Running and Reading

So yesterday I was at Running and Reading. It was fairly good; we had quite a few new coaches, but I still had the same group of kids. I'm happy about this, since I've been trying to develop relationships with them. However, we also have two new coaches helping our team, and this is a great boon. One of the girls in the group has established a gregarious-competetive relationship with me, where she seeks my attention near constantly by being difficult and disruptive. She doesn't like dealing with anyone other than me; unfortunately, she likes being contrary and selfish when she is dealing with, and this is disruptive to the group as a whole. This week she asked me if she was still in my group. She was greatly relieved when I said she was, which was flattering until she said it was because 'All the other guy coaches are weird.' Frankly, I worry about her. She has already started being troublesome among the boys her age, and I'm worried that she might try to follow similar patterns with me. Not only would that be hugely uncomfortable on my part, but the legalities of it would be terrifying. Thankfully, one of the new coaches dealt with her directly and made her read with her for the entire reading period. This meant that this girl got much more done than I could have gotten out of her. It also meant that I could engage with some of the other students without worrying about her consuming my time. While this week it wasn't as necessary, it will be a good thing once the three absent students return, as two of the absentees also require a deal of discipline/attention.

The grade ones have now entered the program, so we have two new children in our group. One, a little boy, took to following me around a little bit. He's a sweet kid, if a little preoccupied with his transformer. I think it's incredible how quickly smaller children develop attachments to people.

Overall, I'm very happy with the way this week turned out. Let's hope it keeps up.

The walk home was something else entirely. Within minutes I couldn't see through my glasses, so I had to keep my head down so I could peek over the rims of the lenses. This only helped marginally, since I'm myopic and I was walking through what sometimes were white-out conditions. The traffic was slow-moving, but I couldn't gauge how slow because the vehicles appeared to me only as headlights looming out of the flurry. Everything is fuzzy enough when I'm not looking through my glasses, and here there was no point of reference. Crossing roads was a bit of a hazard. Also, I wasn't headed straight home but rather to my small group leader's house, to pick up a book. This isn't on the way home, so I was treading new territory. It wasn't hard to find, but I did have trouble keeping track of where I was, since the street signs are often placed inconveniently if you're walking (many of the city's streets are one-way, so there are no street signs visible from certain angles). It also took me a long time. I did get home, however.

A funny thing. Three times on the way to the friend's house, a light flashed above me and to my left. At none of these times could it have been one of Kingston's haunted street lights, which turn off or on as you walk under them. All three times it could have come from a tree, Christmas lights, or the hydro poles. The light was blue-white, like lightning, and always above me and to my leff. I doubt it was either the Christmas lights or the trees, but I am not sure I'm comfortable with the thought of it being the power lines. I don't know. It was weird.

That's all of my serious news. I'm busily editing and doing course readings.

Have a good day,

EC