"From the Eyes of a Team Leader" by Helene

Day One

Up early and rousing my student out of bed.  Excited and nervous.  Begging Dad not to make us late. It is all about getting a seat with a charging outlet.  Gathered in the gym with a whistle and a quick speech, then herded like cattle onto the buses.  

Bus 1 is currently filled with well-behaved angels. Soon I fear they will be a bit jacked up on caffeine, as the line for Starbucks was snaking into the bathroom. All smiling and all excited with the adventure that lays ahead. The Sassy Seven are all accounted for.

Team Leaders are mingling and chatting.  Getting to know each other and setting up alliances.  Still trying to figure out who want to side with Phil and who wants to side with Marybeth.  Not sure who will be more beneficial to my needs as of yet.  

No one on Bus 1 has dared to use the bus bathroom yet...

Second stop MA and McDonald's was the clear winner.  At 10:30 am most of the kids have eaten more calories than they do with three  home cooked meals.  Bus 1 is starting to wake up... stay tuned for the crazy to begin.  

Third stop of the day  in New York was at a rest area where kids could eat lunch, run, and socialize.  Sprints to the bathroom, picnic tables(bit rickety), a game of football, and groups gabbing.  Kids are impressive in their ability to listen - parents should all be proud.  Only issue when departing was the loss of a team leader.  She was found standing in the bus bathroom holding a conference call.  Bus 1 is still not crazy. Girls in the Sassy Seven are all accounted for.

It was interesting to listen to the kids as we drove into the city and picked our way through Harlem.  The personal filters were not being used but often that is partnered with the unknown and excitement of places unknown.  Filing off in Central Park brought the comfort level of our green children back to a comfortable state.  We first marched from Columbus Circle, passed the Tavern on the Green and the sheep meadow turning the corner into Strawberry Fields.  Giving the kids the background on John Lennon and his untimely death, the moment should have been solemn.  However the crazy-spoon-headed-man kind of stole the show as he used colorful language to welcome the group.

Loading again, then unloading at Battery park we paraded to the 9/11Memorial. Unsure how I would feel about seeing the reflection pools, I walked trepidatiously with my girls to the mist.  I saw deep, deep pits surrounded by the names of the people who perished in all the acts of terror performed on that day.  After a moment of observation and a bit of prompting the girls started discussing the memories that were told to them of that day.  Thoughtful, respectful, and willing to share, my Sassy Seven helped me understand the event through their eyes.  On our walk back, we weaved through the crowd quietly one of the girls said listen to all the different languages we are hearing.  9/11 affected a population that stretches greater than our US boundaries.

"I'll have what she is having..."  Dinner at Katz's Deli with three buses of kids that were REALLY hungry was an experience.  The kids learned the need to be assertive in NY.  Some stepped out of their box and tried things new and different.  Others are just not ready for this in Day 1.  Reubens, corned beef, steak and cheese - stacked high with a side of salted pickles, chased with cheesecake (or at least mine meal was).  All this topped off with a group photo which totally annoyed the general public trying to enjoy their meal.