Maya Memorial Walk

We have been missing our dear and amazing school dog, Maya, dreadfully at school but we have found comfort in doing things to honor her. When we got back from Christmas break we immediately began coming up with ideas of how we could honor and memorialize her at school and in our community... we want to spread some of her ashes at school, since that was her favorite place on island and build a bench with Paul (my dad) that would display pantings of her and tennis balls, but that is going to have to wait till warmer weather!

So, we did some other activities in the meantime...

First we created a bulletin board at school that would be in honor of Maya.

Quinny created a great sign with "BONGOS" on it... which was Maya's nickname around town. 

We knew we wanted the  bulletin board to have pictures and captions.

So we went with the theme "Lessons Bongos Taught Us."

We used cut out tennis balls to write down the lesson we will always remember from Maya.

Like to always be yourself.

and to get dirty once and a while...

and to remember to gives hugs and kisses...

and to play hard and claim what is rightfully yours!

This is one of my favorites!

And of course to love every moment!

We love you Maya!

Next we decided we wanted to have a little event that we could invite the community to in honor of Maya. Dalton came up with the idea of a dog walk! Quinn and I set to work on the details while Dalton was in for the week to get his braces on (pictures to come!)

First Quinn and I went rock hunting for some flat, round stones to make memory rocks of Maya to give out at her walk.

We wanted to paint them to look like tennis balls... so you needed just the right color green.

Perfect!

Next the strips and then we glued on little photos of Maya in all her glory!

The finish products... I love these stones so much. I have mine in my pocket everyday!

Next it was onto baking, of course! And we got a new hand mixer at school from Barbara Hitchcock so we were baking with gas!

You can't have a community event without baked goods you know...

Time for special gifts for the boys... Maya mugs!

Dalton's mug... and do you notice the braces?

Test testing... 

Is that tennis ball green frosting I see?

Oh yes it is! Tennis ball cupcakes! Delicious!

Tying string on tennis balls for our memorial tree!

Time for the event... writing messages on tennis balls!

Hanging the tennis balls on the tree out front of school!

Even some little guys came out to honor Maya. This little guy would often hear a dog barking and say "Maya!" No matter what dog it was!

So many people came... it meant a lot.

Time to walk.

We walked the Red Ribbon Trail, one of Maya's favorites!

Then we gave out cupcakes and memory stones.

Lots of good messages on the tennis ball tree.

Little one.

Love and peace for Miss Maya.

And the finished tree. How many tennis balls can you see? It is really nice to walk to school and see all those tennis balls swinging from the tree!

Thank you to all who were able to come to Maya's walk. It was such a wonderful, simple, sweet time to remember the bestest school dog we could ever have hoped for.

Weather Station... UP!

We had been hoping to get our weather station up before the holiday break, but with this little thing called the Christmas Play... it didn't happen. BUT, now that we are back in business and we have the fabulous help of our amazing community member Matt S. we are up and running.

The boys worked with Matt to figure out just what we needed to do to get our weather station up and running...

I of course, took pictures. We all have our roles, I except mine willingly.

One screw here another bolt there...

Everything is attached and we are ready to turn on the receiver!

This little machine is awesome. So much information at our finger tips!

Putting the station in a temporary spot out back of the school.

Thank you Matt for this awesome stand that we will use until we (meaning Matt of course) is able to mount the station on TOP of our school house. Have I mentioned that Matt rocks!?

Once our station was up we started getting weather information immediately! We will be posting our weather data to another "weather blog" that will be up and running in the next week! Stay tuned!!!!

Inter-Island Bulletin Board

It's officially 2011 so it is time to revamp the school house. We actually like our school set up a lot this year. The kids adore their offices... (I personally want Quinn's because he has a corner office with two great views!) So since we weren't rearranging furniture we need to rearrange our bulletin boards!

Before Christmas I ordered a bunch of prints of photos from all our inter-island events so far this year with our pals from Islesford, Isle au Haut, Frenchboro, and even Cliff (via Tanberg!)

We decided on creating an "Inter-Island Bulletin Board" that we could look at during these cold and mega isolated winter months and think about all our friends and "classmates" from the other schools!

The boys were totally into creating the bulletin board and it was a fun project to do after our holiday break. I mean what kid doesn't like ripping off "old stuff" from the bulletin board and then using staplers to put up "new stuff"! Quinn kept saying... oh I just stapled Dalton's head!" Of course referring to the photo he stapled!

