Try, Try Again

"Fall seven times, stand up eight. "
--Japanese Proverb

Last week was spring break for the kids at the Boys and Girls Club, and it was spent in a completely different building, just down the street from where we usually go. It's called the ESPY Club, and it's completely devoted to the BGC; it's not also a school, or anything. So it has a pool, a huge gym, a game room...in other words, plenty of things to keep the kids occupied.

A week before break, all of the adults had met up at the ESPY club to plan organized, constructive activities for the kids in each age group. That plan didn't really work out.

Instead, we basically took the kids from four or five local schools and plopped them into this new building and let them have free rein over it. I walked in on Monday to kids of all ages running around, swimming, playing ping pong and asking me for money for the vending machines.

The thing is, it actually worked out really well. I think the kids needed a break as much as I did. They needed to be able to make their own decisions for once and just let loose. (Just a little). And it was a much easier week than I had anticipated. In fact, the kids at our school might be the best behaved of the entire district. I had a really fun time with them.

My favorite moment BY FAR from spring break happened on Friday. The entire BGC went roller skating at the Fun Factory, and the kids got free skates and were going round and round the rink. There is this little kindergartner we have named Cornelius, who is just the cutest freaking little guy in the world. He's really tiny, probably the shortest kid in the school, and he's uber sweet.

Cornelius had never roller skated before, but he didn't want a lot of help from the adults. I was watching him for a while on the sidelines, and he literally could not skate for more than three seconds without falling down. And whenever he fell, he'd fall again trying to stand up.

But he never, ever stopped standing back up. And he had the biggest smile on his face; I could tell he was having the time of his life.

Plus, in the rare moments he was actually on his feet, he'd start pumping his arms and hips to the music.

I was literally crying from laughing so hard. What a guy.