Kids at the CYO

Hi all,
I've decided to finally take some pics at work and I'm going to put some up here. They're from all of our Halloween events, which were quite fun. I was hoping to take a whole lot on the actual day of Halloween so I could get all the kids' costumes but for some reason since it was a half day of school and program was at regular time only 12 kids showed up (usually we have at least 40), all Burundian refugees, only one of whom wore a costume. I was a bit bummed because Sarah (JV) and I had planned some cool activities and bought these cute Halloween cups to put candy in, but oh well, at least we had already had our actual Halloween party earlier in the week.



Quick fun story about that - Sarah got this place to donate 60 pumpkins for our party so each kid could paint one and then take them home. We were super excited about this b/c we figured most of these kids have never had their own pumpkin before. The day of the party (last Wed. 10/29) was the day it snowed in all of the surrounding areas and flurried here in Syracuse. Sarah and I started the 25 or so minute drive out to the pumpkin farm that morning (keep in mind we're in our huge 16 passenger Catholic Charities van and Sarah is from TX aka never driven in snow before). We start marveling how as we get farther outside Syracuse there is more and more snow on the ground b/c there was no accumulation in Syracuse. We finally make it to the farm and the parking lot is covered in an inch or so of snow and there is clearly no one around. Sarah freaks out for a sec b/c she's never driven on snow, but we pull in and park. Definitely deserted. We get really bummed and start trying everything - calling the place over and over praying someone will pick up, walking around in the snow to peer in every window and door of each building to make sure no one was around (my sneakers soaked through and my jeans were caked with snow b/c I had not prepared to be walking in snow when I woke up that morning) and even walking over to the house adjacent to the farm hoping someone there would know how to contact the pumpkin people, but no one was home. Meanwhile the pumpkins are all right there in front of us (covered in snow, but nonetheless there are lots and lots of pumpkins sitting right there). We start to think maybe we should just take them and leave a note b/c they told us we could have them, but we worry they might have had specific pumpkins saved for us. We finally give up and get back in the van and as we're pulling away I make one last desperate phone call...and the owner picks up the phone! She tells us we can take any pumpkins we want...so we proceed to dig 50 pumpkins (we knew we wouldn't have 60 kids) out of the snow with our BARE HANDS (so freakin painful...had to shove them deep in my pockets after every other pumpkin to get the feeling back in them). We shouted out loud to each other as we stuffed them in the van to keep ourselves motivated...and actually got it done. I can't imagine how sketchy we looked to anyone driving by - probably looked like we were stealing. The whole time we grumbled about how this was the most selfless thing we'd ever done and how the kids better appreciate this gesture hardcore...and they didn't really - I mean, they weren't super excited but I guess they were happy. But regardless, it was worth it even though I may have killed off some nerve endings in my hands...but I got a free pumpkin out of it, which Mary carved on Halloween night while they weather was randomly back to gorgeous and we sat out on our porch to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. So it all worked out. Hope that was as amusing as it was for Sarah and I at the time. Sorry it wasn't actually quick at all.

The kids at my site, especially the teens, are starting to bother me with their attitude of entitlement. They act as though they have a right to do whatever they want at the CYO b/c they've been going there for at least a year. A few examples - during the Halloween party for both the teens and the elementary school kids, a few kids made comments like "This is a party???" Like okay, maybe the stuff we did didn't fit the definition of a party, but we worked our butts off (especially for the little kid party) to make it a fun time for them and it was like some of them didn't even care. Then Thursday we took the kids to go "trick or treating" at SU. It's called Greek or Treat and it's sponsored by the sororities and frats who have "activities" set up at their houses. B/c we could only use 2 vans for 4 vanloads worth of kids the group was split in 2 and each group only got about 45 mins there and b/c of the large number of kids walking around and the time spent at each house, each group only got to go to 2 houses, therefore only getting 2-3 pieces of candy each. My co-workers Brandi and Sarah spent 2 hours driving back and forth and even though the kids had fun while they were there, as soon as it was time to go they were like "what?! we didn't even get candy!!" Some of them complained all the way home leading to a few suspensions and a week-long suspension for one of my kids who just wouldn't leave it alone. Finally, the teen boys (which are the majority of my group - they seem to be multiplying lately - now about 20-25 of the 30 kids who I've had each night) have been getting more and more demanding about having gym time to play soccer. It got to the point where they were telling kids to stop doing their homework so I wouldn't have to help those kids anymore and I could take them up to the gym (they can't go alone). I got so pissed and gave them a lecture about how it's not a right, it's a privilege based on their behavior, but I don't think they really got it. They are so happy when they play soccer and I like to let them play but it's getting ridiculous how they trash the place, I let them in the gym for like an hour straight, and then I have to clean up their mess after they go home. So last night we told all of our groups they had to clean up before we'd let them leave. About 5 of my 30 kids helped while the rest stood and watched and said it wasn't their mess and asked when they could leave. I was so upset. I used to think they were such good kids but they have such attitudes. I think the core group of boys is pretty good but now that all their friends have started coming, they're too cool to be nice most of the time it seems. I miss having the small group of boys I could just hang out and chat with. I don't know what to do anymore though...I kinda feel like all of the kids are just taking advantage of the center while we slave away to keep it open for them. It's like they don't appreciate anything and you would think they would b/c they don't have much. I'll have to brainstorm more on what to do about this...

Last thing - we're going on retreat this weekend (we leave tomorrow night) and I'm so excited b/c I think it will be a good opportunity to reflect and relax but I also really hope it will draw our community closer together and remind us all why we're really here. I'll update on that next week hopefully. Enjoy your weekends! And congrats to Obama!! YAY!