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Here's the Scoop

It was Florida winter today!    This is the third Thursday in a row that has been cold, but today was the coldest.  It was cold and rainy so that the damp just settled in the bones.  I am aware of the Thursday pattern because it is the day I spend working in the Literacy Program at InStride.

The Literacy Program is a shared grant between InStride Therapy and area schools.  A group (30 to 35 kids with teachers and parent chaperones) arrives.  There are four stations set up that teach the  kids about the horses and their care while reinforcing basic academic skills.

The first two times I worked with the arts and crafts station.  The kids made a decorated book mark, put together a horse puzzle, and did a reading/writing activity.  Today I helped in the arena station where my job was to have the kids scoop horse poop--really plastic golf balls tossed around the sand.  They scooped with a scoop/rake tool and we did adding/subtracting problems that I made up as we went along.  It was way more fun that it might sound like.

But, boy, was it cold.  The kids (6 and 7 year olds) were shivering so much the field trip was cut a bit short.

I went home and jumped in a hot shower.  Poor kids and teachers had to go back to school.  They say it will warm up tomorrow.
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Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2014 at 1:03 AM

    I love being with kids and to see their creativity.
    Happy weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OlgaJanuary 31, 2014 at 8:26 AM

      It has been a real tonic for me. I am so glad I found this place to volunteer.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2014 at 7:16 AM

    What a nice volunteer activity for you! Yeah, it is cold in Hawaii, too, dipping into the 50s at night and getting up to the 70s during the day. No heating inside the house, either!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OlgaJanuary 31, 2014 at 8:29 AM

      I do have heat and my home is comfortable. I lot of the Florida homes are built to not retain heat though.

      Delete
  3. Granny AnnieJanuary 31, 2014 at 8:15 AM

    So many uses for golf balls. I use them to lure my chickens into laying eggs by putting them in the nest boxes. Never heard of using them for fake poop. Glad the children did not have to scoop up real poop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. TaborJanuary 31, 2014 at 8:16 AM

    Suffering along with you. I am disappointed my visit has been so wet and cold.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OlgaJanuary 31, 2014 at 8:38 AM

      Late January and February really are the FL winter months, but this is supposed to be the dry season! I don't have to look that far away to realize I have no right to complain however! Atlanta, OMG! But as one of my friends said, "Storm of the century? In Vermont we call that Thursday."
      It is interesting that Vermonters like to think of ourselves as curmudgeonly, tough old birds, while the rest of the country sees us as left-wing, woohoo hippies.

      Delete
  5. MuffieJanuary 31, 2014 at 11:59 AM

    Oh no -- I keep thinking that Florida is one of the few warm places right now! My sister arrived there yesterday, and she'll be annoyed if it's cold!

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownJanuary 31, 2014 at 2:17 PM

    I am so glad you are having fun -- I know those children have to be getting so much out of it! Horse poop! They loved it and they learned! So cool! It has cooled off here, too over the last few days. It is only supposed to get to 64 this afternoon. Doubt it will hurt our fruit pop sales any - but I may freeze!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Arkansas PattiJanuary 31, 2014 at 3:26 PM

    How nice you have such a nice place to go to keep you entertained (while entertaining) when the weather is nasty. My brother is in the Ft. Myers area and has been happier. Florida cold goes right through you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. SextantJanuary 31, 2014 at 5:01 PM

    Your Thursday cycle must just be two days behind us. We drop below zero every Tuesday for about the past 3 or 4 weeks. Thursday we start to warm up.

    There is no woohoo hippy like a curmudgeonly one!

    ReplyDelete
  9. KayFebruary 1, 2014 at 11:24 PM

    It's wonderful of you to support literacy, Olga. I guess it's cold everywhere. Sending you warmth from Hawaii.

    ReplyDelete

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