FINALLY

Drying Up
Nearly the end of June, and the rain has ceased. Puddles and ponds are drying out. I actually have to water my plants!

Fun thing happened when I went to water my plants on Saturday morning. Under the herb planter boxes, I found a frog sitting there! We've seen quite a few this year; Jonathan found half a dozen while mowing the other day! I decided to call this fella Spot, because he had a big white spot on his little brown back! He was maybe two inches long? Still, I welcomed Spot to our garden and encouraged him to stay and eat bugs for me.

Our other bug hunters, the Mississippi kites, are all over the power lines in front of our house during the morning hours.

They glide all over the field across the road and our house, too. I did see one with a rather large bug in his beak the other day. Go for it, guys, I'm rooting for you!

I drove to the City Thursday (more on that later), and encountered several bugs on my windshield both coming and going. The worst was a juicy dragon fly who ended up on my wipers. Trying to get it off, the thing smeared across the windshield. Ugh! My van is in terrible need of a wash!

OKC Marathon
Not really, but it felt like it. After my morning classes on Thursday, I took a quick shower and drove up to the OKC Stake Center for a Seminary meeting. Are there other meetings closer to me? Yes, even on online. But they are during the early morning when I am teaching. This was at 10 a.m., well after my last morning class.

I have to say, it was spiritually worth the drive. There were six teachers and our "boss," the CES director. We had such a wonderful, spiritual discussion over Mark 5. We read and shared and learned so much from one another. For example, one sister had visited Israel as a youth. She learned about Jairus' daughter and the meaning of what Christ said to her. I was so touched! I learned how enriching understanding some of the Hebrew and Greek meanings could be. Also, referring to Old Testament prophecy or reading the later testimonies of the prophets only strengthened the message of Christ's life and mission.  The amazing thing at the end was our CES director. He said that all of the doctrines and principles we'd discussed were true, but not in the lesson manual. BUT...that was okay! We need to be more in touch with the Spirit and our students' needs than to follow the manual rigidly. I was very inspired. I will try harder this year to lean on the scriptures and the Spirit more and just use the lesson as a side help, if needed.

I'll be joining them again the 1st of August and really look forward to it. It was such a wonderful group to work with.

I got back mid-day, so Jonathan could take the van to work. However, during the evening, I was picked up by the sister I MS to and we went back to OKC to the airport. She was leaving to go work at a Mom convention in Portland OR, while I drove her van back to her house - full of her six kids - and watch them until Dad came at 9:30 and drove me to my home (with all six in tow). Driving someone else's vehicle was interesting, but it did have some cool bells and whistles. For one, when I plugged my phone into the van's port, it hooked the phone up to the display. The GPS from my phone showed up larger than life and talked to me over the van's stereo! Plus, I could play my music through it, too!

Interestingly, it had a back up camera, and a sensor that let you know if you were going out of your lane on the highway or too close to an object. I thought, "Maybe I need this for Analiese to learn to drive on!"

SIDE NOTE: Analiese made dinner by herself for the Sister Missionaries because of my trip to the airport. She made BBQ cups and even bought ice cream sandwiches for dessert. She was very attentive to their needs. They thought it was awesome!!

VIPKid Week

So long, so many hours, even on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings! I blocked out Thursday, of course, because I was going to the airport (see above), but Friday and Saturday were completely booked. I AM SO TIRED!

Some of it isn't the amount, but the type of student. I've had several new-new students (new to me, new to VIPKid). For one, it was her first lesson...ever! Patience is the name of the game. Also, I've had a bunch of Level 1 classes and Voice of VIPkid classes. Those take more energy and for some reason, come at the end of my day. Saturday night I had two VVs and a Lvl 1. By my last class (I had five in a row), my voice was very squawky!

Then, there are the troublesome kids. It seems terrible to say, but there are some kids I wish I could drop! These are the ones that the parents don't seem to care if they doing anything or not. I'm just their 25 minute entertainment/online babysitter. They don't cooperate, or have a sibling that interferes. Grandpa looks in...and ignores everything. I don't give them 5 stars. No change. It is frustrating and exhausting.

