Friday, July 31, 2026

These Two! So Thankful for the Leadership, Teaching, Creativity, Dedication, and Flexibility of Max and Emmi this Summer (We Finish Today)

I am who I am, so when it started raining again last night and Karal and I couldn't get our walk in, I ran up to Big Y in my lemon t-shirt. lemonade hate, and lemonade bracelets to buy lemonade, lemon cookies, and lemon candies for a last-minute lemonade bonanza celebrating the last day of Ubuntu Academy. Yesterday, Max and Emmi led the kids through an acoustic workshop, and I was impressed by how much language they could produce within the challenge. Yes, poetic devices are another lesson, but once we opened it up to translanguaging, the kids were good to go....they had two languages or more to play with. 

I've been joking for two years now that Max and Emmi from the 1975 film Escape from Witch Mountain. Although they look nothing like Tony & Tia Malone, the orphaned duo does come across in their co-teaching. Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed planning four weeks of literacy instruction with them, I've also enjoyed how seamlessly their humor and work ethic bounces off one another. They step up and are amazingly helpful with the kids.

This afternoon will be a reading, a few montages, and perhaps a few songs. I began packing up things and bringing them home on Monday, so I believe I'll be able to finalize clean up today in one trip. Weird to think it's the last hoorah for another year. I like to leave all the spaces we utilize as clean as the day the kids arrived, because I'm very thankful we have such luxury during our programs.

I am envious of Emmi, though, who is leaving to Denmark for two weeks on Sunday...a last hoorah between CWP work and 1st days at Warde. She and Shane will need the rest, as will Max....but after all these years, I know he keeps the same pace I do...in fact, he might juggle even more than I do. 

I'm anxious to see how I wake up tomorrow, because the end of the crazy also means (1) a sleepless night and (2) getting sick. I don't want either. 

Finally. YAY! Last day to battle I-95 in the summer! No more 7 a.m. departures, either. I can hardly wait.

And Another Day of Total Frustration Wishing the Xfinity Treated Their Service-Areas with More Respect & Professionally.

I interrupt my absolute and total frustration with Xfinity as a trusted Internet provider to briefly celebrate another year with Fairfield U...