peace Corps Training Assignment was placed on them so they had to work on it! But again to my surprise after returning from the other side of the Library, the Librarian said, ‘Your Friend is here!’ Boy, I was excited!



This day we made ‘baskets’ out of empty tin veggie containers for our hard boil eggs we were going to make the next day! I found a really simply way to make Bunny Face (Fold the paper in half, draw a ‘Capital B’ on it using the folded edge as your straight line, and then cute out the humps of the B!) Understand? I used that design again to make the face of the bunny from the students to decorate and then glue it onto the tin. Thank You Sara for the Colorful Paper that was used as the bunny’s face!




Like I said, to the students EVERY bunny has tail (even though one of the students said, No Miss, not every bunny has a tail because you can cut it off!), we glued on a cotton ball on the back of the tin! Just like we had a perfect ‘basket’ for the eggs they would decorate the next day! Thanks to some reinforcements of a good friend of mine, I got some shredded paper to use as “Easter Grass!”




After that craft was done, than it was time to decorate some paper bags, because we MUST have something to put the lovely plastic Easter Eggs we find tomorrow in! It was simple, each students got a bag and some stickers (Thank You again Joel and Sara!), to freely decorate! Before I knew it, it was time to go home and prepare for the next day of fun!

Re-Enforcements called in for MORE Bunny Making!

Two days during Easter Camp week the trainees were doing ‘field’ work! Naturally, I invited them to come to Camp with me if it interested them! I was just lucky and happy to have five SPECTACULAR little ladies come and help me and boy did they save the day in their own way! Because of the extra hands and positive attention, there could be an adult at each table helping the students a long the way. In addition, the older students were able to do a different and more ‘challenging’ craft than the younger students because of the extra help!



Today, the older students made a game and then played them game. The game was very similar to Candy Land with a little Easter Twist! The younger students made two crafts today because off ALL the extra help! The younger students made Bunny Door Hanger/Bag! It was a multi-purpose craft. Once they completed the bunny craft they took a little fiver (a break to have a snack and release some energy!) Then after break the younger students made an Easter Bunny Pencil Topper while the older students played their game they made! Over it was a GREAT success naturally with the amazing team I had!

Easter Camp Take 1

I have a week long Easter Camp at the Library planned! I have turned into the Roseau Central Camp Planner and I LOVE IT! Future Career Change? Don’t worry Mom, I can feel your stress and your deep breath you just gave even 1200 miles away!  But then you would say, ‘As long as it makes you happy Michelle that is all that matters!’



Anyways, the above is beside the point but a wonderful side bar! There was about 30 students signed up but only about 15 showed up the first day! This is fine! Yes I would rather 30 children, but at least 15 children were able to express themselves creatively and interact with different peers! On the first day were just myself and a library staff member! I called in re-enforcements later! We kept it basic on the first day by making bunny mask with paper plates and some paint for the older students and crayons for the younger students! Because of the late start and the child moving a little slow we were only able to get just one craft done! It turned out GREAT, the students enjoyed it and the picture shows how well they truly did!

Happy Easter!

Before I even begin with what I was going to write I do HAVE to start with this! My family is ALWAYS close to my heart, it is the best place to keep them, but tonight they are even closer! See, to my right is a MARVELOUS cup of Swiss Hot Chocolate with a touch of vanilla, in a Palm Tree Cup for Coconut Bay, sitting on an earth tone plate from Target! I hope the above description made two out of this world women in my life smile!

Basically I just wanted to wish all my faithfully readers a HAPPY HAPPY EASTER! May it be filled with the love in your heart, good home cooking, treats from the Easter Bunny, and a few FANTASTIC Surprises!

Let the Powers Be United!

I am an honorable member of the Flower Growers Group and try to show them support as much as possible. It is difficult at times to go to meetings or help on the site with the women because they usually meet during the day when I am in town working!



That is neither here nor there! About twice a month, the group has a BBQ on the site! When I was going today, I thought, it is dark, there are children, let me bring the glow sticks that Dad got for me/the children! So I had about 10 that were not set aside for other projects (Easter Egg Hunt and Big Readers/Little Listeners!) I gave one to one of the little girls, then her friend and before I knew it, their entire little wrist was glowing! The little ones have seen glow sticks before, but similar to in the states it is not something a child has often but rather on a special day and today was that special day!



THANK YOU DAD FOR HELPING ME GIVE THESE GIRLS A SPECIAL DAY WITH THERE SPECIAL BRACELET!



The pictures are of my favorite little one who ALWAYS keep me company at the BBQ, all of our glow sticks wrist, and one of the teens being goofy with a sweet she was eating. It was a gummy treat that was lips with a tongue sticking out!



Side note to the story: When I went to church today, I saw one of the little girls and she was still wearing her bracelet! How precious is that!

More about crafts!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!

This week my Easter Craft Camp will be starting! I happened to be walking by and one of the workers yelled for me to come and meet her husband and she had some questions about the camp. I just happened to casually ask if there seemed to be an interest in the camp; she said “Come!” As she showed me the list I noticed there was already about 30 students signed and about five more spaces to be filled! I am pumped for all of those students and I am glad I am aware that, that many will be coming so I can prepare correctly! I am thinking by Thursday there will be about 40 students!

Good thing I have amazing support back at home, so I have enough prizes for the Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Eggs for the students to hunt, and other little goodies! I am also grateful that the new volunteers have Tuesday/Wednesday off from training so they are going to help me on those days and I think one of the volunteers in my group will help me on Thursday! It will be good to have extra hands, eyes, and individuals to give the students positives attention!