SWAMPLAND

Did I Move to the Bayou?
This has got to be the wettest year on record for Oklahoma. It seems to rain every other day! Just today in church, someone said the forecast is for it to rain for the next ten days! What is ten days? July! Seriously? Anybody got an ark?

Our drains and sewer systems in town cannot take it. Not only is there street flooding (the curbs looks like rice paddies, with grass growing in the muddy water!), but the city's water supply is disgusting! It smells like the swamp...and tastes like it, too. Ken says for no one to drink fountain drinks in town, the water going through their "filters" is not good. I tried a taste - uck!

I filled a sink with water to clean with the other day. The water was not clear, more like yellowish! And taking a shower means coming out...clean?  Puddles do not dry out and are growing algae in them. The only ones enjoying this mess? The mosquitoes! Should I worry about West Nile? Or malaria?

This morning, before church, it was pouring down rain. A dozen Mississippi kites were miserably sitting on the powerline across the street. They looked so bedraggled, poor dears!

And, yes, it is still warm. Like 90's and low 100's. I walked out of the house Saturday to take Analiese to work and immediately my hands felt sticky, like they needed to be washed. It was just a side-effect of the humidity. Don't even ask me about my hair!

Cute Kids
For the most part, this job is fun. The getting up early, the staying up late...not so much. By Sunday, my complete day off, I am exhausted. But, gotta go to bed early, I have a 5:30 wake-up for a 6:00 class!

I have some very bright kids. A couple of them really like to converse, which is a wonderful end-goal of the program...to be able to completely converse in another language! One of my clever boys cracks me up all the time. This week it was our lesson on animal movements (gallop, slither, crawl, glide, etc.). Every time we got to talking about fish swimming, he changed the topic to sharks eating the swimming fish. By the end of the class, we were racing each other to find ways to include sharks in our conversation!

I had a couple of Voice of VIPKid (VV) lessons this week, too. Saturday evening, of course, when I am the most tired. But, hey....  I had the most adorable four year old girl singing with me about slicing food (Food Ninja Song - yeah, let's encourage kids to slice knives crazily). She loved it! We sliced pizza, bread, apples, and...onions! She had a hard time wrapping her head around that word; I don't know why. Still, at one point I came to prompt her to say the word. She had forgotten. I waited and then she said: "Food!" Oh, I laughed so hard. She was so stinkin' cute!

I get a few rough ones, too, that make it hard. Hard on me physically, mentally, and emotionally. One of my regulars keeps playing and goofing off. I finally gave her a four star rating. I've left notes for her parents and the Learning Partner that she needs some supervision (she's in her room alone, with toys, paper, scissors (she likes to cut up stuff), and a phone to play with. This lesson, I'd had it.

Then, I had a young five-year-old who's parents rode him during the whole VV lesson. These lessons are supposed to be fun and casual. Nope. Dad was the worst: yelling at the child, and grabbing him, trying to make him face the camera and do the stuff. I can usually persuade most little ones to do something, but they're not expected to necessarily do it all for these lessons. His mom did a bit of prodding, too, when Dad couldn't take it any longer and stomped off. Still, poor kid.

Though, I have to wonder. A lot of these kids are under so much pressure (as are their parents) to perform. I've had super tired kids, sick kids, kids who are eating breakfast/dinner while taking lessons (this is hard because I need them to talk so I can hear their pronunciation). They have to shove so many things into their day: when do they have time to be children?

I also got my Trial certification Plus this week. VK offered it to me: pass the quiz and you're good. I didn't have to do a mock class. I don't know when I'll be teaching trials, though, because I heard the Trials Plus isn't completely up yet. Maybe they just want to be ready when it is. The trials are for parents and kids to check out the company and see if they want to book classes with us. If they sign up after my class, I get a bonus! And, they could decide they want me to teach their child!

