A Day with Jess



Kathy spent the day with her neice, Jess. It started at 5:45 when she left the house to drive across town to Wexford. Traffic started gradually and soon she was in the line moving at a snail's pace. All she could think of was the Jetson's, wishing she was in a little saucer traveling at great speed on remote. But Kathy was in charge of the gas and break pedals of Jayne's 4-door car. (Kathy misses her sports car!) Traffic on the Holton Bridge was a nightmare, backed all the way up the hill and to the Oakmont Country Club. Across the the bridge and zip zip into the Route910 traffic, then the Route19 rush hour and finally into the parking lot an hour and a half later.


Jess supervises children in the morning/afternoons program called Stepping Stones. She is active and enthusiastic. She already knows the children by name and greets them all with a friendly smile and happy words. Some children settle into drawing, cats was the theme today, some work on an introduction project of designing their own tee shirts, and one little guy plays on the laptop computer. Kathy brought an orgami project and a few gave it a try making little paper boats and dogs. It was soon time for running around like nuts. They went to the gym for this and did the limbo. Jess held the stick for a while then joined the kids encouraging them all to join in and making it a fun activity.


When the children went to classes, Kathy and Jess made the rounds of other Stepping Stone facilites. Each has daycare for infants, toddlers, preschooler and kindergarters. Kathy was introduced to all as "my Aunt Kathy". We walked around the retreat where Jess spent the summer supervising a summer camp program.


A short drive up Route 19, (Kathy wondered where all the traffic went!) and we stopped to see Jess's Mom. She gave Kathy the grand tour while Jess talked to friends.


Jess and Kathy spent an hour at Panera Bread talking, catching up, sharing and chatting when Maria came in to join us for lunch. The phone rang. It was Stepping Stones. The director was very concerned about Kathy taking pictures of the children without written permission. . . so no pictures of Jess working with the kids will be posted until Kathy figures out how to blur up their faces.


Jess has from 9-3 four days a week if she is not called to work with the Stepping Stones Day Care. Today we were free so we had free time, usually Jess's study time for classes. She is attending Point Park College working towards a BS in education.


We drove back to her apartment that she shares with her boyfriend, Rick. E-mail and internet time, dishes and talking the time flew by and we were soon on our way back for the afternoon kids at Wexford School. Kathy did her goodbyes and got out before the busses hit the road for her gruling ride home.

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