The Bel Air Home for Children is for kids taken out of abusive or neglectful families, and there are about 35 children ranging in ages 1-18. From the first day, it was apparent how much these kids just need to be loved. The environment they're coming from has obviously played a major toll on their behavior, and some of them are mentally or physically disabled. I've been spending most of my time in the nursery with the 15 kids under the age of 7, who are are always bouncing off the walls. I do whatever I can while I'm there...sing the boys' favorite song "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" to them, clean up bodily fluids, feed the babies, read books to the attentive ones, and attempt to keep them from killing each other over spilled popcorn. So they always keep me on my toes. One of my favorite stories so far is the day my friends Lauren, Megan, and I were sitting in on the preschool class and Lauren decided to read the Anne Geddes ABC book to them. This is the artist who uses babies in all her subject matter, so every page has a baby dressed in something that corresponds with that letter. But every time Lauren turned the page and asked the kids what it was, they would yell "Baby!" So it became "C is for...Baby!" and the way down to "Z is for...Baby!" It was hysterical. I mean, how could you blame them? That lady is confusing.
The Limes After School Program is held in the afternoons in a large abandoned disco and there are usually 15-30 kids of all ages that come. They get help with their homework, practice reading aloud, draw, or just play around with their friends. It's pretty unorganized so far and I just came to observe in the beginning, but the kids latched right onto me, so I felt like I've been there all along.
