Such an eventful weekend!

Let me just get the one negative thing (other than the heat) out of the way first. I have two words for you: leech infestation. Fortunately they're all just hooked onto the dam at the swimhole and we haven't seen any in the water, but oh my GOD, there are millions. When you first see them, they look like some kind of algae growth. Where the fuck do that many fucking leeches come from? It honestly, truly makes my skin crawl. It makes me fight to control my gag reflex when I look at or think about them too closely. I've never seen anything like it. We're hoping for a big rain to wash them all off, because we don't know what else to do. Okay, next topic!

First of all, yesterday I was the picture of productivity. Relatively speaking. China and I built a bench with Jimmy, and I discovered a shy affection for power tools. I made pockets for my new notebook and also a camera case (the zipper on my old one broke) out of packaging tape. I did some work on a job application. I spent several hours with Emily and Danice planning the first ever Harry Potter evening program. It was good times. I think we're going to have to take out the Horcrux Hunt though, because I'm not sure it would go over well if we had to explain horcruxes to ten year olds.

And today! Today is Christmas! First of all, we got to sleep in a half hour because it's Sunday. (Staff meeting at 8:15 am rather than 7:45.) Secondly, Tim and Naomi made fricking muffins for us last night, and gave them to us at staff meeting this morning! And Abby's church had donated some money "to spoil the staff," so our fake tree was set up in the dining hall and under it were 35 ditty bags containing gifts bought from the Dollar General in Goshen. So here's the rundown of our staff meeting this morning: we're all sitting on the dining hall porch like usual, waiting for Beth to come start the meeting. Then Art comes out and asks us all to come inside. As we enter, we hear Christmas music playing in the background and see the decorated tree and three kinds of delicious fresh muffins: blueberry, chocolate, and strawberry. We each got two. THEN, Beth sits us down in a circle on the floor and informs us that we are about to have a white elephant gift exchange. I got a stegosaurus. As I said: Best. Christmas. Ever.

Now please excuse me, because I have to finish this app today (for real this time) and send it, and also make 55 or so sets of tickets for HP night, and paint some more signs, and get together all the materials, and get people signed up for all the roles, and field a bunch of questions regarding protocol and stations and costumes and names and terminology. By the way, for the amusement of those of you that may know her, Kelly is running the quiddich station. She is playing the rogue bludger.