Jason and I are currently in New York celebrating our fifteenth anniversary. It's been amazing! Our hotel room has a great view of the Empire State, we went to see a Broadway show, and plan to walk the High Line this afternoon. Our celebrations are a bit overdue since I wasn't around for our actual anniversary. Instead, I was in Monticello/Moab, helping to chaperone Brooklyn's school trip.
To be completely honest, the trip was both good and hard. Our accommodations were great. My group was assigned to this lovely bed and breakfast, the Grist Mill Inn, in Monticello. The girls in my group were polite, punctual, and helpful. There was a giant kitchen, the beds were great, and I had my own room with a private bathroom.
I also loved getting to know Brooklyn's friends better. She's connected with some really great kids--kind, smart, creative, and fun.
On the downside, I was pretty disappointed by the trip itself. This "Pando" trip included 140 seventh and eighth graders, all ELPers at West. The trip organization was shockingly poor, and the kids sensed how nobody really knew what was going on. I'm all about spontaneity, but winging it with an enormous group doesn't work well. Half the stuff promised on the original itinerary never came to fruition. And an educational component? Um, notsomuch. Three weeks before the trip, the responsibility for all of the food was dumped on a couple of parents. If I were them, I'd never volunteer again. Most disappointingly, instead of establishing high expectations and encouraging the kids to be their best selves, the trip organizer (a teacher) was most interested in appearing cool, playing pranks in the middle of the night, and other nonsense.
I sensed that many generally good kids were sinking to the lowest common denominator. I was appalled by much of the language and music I heard; it certainly expanded my meager knowledge of profanities. Appropriate dress? At one point I would have settled for any clothing at all. During a hot hike at Arches, a coed group stripped off their shirts completely, with the gals wandering around in their bras. (Not sports bras--think Victoria's Secret.) Teachers saw, and nobody said a word! I was so ashamed as I heard a passing hiker exclaim, "This is a school group. How do they get away with that?" Once I caught up with the flashers, I requested that they put their shirts back on. Frankly, they seemed relieved to do so. I suspect most of them were uncomfortable but felt pressured to test the limits. Whether they know it or not, kids crave boundaries. (Come to think of it, adults do too.)
Overall, I was reminded of just how tough the middle school years can be.
This year, it took a huge leap of faith to send Brooklyn straight from elementary to 7th grade at a high school. As I walked through the halls at orientation with upper classmen towering all around, I thought, "I'm not old enough for this; how can she be?" But then she found a sweet group of friends, and it was easy to forget what a challenging environment they face every day. This trip helped me remember.
But enough of that, let's remember the great parts. The Canyon Country Discovery Center hosted an amazing service learning experience for our group.
For the most part, the girls wrestled to yank invasive species (mostly clover) from the rock-hard ground. However, they also got to help plant a few trees. One group even got to construct a composting system.
Brooklyn helps get some water.
Aw look, such a cute little lizard!
Next stop, Arches National Park. Here we have Brooklyn with her friends Jasmina, Maddie, and Chantel.
Mr. Taber originally suggested we get a picture of all 140 students standing under Delicate Arch. Um, not sure that's a brilliant idea, especially with all the wind gusts.
Dinnertime. That's a lot of pizza boxes.
Okay, this is kind of embarrassing, but I have no idea where this picture was taken. Some place with models of Native American dwellings, such as tipis and this hogan. Wish I'd been given an itinerary with more detail so I could check.
The bus drivers could have used an itinerary and accurate driving directions as well. Turning around on a dirt road is certainly not easy! One of the buses ran over a juniper tree and got quite scraped up.
Despite the drama, we finally made it to our destination, some Ancestral Puebloan ruins reminiscent of those at Mesa Verde.
On the positive side of spontaneity, the kids loved the ice cream that Mr. Taber bought them at Hole In The Rock. Newspaper Rock was on the original schedule, but I guess this is just as good?
The best part of the trip was some gentle river rafting down the Colorado River. It was so beautiful! No pictures (for obvious reasons), but our raft had a great time. I was shocked when every single girl jumped out and went for a quick swim. It was on overcast day, so brrr!
Another great highlight--the final dance party. Music selections were great and everyone seemed to have lots of fun.
Despite the challenges of the trip, I am so glad that I took the time off work to go on this trip. I have so much for more appreciation for our youth and the good choices they make. In particular, I have so much more appreciation for my daughter. In many ways, standing up for what's right feels harder here than other places we've lived. When it comes to religion, Salt Lake is very polarized; standards are often perceived as haughty judgment. Even as a grown-up chaperone; I know how intimidating it was to speak out on this trip. Yet Brooklyn confidently chooses to be different in positive ways every day. That takes immense courage. Thanks for your example, Buttermilk. We love you.
Jason and Grandmas Susie, thank you too! This trip wouldn't have been possible without you. It's a full-time job holding the fort at home, and you guys went above and beyond. Susie watched Annika in Hyde Park for a few days so that Jason could get some work done. Here they are at a park when he went to pick her up. Stunning!
And a little bit scary. If you ask Annika, she insists that "I won't fall, I won't fall!" I'm not sure gravity agrees.
As if he didn't have enough to do, Jason volunteered to make ALL the cookies for the women in our ward on Mother's Day.
Wow. You're positively amazing, Peanut Butter!
I love you ever so much and feel your love for us in ever so many ways. Happy Anniversary!