The Perils of (Children) Driving
Analiese is working on it. Though, she drove me and Jonathan to the library this week, stressing our hearts. She kept wanting to drive on the curb. I realize, it takes a bit to spatially recognize where things are in relationship to the vehicle, but oh boy! Jonathan drove home afterwards. I don't think my anxiety could have taken another ride home.

Jonathan came home from work Friday; he had taken the van. Now, I have to admit: the City Works department in Chickasha has been pretty annoying lately. I've had to drive around them to the left, nearly on the median curb on one street, because they've parked one of their trucks so far into the road. Jonathan apparently had a similar issue that day.  Only, he misjudged how much room he had and gouged a nice long line on the side of the van. Purely cosmetic, it doesn't impede any of the vehicle's functions. And I guess he got the brunt of the blow. But, oh, did he come home upset! He was certainly worried about our reactions. I will proudly say I was mostly sympathetic, though when I saw the damage I told him he was going to have to show his father himself and take it like a man.

To Ken's credit, he, too, took it calmly. Consequences? May be some externally, but we'll support Jonathan as much as possible. At home, all I said is that he could take Dad to work early Saturday and Sunday morning.  Which I'd wanted him to do anyway. He punished himself enough. He fumed in his room for quite a while.

Single Solitary Photo

PomPom looks at me adoringly/expectantly?

A VERY QUIET WEEK

Nothing to Do? Ha!
That wasn't why my week was quiet. I had plenty of lessons to prepare and teach. I had plenty of housework to do, that's never-ending. I had paperwork to fill out and get signed for the upcoming Nauvoo trip. Ken and I spent nearly a whole day in OKC going to the temple (first time in two years!!! Hooray!!) and visiting the Penn Mall. I had a Seminary broadcast to watch from SLC and a dentist appointment for a root canal (ugh).

Nope, things were quiet because my girl was away at camp. We got a walk in on Monday, but she left early Tuesday morning while I was busy teaching (poor planning on my part). If you only knew the conversations and little things we constantly do together side-by-side.... You'd understand why there was a hole in my life for three days.

Ken had some days off, we could do things together. Jonathan was off a little. We talked and stuff. But my daughter is my pal. We work on stuff side-by-side (literally, our desks for school and seminary/VIPKid are right next to each other). We have our daily walks, which are helpful more than physically, and we have discussions that range through absolutely everything. And, of course, we fawn over our rabbits together. So it was abysmally quiet. I know, you're thinking, what will you do when she grows up and moves out. Probably go into a deep depression. Poor Ken.

I thought of her throughout the week. I'd see fun things on Facebook and message them to her to look at later (we do NOT take phones to camp). At the mall, I saw a t-shirt with an anime character on it she liked; I took a picture of it.

I don't know what it is; I only know shy likes it!

We splurged and bought three French macarons - lemon tart, rose, and lavender-honey -  because I was curious to try them. I waited until she got home so we could sample them together (strangely, we liked the floral favorites, rose being the one we liked best).

Analiese did the same: she brought me home a bracelet from the camp theme, a pink floral lei (maybe I could use it for one of my classes) and some good-n-plenty's to share, cuz we both like licorice. So, busy at camp though she was, she was still thinking of me, too!

I cannot begin to say how thankful I am that we are close. Her relationship is one of my greatest prizes and pleasures!

VIPKid - The Process
This week, my Exclusive Student (ES) had class - and her birthday - on Thursday. I had a party hat on and sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She showed me some of her cake and her gifts. I told her I had a gift for her, too. She looked at me quizzically. I told her that I was working on certifying in level four so I could continue to teach her past level three. She was so pleased! She's almost done with level three and I know she wanted to continue with me!

This week I had several new students, but some of them were REALLY new...to VIPKid. As in, the first or second lesson EVER new! As in, "I don't understand a lick of English" new! They were more challenging; I had to use more gestures. I don't know how much they got out of it!

