Bubbbies

I would post a picture if it wasn't against the rules to upload pictures of other peoples kids. I could not ask to be placed in a better fitting internship.

Willow Cottage is an Early Learning Center geared for children ages 0-5. These children are coming from very affluent families considering it costs about 100 AUD a day for them to be cared there. The building looks like a house on the outside but the inside are baby safe school-like rooms custom fit for each of the age groups. The food they eat is catered, brought to the center every morning before they arrive and as far as nap time goes...they are each rocked or back rubbed into slumber every day. ( I fell asleep rubbing their backs the other day...a typical ann move for sure.) All the staff have degrees from Child Psych, like myself, to elementary or secondary education. It's pretty interesting to be able to observe all the theories I'd learned this past semester.

I'm exhausted of all my energy everyday doing what I enjoy most, so pretty much what I always did on Sundays. I go in to work three days a week, and each day I'm assigned to work with a different age group, babies, toddlers and preschoolers. It isn't as if any of the days is more of a break than the other, each age group comes with very different demands and all sorts of responsibilities. I tend to come home from work complaining about all sorts of things such as the portion of the sandbox I've collected in my shoes, all the diapers I've changed, and all the coughs, sneezes and boogers up in my grill. With that said, I would much rather be complaining about that than any other positions other people have been placed with. Although it would not be as physically demanding ( I need it anyways) I doubt that I would find it even the slightest bit as rewarding as portraits of me drawn in crayons and little hugs before leaving. Not to mention the absolutely adorable accents!

Father's day was last weekend, and I spent it with a family that has kind of taken me under their wing for the time I'm here. ( It settles my dad for a bit knowing that there's someone looking after me at least from a closer distance than he can) It wasn't quite the same, being around someone else's cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I felt a little out of place and extremely homesick for my own loves. But it's okay, we can't have it all now can we? If I could uproot my entire family and move them to Australia, I would do it! It was nice though, eating food I didn't cook ( my cooking's improved btw) and talking to people outside of my program ( not too much a fan of them).

To be honest I haven't really seen much of Australia from a tourists' perspective since I'm drowned in the work/school part of life right now. I try to break out of the week cycle and take small trips over the weekends. I'm the type to want to curl into bed when I get the chance I'm ashamed to admit it but it's taking quite a bit of motivation for me to see the sights... I'll get out there though, the time is already flying by and I'll be dragged back to the states kicking and screaming before I know it.

I'm really loving life over here, it's different enough, and certainly not the same as back home.

Alright I have to head home it's been a long day...and it's only 6 pm...oh yeah, and I'm not nuts about coming home from work/school and having to cook before being able to eat. I totally took my mama and her cooking skills foregranted. It'll best believe it'll be a whole different story when I get back.

g'day all.
Ozzie quote "Is high school in America like in the movies?...like are there really popular people?"