Kool-Aid Paint, Off-Brand Fruit Loops, and Jam Hands

VBS has now officially started! It was quite a morning too. We left about 9:15 (it started at 9:30) and got there in time to catch our breath before a herd of about 45 kids ages 1-14 came running after us babbling loudly in Samoan. We started off with some VBS songs in Samoan and English and sang for quite a while. They really enjoyed our songs and we skipped our first lesson because they wanted to keep singing. Then we split them up into two groups and had one go over to make fruit loop necklaces and another group paint with kool-aid. Marci, Melinda, and Colleen got them started with the necklaces and Danielle and myself we lucky enough to be elected as the paint-coordinators. Try as we may, the colors and flavors got mixed up and almost everything ended up red. I HATE fruit punch kool-aid! But anyways, when the younger ones were nearly soaked and licking their hands to find that this was the kind without sugar, we switched groups and I got to help the kids write their names on their newly found fruit loop name tag necklaces. Some of the kids bought into stringing up the fruit loops before eating them; some of them did not. After we had all of the names written (not pronounced, just written). We (the teachers) got up and did a skit of Jesus loves the little children. My daughter, Colleen Ashley wanted to go see Jesus Marci, but Disciple Melinda wouldn't let her. Colleen started crying and then we had a group hug with Jesus. It was great. Then we let the kids do the skit and the younger group (Colleen's group: 8 kids under age 8) all tackled each other at the end. None of her kids spoke English at all really. I was fortunate enough to get all like 4th-7th graders and they were great. They did good and no one even got hurt in mine. Did I mention I had only 2 girls? Well, it was great anyway. I think that they learned that Jesus loves them. 

Then we made frames out of popsicle sticks and they all fell apart (Marci and Melinda spent their afternoon gluing the pictures in and trying to match names with faces). We got it done though. We had about 4 more kids than we expected, so the older ones (8th grade) had to have a little (3 year old) partner to do the activities with. We are not going to have the 1 and 2 year olds tomorrow. The age limit was supposed to be 3, but they came anyway. It was fun though all in all. 

I am completely exhausted and have a lecture to go to tonight. It may prove hard to not fall asleep. I might try to get a power nap in here in the next hour before we leave. It is almost unbearably hot today; I hope there is a breeze tonight. 

Oh, I didn't mention jam hands. Have you ever noticed that when you are around kids, hands get sticky. There can be no jam in the house and they will get sticky. Then yours are sticky and no matter how many times you wash yours or their hands...they are still sticky? Well, I have jam hands right now and if you know me at all, I like clean fingers. I think it was the kool-aid paint... 

That was the coolest craft though and I would recommend it to anyone! All you do is get the little kool-aid packet and put about a third a cup of water in it and paint with it. It makes really bright colors and smells like fruit *hence the reason we did it*. Anyways...

This is JAM FINGERS signing off!