goodbye mom hair

hello danielle hair.

i ate it, and i loved every bite.

i had a couple of firsts today: my first p.e. class ever, and my first middle school science fair ever.
i know, both of these would logically be experienced in middle school, but i was homeschooled.
so here i am now, taking woman's weight training at multnomah, and acting like i am the surrogate mom to halima, an 8th grader.
the science fair especially was so weird. first of all, all of the exhibits were horrendously ugly, but not as ugly as the ones the esl kids made. i felt so bad for them. they obviously had no idea what they were doing. all of the esl kids (around 20) were placed into groups of three and did experiments with "exercise and heart rate". the kids were supposed to stand in front of their booth and explain their project to the passing judges. it was painful to watch halima and osman struggle their way through a simple explanation. i don't think they had a clue what they were doing.
halima introduced me to her teacher, a very nice woman (the kind of person who dedicates their life to children and who doesn't color her hair or wear make-up and who drape shawls around her shoulders instead of wearing a coat) and she told me that it was mandatory by state law that all of the kids enter a science project, and so the esl kids were told that they just had to struggle their way through.

there were jr. highers running around everywhere, and the gym was hot and sweaty. i stood next to halima and osman's project and tried not to look too out of place. it must have worked, for one judge asked me to tell him about my project. i politely deferred to the real middle schooler and snuck off to stand by the bleachers and observe kids. it was terrifying. all of the girls are mature physically, with breasts and hips and blow-dried hair and eye-liner and sassy tight t-shirts, but the boys all look like they are ten years old and incapable of any real conversation. thus, the attempts at flirting are somewhat painful to watch. girls at this age seem to be starting to realize the full grasp of their physical powers, and the boys are doing everything they can not to care. my favorites were the 6th grade boys, who actually don't care yet, and who are still consumed with things like science and dirt bikes and anything that makes weird noises.
some girls, make-up applied and t-shirts snug, walked past halima, who was strikingly beautiful with her head covering and her wide, perfect brown face. "hi", she called out loudly and abruptly, as she is want to do. the girls turned and stared. they were silent for a couple of seconds. "oh. hi." and then they walked off. halima turned to me. "they my friends," she said, still blissfully unaware of the crueler realities of american jr. high.
i was both incredibly sad and happy for halima, and for all of the somali bantu.
but i know she will make it. and i am so glad i get to have these experiences every week. tonight i ate a banana for the first time since i was 8. i hate banana's. but when an earnest african child gives you one of her favorite foods to eat, what else are you going to do?
i ate it, and i loved every bite.
a good metaphor for my life right now.

i love my sister

hey hey i made a cake for my sister's 21st birthday. laura helped. she is the one who drew the picture. she can't stop writing the word "love".
i started school today, i don't think i will be a stress case this time around, however. the bible is the living word.

the obligatory january blog

well, it's 2007. i had the lamest new year's eve. i don't think that 2007 is going to be lame, however.
it's the year of living missionally, of a gospel-centered life, of purposeful walking, yellow clothes, crocheted mittens, remembering guitar chords, of not letting fear crawl inside and live.

happy new year.