moms, family, churches, and short stories.

as a nanny for two vastly different families, i see ways of parenting that i want to adopt for my own children, and things that i want to make sure i never do.  thinking about those things and hanging out with kids all the time, makes me want kids of my own.  ugh.  someday.  in the meantime, here's jake at the park yesterday morning:

i spent the day on saturday with my family in the milwaukee area having brunch at the cracker barrel, touring the jelly belly warehouse, and supporting my brother at his state honors choir audition.  i am constantly so proud of my little brother and sister.  it seems like every week they win something or get awards or get honors for something they've done.  maybe i should make myself a brag-book and carry in my purse with me everywhere.  i could pull it out on the bus and show my unsuspecting neighbors my family.  though i think i would have to age about 45 years before i'd feel comfortable doing that!

today is warm and sunny.  by warm i mean it's about 40 degrees.  i heard birds chirping this morning and i look forward to spring.  i want to enjoy my walk to the bus/train.  i want to wear sandals and sit in the grass.  sigh.  spring cannot come too soon.

for valentine's day, i went with steff to a valentine's sweetheart banquet down in hyde park.  steff is friends with the pastor of the church called city light international assembly.  despite my doubts, the banquet was a lot of fun.  it turns out that nearly the entire church is nigerian and some of the most friendly people i've ever met.  they seem to have a love for the Lord that just... sparkles?  maybe that's not the word, but you get the idea.  one girl did some stand-up comedy, there was a couples dancing contest, and then we had a little dance party!  it was great.

being with this body of believers made me question, yet again, my choice of a church.  it's so hard to prioritize what to look for in a church and then to know which is the right one.  these people, for example, have hearts that love like crazy, they are so full of life, and i know i would be embraced right into their congregation (in fact, i kind of already have been welcomed in!).  on the other hand, the church that i currently worship at has great preaching, great music, but a very large congregation in which it is nearly impossible to know everyone, and the people that i DO know are almost all the same kind of person i am... middle-class 20-somethings.  how will i ever learn and grow if i am never with people who are different than i?  i've gone over this so many times...

for my curriculum development class, i'm working on a short story unit.  my original plan included some of the greatest short stories ever written (in my opinion), yet it wasn't enough.  somehow i forgot my audience.  for a diverse school district, i need a diverse lesson plan that uses stories from several different cultures.  so here my search begins :)