People have been curious about how all this works, so I'm a gonna' explain how I do things. The day before the lesson, I prep. I look through the slides, to see what props I'm going to need. I have a card file for each lesson (I make them up as I go along) with all the information of vocabularly, grammar, sentences, props, etc. I make a little post-it with the student's name & date of the lesson, plus the reward I'm going to use on it that I attach to the card.

I also go into my Feedback Panda app, which keeps track of my students, their birthdays, the classes I've taught them, the rewards I've used, the feedback I've given, etc. I can connect between them and VIPKid to enter new lessons in. With it completely filled out, I can transfer feedback to the families on VIPKid directly after the lesson quickly!

Then, my props prep really begins. I lay out the cards for the next day and pull reward and props (folders and toys) that I need for each lesson. I have cookie sheets that I use to put the items on to keep them separate from each other.

Some days, I have more lessons than cookie sheets! And yes, the tablet is a part of the lesson!

The day of the lesson, I just pull the sheet I need for the student coming up, and I have it ready.

Lesson day routine goes like this: I get up (for morning classes), put on my orange VIPKid shirt, and go out and turn on the laptop. I have to plug it in to the power (don't want to go out between lessons!), plug in to the ethernet (wifi is not strong enough), and plug in my external camera and headphones with microphone. I have an extra light hanging from a hook over the desk that I turn on (good lighting is a must!), and make sure VIPKid and Feedback Panda are up. I go put on my British red lipstick (Revlon's name, not mine), click on the classroom on VIPIKid, make sure my sound and video are working and...AWAY WE GO!

It sounds like a lot (when you write it down), but trust me, things run smoothly when I do all my prep. I can teach with confidence knowing I have everything in place. Sometimes I forget or skip a step...and then there's trouble! Half the time I forget to plug in the ethernet and then wonder why I have IT issues. The other day I forgot my lipstick! My students need to see my lips for pronunciation help!

I'm So Bad
I hardly took a picture this week at all. I did the one for Analiese from the mall, and just took the lesson ones now so I had something to show. Not that I didn't have things I could photograph, I just didn't remember to do it!

DRIVER NUMBER FOUR

Watch the Roads!
She couldn't go Monday; she had work. So Tuesday afternoon, I took her to take her permit test. Which she aced. There's 60 some-odd questions, but after you pass 15, you're done. Her permit test was at a different location than actually receiving a permit, so we went to the Tag Agency afterwards. Card in hand, she was ready to go!

She drove around the block a couple of times for me, fearful of using the accelerator. The brakes, however, were no issue. She drove for her dad the next day, a little further (near the police station!) and braved the accelerator.

My plan is, when we go somewhere, for now...to let her drive residential. For example, when she gets off of work at Taco Bell, I drive through the college, park, and then have her go the rest of the way home. When she gets smooth enough, then we'll try larger streets.

We still need to schedule her first driving lesson with the school in Norman. That's one thing I keep forgetting.... Maybe I'm just not ready to go back there for another day's stay.

BTW, we had a special Family Home Evening this Monday for our young drivers. Thanks, Jonathan, for the idea!

Walking, walking, walking
Analiese and I still have our morning walks, even with Seminary out for the summer. After my last morning class, we go out and tread the neighborhood. I don't like to go out and do it any later than 9, because the day heats up quickly. And with the rain...it gets so humid! We did get rained on, once, but Analiese had the foresight to bring an umbrella.

We were visited not only by the Mississippi kites this week, but also a turkey vulture! There's been a lot of squished squirrels on the roads here, so I imagine he is a full bird!

Kites - they are bug eaters!

Vulture - big bird

Analiese dictates the direction and length of our walks. No pass around the park pond here! We may go several blocks east, then south before we move west toward home again. We talk a lot about things, look at houses and yards and express opinions, and make discoveries of all kinds. This week, we found the most amazing flower garden! I had to take all kinds of photos. Sometimes, I wish the people would be out so I could talk and admire their work with them!

