Camping Week II

It wasn't easy but I've survived Camping Week II. This last week I went with my youngest boy's class because there weren't enough helpers in the class already. Unlike my first camping week, with my class, this last week we just had rain.........the whole week. That didn't stop us of course from sleeping in tents (drying out sleeping bags etc. during the day), canoeing (with long hot showers when we were back to the house), or even building a fire and cooking outside on the bbq (with everyone sitting under a tarp strung between the trees). And of course we still went river walking, you can't complain much about the rain when you're up to your waist in a freezing river.

We left on Tuesday and drove to Kilin to the White House. This is a house and property that the school owns. It is great because the children can have this camping/outdoor experience but we can still cater to dietary and medical needs, special hygiene requirements and have access to much needed laundry facilities.

As I mentioned we spent the week out of doors. On Tuesday we went for a walk to a beach on Loch Tay. Then canoeing on the loch on Wednesday. We canoed out to a little island on the loch for lunch and then back. On Thursday we took the children to the Wildlife Adventure Park in the morning to see everything from chickens and bunnies to parrots, the kukuburra, peacocks, highland cats and even the popular highland coo (cow). Thursday afternoon we all went river walking and then it was Friday and time to pack and clean the house to go home. After all that you might guess what I did straight away when I got home. Yep, shower and bed, straight away, and I was out for the night.

Now I'm back and I have plenty to do. Do you know that I have just two weeks of term left here? Hard to imagine but in two weeks my year here in Scotland is finished. Just two weeks!!!

The Game Plan

So, with just three weeks of school left(!!!) here's next year's plan.........Germany. Surprised? Me too. I told some of you before I left that if I liked it here, I might think about staying for another year. I never thought that instead I would be making plans for living in Germany, but I am actually VERY excited about this new plan (I have a lot of work to do on my language skills though).

The plan does include more than JUST living in Germany. Don't worry, I will be working. I have made a connection through my friend Esther, with a family who is wanting someone to live with them and help care for their two daughters. Their oldest daughter has autism and while they have thought before about hosting someone as an Au Pair, they didn't think that they would find someone with experience working with autistic children. Enter me!!

As I said they have two daughters. They are living in Stuttgart and they sound really nice. We've written several emails and have spoken on the phone. They really sound great and I can't tell you how excited I am. I hope that you will all be excited for me as well. Don't worry though because the plan does also include a couple months at home before going to Germany and I have already told them that I want to be able to travel home at Christmas time.

The details:
-School is over on the 3rd of July
-Fly to Germany on 6th of July to meet family
-Spend a few days in Stuttgart with family and then fly from Frankfurt to Seattle
-In Seattle for July, August, and most of September
-Fly to Germany sometime in the end of September

I'm looking so forward to seeing everyone at home soon!! And I'll have much more to share with you about my plans for next year.

Lots of love,
Kaija

Camping Week I

Tomorrow morning I will be going with my class to Killin for camping week. This is something that each of the classes will do this term. I say that this is Camping Week I because I'll also be going with another class two weeks from now. I'm not sure yet if that makes me lucky or not.

So this week we will be doing it all. Everything from hiking, cycling, canoeing and river walking, to of course sleeping in tents, bbqing, and sitting around the campfire. It should be a lot of fun and I'm sure it will be a great experience to make with the children. It will be a different way of working with them so I look forward to that.

Well, I still have some packing and organizing to do before I'm ready so I'll have to leave you there until I return with photos.

Pray for sunshine a blue skies please!! Or at least not rain.
I wish you all great week!!