Barista Zindra

I was reading Shannons recent Blog when I realized that I haven't blogged in about a month! Where has the time gone? Well... we've been up to alot lately. Here's a mini update.

Let's see.. Rod and I are quite involved with Friday School this term. Rod is teaching two Chess classes and a Paper Airplane class (Top Gun School of Flight is the title :) ) Both are a success. I thought all I was going to do was be in coffee corner block a, my block off (or help with admin stuff occasionally), and help out Rod in his classes block b & c.

A couple of months ago, First Class bought a real espresso machine for our co-op. Free coffee for Teachers. An Incentive to get people to teach. And everyone else only pays $2 per cup.

Well, the first friday morning, Chrissie, who's in charge of Coffee Corner asked if I could help her out in Block A. I said sure, I can do that! What I didn't realize is that I would become the new Barista! Well after we got all of the food together, they stuck me in front of the espresso machine and asked if I remembered how to make mochas... (we had a training when we bought the machine).

Ummm, well there's more to it than putting coffee and milk in a paper cup! After the first day, I had it down. Week two went without any major hitches. My biggest thing is trying to remember to hold/take off the thermometer when pouring the milk. It only fell in twice this last week!

I'm really enjoying it very much. I'm doing something fun, something that people like, and everyone comes up and talks to me while i'm making it! So i'm getting plenty of my words out on fridays!

When we first got the machine, I had told Rod that I would love to make coffees at friday school... i've always wanted to work at an espresso stand. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe for free espresso? Anyhow... I can now say that I am a real Barista! That was a fun surprise. I think I'd like to expand my repertoire at some point to make a few more drinks... I had no idea what it took to stand for over an hour making coffee. Remembering all of the details. Figuring out how to make them more quickly. There are enough orders, that the entire time I am in front of the machine, I'm frothing milk or waiting for the shots.

At training, the starbucks lady taught me how to make a caramel macchiato (sp?). So next week i'm taking my caramel syrup to make my first real one. Chrissie likes them too... What's been the real surprise, is that i'm really getting the chance to know Chrissie and Tammie. Both gals that I liked before, but we've now gone through the espresso making trenches together.. we'll be bonded for life :)

On the Board...

About a month ago, Rod and I were asked to consider joining the Board of First Class Homeschool Co-op. We attended our first meeting (which, for a meeting was way too much fun Polli!) this last monday night and got officially voted in. It was very very interesting to be apart of the side of friday school that everyone else wonders about. You know? You find out how much money is in the bank and how the decisions are made and learn a lot more about what Friday school is doing... and you see others that take ownership and people that care about something that up until a year or so ago, I just attended. We've been going to friday school off and on for five years.

Last year, I got to know Polli... she's great! And started talking about how friday school is run and that the people in charge really do need help getting things done. I didn't realize that it was such a big deal. Friday school used to be where I just took my kids for a morning out of the house!

First I got started with the directory. It needed printing... Ok, i'll do it.. how hard could that be? Then they needed help mailing newsletters... so I got my kids involved and we sit at our table and fold newsletters together... that was pretty easy. (Figuring out 11X17 double sided printing, was NOT!) I realized that by "teaching" the nursery and holding babies, that I could get my admin fee waived... so I was Julia's nursery "teacher" and last session I was her toddler "teacher". Then Josiah had mentioned how much he'd like friends to play chess with... So I got Rod involved teaching a Chess class that has been a HUGE hit! (Well, he's tied into that for at least another year because Jed is dying to play!!!) Then time went by, we helped with Registration... A friend told me that they were thinking about cancelling our use of the lunchroom because of how our group was cleaning up afterwards... I love solving problems... A friend and I figured out a system (that works really well) and implemented it. Which took a huge burden off of the leaders of friday school and we get to keep our social hour... woohoo!

Rod knew we were in for it when I got "keyed" (anyone seen the Grey's Anatomy episode about getting keyed?).. yah, too funny. Anyway, it's been a ton of fun... and it's really blessed me to help. It's been great for me to get out of the house with a purpose and to have more friends to laugh with. I can't believe how many friends I've made through friday school. And that has been very good for me... who seems to be a homebody for the last few years.

Over the course of the last couple of years.. Rod and I have been asking ourselves... is Rod a homeschooling Dad or a Dad who has homeschoolers... And this last year, at friday school, since he's taught for 3 sessions, we've noticed that there is only one other Dad teacher. There are a few who come here and there and there are a few more in leadership... but not many that actually participate weekly in Friday School. We've started asking the moms where are the dads? At work, Rod didn't think they'd let him reschedule his fridays.. but he finally asked... and now it's on his permanent record as community service... He's decided that he wants to be a homeschooling Dad... part of the program.... Well, he's at the other computer as I'm typing, writing an article for our newsletter about homeschooling dads... (that now, i'm the editor of)

I know i'm the primary teacherin our kid's education , but there is things that Rod teaches and teaches really well. So we started by thinking that he should be the one to teach those types of subjects... And that whole willingness to get involved and get involved in friday school has lead into something much bigger than we could have ever imagined... in a really cool way.

Right now at Friday School they are working on getting a program set up for the Homeschooling Highschoolers who need something different than the younger kids. I'm really encouraging Rod to get involved where he can, because of his background... he has the skills, the knowledge, and the Youth Ministry background to really do something there. We'll see where it goes. We aren't exactly sure at the moment, but I'm really interested in seeing more homeschooled kids stick with it through highschool. Which seems to be a big problem in the homeschool community here. I hope eventually we can have a Homeschool Youth Group.

Do I think that by being on the board that that's going to impede on my time? Not really. One meeting every few months is a small price to pay to be apart of a great association. Our next meeting is in September...

Now my newsletter? Well, that's another story. I'm working on my first newsletter as we speak.. Hopefully after the first month or two, I'll get things down and it'll go smoothly. And then i'll get a newsletter folding assistant! But really, I love to write, I love my fonts, and I love having ownership in something... so for now, yah, the newsletter will take time, but i'm into it!