Asparagus

VIPKid Notes
This was an interesting week. They had the dragon boat festival at the end of the week, but not all the kids celebrate that. Apparently, it's very regional. I was going to attend a workshop on it, but I forgot they use EST and I came in on the end of it. Wikipedia had to tell me what it could, so I had some idea.

I had one morning where I taught six classes - three hours straight teaching. I find my voice fading in and out as I get to the last one. And why does the last one always have to be the energetic, singing one? By the end of three hours, I need a sedate older student!

Not all students have classes in their home. This week, one of my regulars was in a restaurant with her family...all of them had to say hi! I also "drove" home with them as they left! Once I had one take class in her car on a road trip. The signal doesn't work well going through tunnels!

I had a student show me up, too. I was teaching the irregular plurals for some animals: goose-geese, fish, fish, mouse...mice, right? No, he kept telling me that it was mouses. He's very verbal and conversational, but I kept telling him, nope, in English, it's mice. He kept insisting that on the computer it was mouses. I thought it was some game or wiki or something he referred to. Finally, it struck me...he meant a COMPUTER mouse. I picked mine up to show him and he grinned and nodded emphatically. Okay, Jason, you win - mouses! He was rather triumphant during the rest of the lesson. Of course, on top of that, he beat me at our game!

Pom is my Chinese ambassador. My students all focus better when she comes to visit!

DRIVING ME CRAZY

How Much Is Too Much?
One things for sure: I never want to be a truck driver. Big old trucks, small mirrors, surrounded by crazy regular drivers and on the road Forever. I imagine trucking companies wouldn't be too thrilled to hire me, either. Anxious truck drivers need not apply.

I don't care for driving around them myself. But I felt like I was on the road forever with them this week. My sciatic nerve wasn't happy; my back grumbled all the way, and my shoulders and neck were constant reminders of how cramped the driving position really is. Even with Cruise Control. And I LOVE my Cruise Control!

Wednesday, I had to drive to Midwest City (a northern part of OKC) about an hour or so away from home to go to an all-day Dyslexia seminar. (Oh joy. But I felt I ought to because I am supposed to tutor a dyslexic young man this fall). Never been there before. I also accidentally scheduled an English class right up to the time I needed to leave, giving me no wiggle room. Probably, I was going to be late.

No probably's about it...I WAS late. There was honest-to-goodness almost-Los-Angeles type traffic as I made my way through the city. There were accidents, police, all the "familiar" sights. And I guess Oklahomans can be looky-loos, too!

The college where the seminar was to be held was on the far side of town. I found it without much trouble, but finding where the seminar was turned out to be different. The address listed was actually at an EPIC school facility, but no one except a construction crew was there. They had no idea about the seminar. I drove and drove until the body screamed for a break.  During said break I wondered what to do. I know! Meet up with my daughter, her friend and friend's mother in Norman to hang out and shop. (I'd had another invitation to go to the temple as well, but I wasn't dressed, nor had my recommend)

The "hanging out" didn't last too long; my son called to tell me that the car had a flat tire. No. He does not know how to change a flat. SIGH. I said he'd have to tell work he'd be late and I would drive back to take him. Forty-five minute drive (in the rain, of course). Then I carefully drove the car to Walmart and had the tire replaced.

Very flat

Talk about best laid plans: NOTHING I had planned for Wednesday happened. Only a long, torturous day of driving.

Thursday, I went back to Norman, another 45-minute drive, with Analiese in tow so that she could attend Driving School. For FIVE hours. They'd feed her lunch. But what to do with myself? I killed two hours with a movie (Aladdin - you don't want my review - it wasn't bad, just not great), wandered a small mall, toured Hobby Lobby for as long as I could and wished for a napping spot.

