Natalie Crane

Thank you!

Today was a very chaotic day! We played a game similar to musical chairs, where every kid dances around until the music stops and then has to hop in a hoola hoop. It was very fun and festive with Christmas music, but we had to deal with some big feelings when kids got out. I think we all had to find an extra bit of patience today with the chaos, but it was still a good time! I also got to ride the Asbell bus with Cadillac today for the first time, which was a great experience. I loved talking with him and Halo.

Lunch buddies with Lynden and Sara!!!

Today, my job was to hang out at the playground while the kids rotated stations! I had fun playing frisbee (even though I am super bad), tag, and a survivor game that one of the kids got from Roblox. Linden made pumpkin muffins for Tasty Treat Thursday and they were amazing! I also got to hang out with Trip, one of the older kids, and he told me about his love for football and his time at the Tennessee game this year.

Today we got to go play outside for the afterschool program! I played a lot of tag and some of the kids are surprisingly fast. The weather was beautiful so I loved just getting to hang out with them! I also am continuing to see the value in seeking out the kids who are not as comfortable in group settings. They really love feeling seen just as much as some of the other, more outgoing kids. Today, this meant making a rock pile with one of the girls instead of playing tag with all the other kids, and she was so excited to have someone to do it with!

Please add pictures of donations

Today, we made Halloween cookies and it was so fun! We also just played games and played in the gym because we didn’t have any other activities planned. I had fun playing headbands with the kids and also got to play movie trivia with Kensington, which I realized I’m not very good at. Today, compromise and letting kids take turns was very important. I got to walk them through sharing and being civil when doing so because there weren’t enough places to play the same game at times!!

Yay 5k!!!!

Today, we made fruit kebabs and then watched a movie! Nothing out of the ordinary happened today, but the kids were very energetic! I am starting to get to know everyone’s names a lot better and it makes our conversations much more personal. I do think I need more practice saying no and being firm with rules while volunteering. Sometimes I struggle whenever kids argue to maintain authority and I really want to work on that! Overall, I love hanging out with them. Today, I got to be with Uriah and Lu for more time and it was so fun to get to know them. (They are adorable.)