Wrestling the Northern Lights!!!

So yes, I made it back home to Emo safely.  I've had a busy past few days.  This week included an IEP meeting, being evaluated, staff meeting, interviewing for a full-time aide position, my direction of special education coming to visit, the education technology director coming to visit, and Laura leaving (so I'm watching BooBoo).  Ahh!!!

The kids did Eskimo dancing last week at school.  Wow

Then they said that the school could come join the high schoolers who were dancing...there wasn't enough room to let them dance with them.

They aren't allowed to dance Eskimo dancing until they have had a "first dance."  They will practice and learn for months or a year (really since they were born since they will have been to potlatches and Eskimo Dances) to learn the dances and the stories and religion behind the dances.  Then, their first dances will be at a Potlatch and everything they use will be new (the feathers or animal fur, clothes, gloves, shoes...everything).  So, they aren't allowed to Eskimo dance until then.  So, a lot of the children in the village haven't danced Eskimo dances because they haven't had a "first dance."  During this dancing, it wasn't official, so the elders allowed the kids to dance even if they didn't have their first dances.  They were so excited.  I had to stop many of the kindergarteners and kids from dancing because of how excited they were, until the high schoolers could show the other students what they had been practicing for the previous weeks.  It was great!  I hope it encourages some more students to do their first dances this year.

We had a lot of fun while Sam and Laraine (directors of Ed Tech and Sped - respectively) came to visit.  We had dinner at Laura's made by Phoebe the first night, and then at Sara and Nate's the second night, made by...pretty much everyone.  Sam showed us his fluent Spanish and Mexican cooking skills.  It was nice to have visitors and be able to show them the good times of Emo.

We then had a Wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday.  Wow-such fun!  Phoebe and I were in charge of scores and time.  It was a lot of fun to see the kids playing their hardest.  And then to see them after the meet on Friday night, hanging out and having fun, and again Saturday afternoon.  I got so many great shots with Nate's awesome camera!  I will have to upload some of the monkey business when I get them off the camera's memory card.  The kids running around, climbing walls (literally), hanging off basketball hoops, wrestling still (because they didn't get enough in the last 24 hours!), listening to music, piggyback rides, piles of kids, and hugs and groups for pictures. :)  I had a blast seeing them all.  It makes it ten times better being up here when I was able to partake in that few hours of free time.  Seeing the kids having so much fun and interacting so well with each other.  They're great kids and really respect each other and want to teach each other.

THEN...when I was coming home after the meet last night, a dad of a student said something about the lights.  I didn't understand, and was going to ignore him because our house lights are out quite often and assumed that's what he was talking about.  Then he goes, "No! The Northern Lights!" and points at the sky.  I looked up, and sure enough!  I was able to get my first sight of the aurora borealis!  I don't know if I can stress to you enough how much I have always wanted to see them.  They were gorgeous!  And amazing!  And I still can't figure out how it's happening!  And if it's happening!  It looks like your eyes are just playing tricks on you...but they were great.  They weren't really bright, or all the different colors, but they were good enough for the first time!  I was pleasantly surprised because they shouldn't be here for at least another month.  I guess there's a lot of solar activity which is making them more active.  Come see them if you're curious! :)

Northern lights by Nate and Sara's house (taken by Nate)

Northern Lights next to my house

And in case you were wondering, no, they weren't this bright when we saw them.  Nate's camera just rocks.  He left the shutter open for 20 seconds and got these amazing shots.