Friday, same thing...back to Norman for day two of Driving Class. No movie. I checked out Target (this one had a big grocery section), had lunch, visited Pier 1 (haven't been in one in years...), meandered through a bookstore, and sat in the local library. Then, I went to Sam's Club, did a little shopping, picked up my daughter, took her to an Anime store, got her a Chick-Fil-A peach milkshake (me, too! YUM!) and headed home. And refused to leave or get into a car until I had to go to church on Sunday. Enough was enough!

VIP Oops!
I didn't have quite as many classes this week as I did last, but Saturday was Children's Day in China and that is a big deal. I learned about it from my Regular: it is a day where teachers celebrate the children they teach. They have games, cake, and gifts. My regular was going to an amusement park (this was amusing in itself, because our last unit was all about amusement parks...she could tell me all about it!). I got emotional trying to tell her in a way she'd understand how much THIS American teacher cherishes her student. I think I got it across. We've come quite a ways together. She refuses to have any other teacher and I look forward to spending time with her 2-3 times a week!

VIPKid, earlier in the week, send a message out: they were updating their servers on May 31st. Also, they were switching classes entirely away from the website to the app on June 1st. Busy time for the company. Though, like Ken expressed later, maybe they should have planned this back in February, when everyone was gone for Chinese New Year. Because...well...CHAOS.

My classes Saturday morning were just fine. I started seeing notices on all of my FB VIPKid groups (I just added a new one this weekend) about people having problems. Rumor had it that the whole shebang was down on both sides of the world! Finally, the official word came in...

I had an 8, 8:30, and 9 o'clock class. I kept checking, refreshing and trying every 20 minutes to make sure. I was able to teach the 9:00 class, but only in safe mode. No stars to give kids; no feedback to give parents. As it was, in the middle of the class, the slides went off. The mom, with a great command of English, communicated that to me. I refreshed the page a couple of times and got it back with no more issues.

When I awoke this morning, I had a notice posted at 1:00 a.m.: Back in business. So, Sunday or not, I had to post the stars and feedback from the class the evening prior or not get paid. And open up booking slots for the next two weeks. My electronic ox in the mire!

Our sense of humor keeps us teachers moving on...

Weather Update
Whoever said that thing about April showers and May flowers never lived in Oklahoma. It's May showers, wind, pollen, etc. here. I told Ken that, as a kid, I never made mud pies because we never really had an abundance of mud in California. Here, mud pies are the norm. The ground is a bit squishy for walking on.

Thursday and Friday were nice, giving us a couple days respite from the rain. Saturday, though, the skies said, "It may be June, now, but I'm not done yet!" My phone alarms gave off  watches and warning and, working at the computer in the afternoon, the sun that once shown through the window beside me went suddenly dark. A fast, spooky squall came through. Ken & I went out on the porch to look at it. You could see several layers of clouds going in all directions...definitely the predecessors of tornadoes. The wind would blow warm air over you one minute, only to switch to cold the next. We got a little hail, but not so big that it couldn't be hid, for the most part, in the growing grass of the lawn. And the rain sheeted down, literally, for about 20-30 minutes, then left, bringing sunshine and birdsong again. So very eerie.

Etcetera
I subbed in Sunday School today; I started out by saying, "Welcome to Seminary!" They laughed. Hey, it could have been worse. I could have started with my VIPKid schtick: "Hello, my name it Teacher Michele!"

A returned missionary who served in the branch came to visit with her family from Arizona. It was great to see her. I told her parents that we did our best to help take care of her while she served in Chickasha. Especially, now as Ken's the Branch mission leader, we feel very proprietorial about them!

Sister Cummings is being transferred out of our area!

Oh! And my seminary graduate who leaves in two weeks for HIS mission came to church in a brand new suit! He looked so slender, young, and missionary like! Ay! They grow so fast!

By the way, my "adorable" bun BIT me yesterday! She wasn't happy with what I was doing and her quickest way to get me to stop was to nip at my arm. It left a mark! Analiese figures this means I will no longer think of her as the sweet innocent, but I knew I was being annoying. She was only communicating her displeasure!

Talented: I can pet two rabbits at once!

Look how the goslings have grown!