Tag Archives: party

Baseball Birthdays

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Every now and then, we have birthday parties on the baseball field! Last week, it was A’s turn to have a surprise party.

His birthday was during the week, but for some reason he told me it was Saturday. So I arrived on Saturday armed with a cake (covered in sprinkles, of course), much to his delight and surprise! 

We also had fun games, since Coach Tom had recently ordered some new toys that had just arrived! Our favorite was this cool game– you have to maneuver a wire hook over a metal contraption without touching the metal at all.

Lisa brought food, too! She made spider spaghetti for the kids.

These are the kind of days I’ll never forget. What a wonderful life this is!

First Party of Christmas!

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It’s finally that time of year! Time to roll out the wrapping paper, put up the tree, and decorate way too many cookies. To kick on the season right, the Pediatric Interest Group at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine put on a fantastic Christmas party for some of the kids in our area.

red noses

One of the groups that was invited to the party was Player Development Program, which is the baseball program that I volunteer with. Today, the team had a Little League game before the party,. The dugout was buzzing with happiness during the whole game! The kids were in high spirits as they anticipated the party, and they played with such gusto that they ended up winning nine to seven.
playing games

After the game, we all piled into cars and vans and got ready for the fun ahead. When we arrived, students and their spouses welcomed us with treats and games and loads of fun. The Pediatric Interest Group obviously put a lot into the day, and there was so much to do! The kids sat down for a yummy lunch from Jules and then dug into the pie, cookies, candy, and homemade goodies that the students and spouses brought.

table

When the sugaring up was finished, and when all the kids had received their shiny red Rudolph noses, it was time for crafts and games! Glitter, glitter everywhere. I’m pretty sure we’re all going to leave sparkling footprints behind us for the rest of the week. Too bad fairy dust doesn’t really make you fly. I’m going to think some happy thoughts just in case, though, because you never know.

crafts

There were coloring pages and paper crafts and games galore, but the one I thought was the most fun was the paper snowflake station. I taught the kids how to fold and cut snowflakes. I’m not sure they understood the connection between snowflakes and Christmas (or even snowflakes at all), but they absolutely loved the lacy paper and creativity. We ended up with snowflakes, boats, and paper shapes of all kinds.

paper snowflakes

The kids even got gifts! Jackie, a spouse at the school, and her kids made incredibly adorable presents. The girls got crowns and wands, and the boys got superhero masks and arm bands. Needless to say, they were beyond thrilled!

superhero masks

Just as the glitter glue and paper shreds  threatened to become a magical snowstorm, the party’s hosts took the kids outside to play and run off all the sugar. I helped clean up and waved goodbye to the kids. Thanks, Pediatric Group! We had a wonderful afternoon.

Saying Goodbye, Caribbean Style

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American University of the Caribbean knows how to say goodbye in style. Dr. Testa, the senior associate dean, is moving on to a new place and a new position. So, the school threw him a tropical party for the staff and students to enjoy!

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The funniest part of the celebration was the Dean Testa bobble-heads that faculty members auctioned off. The best part was the yummy food. There were so many things to taste! Fruit juice, ice cream from Carousel, fresh fruit, coconuts… yes please!

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One of the tables was made to look like a traditional Caribbean dress, complete with someone wearing it.

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We managed to get one of the last coconuts from the coconut man.

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To top it off, a local youth drumming group came and played a few songs. It doesn’t get better than tropical fruit and steel drums! Happy trails, Dr. Testa.

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Holi on the Beach

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It’s like a color run with food instead of running!

  
  Photo source: Vikasacharya

Holi is an ancient Hindu festival that celebrates the advent of spring. It occurs each year around the spring equinox.

The legend behind Holi is the story of a prince who is rescued by Lord Krishna from his arrogant and evil father. The king’s wicked sister tries to burn the prince, but she ends up being consumed instead. As the story goes, people put the ashes from the fire on their heads. 

Today, Holi is celebrated with a party in which participants throw colored powder on each other, eat special food, and drink. Hindus as well as non-Hindus participate in Asia and around the world.

  
Celebrating Holi Sint Maartin-style means a party of on the beach, of course! The South Asian Medical Student Association at AUC hosted Holi at Mullet Bay. After the colored powder ran out, everyone played a game of beach volleyball. According to some of the participants, the colors did not wash off in the ocean. I’m looking forward to seeing whether shampoo takes it out or if some of the med school students will have tie-dyed heads for a while.