Two weeks of school down. The air conditioner at school broke so we had half days both Wednesday and Thursday. We also missed Parent Night on Wednesday. I was looking forward to meeting the parents of the children in my room. I am considering holding my own night. Both days were a bit of a confusing mess. No one sent out a half-day schedule so everything was off both days. Everyone kind of did their own thing so that meant people were overlapping schedules and meals etc… Our pod coordinated our lunch and recess schedules at least. I am now up to 22 children, having added 2 children at the end of this week. I am told after Labor Day to expect a few more. These children will return with families from summer positions that will no longer be open after Labor Day. 

Friday we did not have school due to Crazy Horse Day. I am still unsure what that is everyone I have asked doesn’t seem to know. Everything at school was completely shut down on Friday, so I spent a lovely day stitching, The two photos are of the two small quilt tops I completed. Both have been aging nicely in my stash at home like good wine. I will send both with Jeff to be machine quilted. (There is some advantage to no TV and no internet at the apartment!!!) No air conditioning both at school and in the apartment though has been rather uncomfortable and I have not been sleeping well.

Jeff arrived Friday late afternoon. I was so happy to see him. I am more than a bit homesick. I am not used to being in such a small space and without friends and family to go do things with. Of course, it is a long way to go to do anything from here. I did find a quilt show in Hill City next weekend. I am seriously considering driving The 3 hours over to see it. Jeff took me to Kadolka for a steak last night to celebrate a late birthday!! It tasted so good!!!

Thank you to my Wooly Mammoth knitting friends for starting to knit stocking hats for here at Crazy Horse School. We know they will be unique and the children will love that. We had a group bring in backpacks and school supplies, both were greatly needed. The issue, however, was that all look alike. I did have a lovely silver marker so all my children wrote their names inside the backpacks. It did cut down on the bickering about who’s backpack it is. Additionally, this group took sizes for winter coats. Since it was over 90 degrees here the children did not understand why anyone would want to get winter coats. I explained that the ladies would be driving back to North Carolina and then purchasing all those coats and shipping them back, We looked at our fifty states map to see how far traveling to North Carolina really is. Most of their world is here in Wanblee with occasional trips to other places on the reservation or Rapid City. Children raised in poverty do not understand future planning. In many of their lives, planning is for the immediate needs (food, housing, health concerns) and something like winter is so far off.