Once we put up all the pictures the boys and I wrote up little captions to put under the pictures. It was fun to look at all the great times we have had so far this year with the other island kids and teachers. We are so lucky.

We especially liked the group photo from Inter-Island Event because our Inter-Island mascot, Maya was in it!

Lots of great memories and photos!

Quinny loved this one!

Our Inter-Island Photo album!

We are also excited because now community members will get to see all the great things we have done with our inter-island friends when they come to school for community events.

Complete! It looks awesome. We love it. 

A Tribute to our Favorite School Dog: Maya

In Memory of Maya Angelou Monhegan Obama Campbell

AKA: BONGOS, Littles, Wiggles-Worth, Naughty-Pants, Missey, Pooh Bear, Mai - Tai, and Butter-Bandit

2011 has gotten off to a rough start for the Mohegan School. A couple days before Christmas my beloved best friend and companion, and our fabulous school dog, Maya, passed away. It was extremely unexpected and sudden. She did not suffer and was actually playing and running and loving life up until the moment she died. We think she was just too happy and loved life so much that her little heart couldn't keep up with all the love and joy she had. The reality of missing Maya is heart-wrenching. She was such a tangible energy at our school. The loss is great and difficult, but we find comfort in reflecting on the oh-so-fabulous life she led. Even in the sadness and grief we find ourselves laughing and smiling as we tell stories of her at school rolling around on the bean bags or dragging her little bottom outside on the school yard. She loved school and she loved us and she just loved life. We love and miss her very much.

Today we had spent some time today to write and reflect. The boys wrote poems and I wrote miss Maya a letter.

Maya

Maya thought she was a lap dog

and she liked reading books with me

but the one thing she liked better then all....

was a tennis ball

she was a really healthy dog

but I guess her spirit was faster then her and rushed right out

faster then the wind

she was not always that bright

but she was wonderful dog

and she will always be in our hearts.

By Q.A.B

The Retriever

By Dalton

Happiness radiates from the golden fur

Which the sun lights with rays of color

Focus faces the green orb of importance

As it leaps into the sky of everlasting blue

Never tired until the day is done

For everyone is a friend that loves to play

No one understands the want to talk

And the want to protect

Everyone understands the want for a treat

And the want for a friendly face

Kisses and comfort must be given

To assure that everyone is alright

Down the gray street onto the brown path

Is the way everyone wants to go

Friends and Family

Play and Ball

Treat and Walk

Wetness and Dryness

all equal

Everlasting Happiness

Dedicated to the memory of:

Maya Angelou Monhegan Obama Campbell

AKA “Bongos”

Dear Maya,

I miss you. I miss how you slept on the back on the couch like a cat and would sit with your little head on the window sill yearning to go out a play with anyone and everyone who passed by. I miss how you would jump down and wiggle over to me as soon as you would hear me grab your collar from the hook because you knew it was time for “work” and soon you would get to see your “kids”.

I miss our walks to and from school where you would strategically leave tennis balls every hundred yards so you could pick up and drop them off as we walked down the road together. Even on rainy days or grumpy days or cold days... you made me happy to get up and walk to work.

I miss how you would sleep at my feet while I worked in the morning and then would start pacing the school at 7:30 because you know the kids would be coming soon and how you would bark, and whine, and wiggle as soon as you saw them coming up the path. I loved how much you loved them. They loved you too and still do, so much.

I miss hearing your little feet trit-trot all over the school and hearing the boys call your name when they were sad or frustrated or bored. I miss how you could always make us laugh as you would sleep up side down or attack the bean bag chair or randomly begin ripping up items you found in the recycling bin. I miss your smile and the black spot on your tongue. I miss your wispy tail and the way your ears would get all crimpy when they got wet. I miss all the joy and energy and love you brought to our school. It is still here though as we talk about you and remember you and love you.

I miss how you would sit in front of the school house in a proud and protective state, knowing that it was your duty to guard us from evil-doers and unknowing tourists. I miss watching you make everyone you saw smile and laugh, hearing people call you “Bongos,” and watching you run and play. I miss loving you although that has not stopped, it feels different now that you are gone.

You had the best life a dog I could ever have hoped for. Part of that is because of where we lived, and part of that is because of the people who loved you, but another part of that is just who you were as an animal, a spirit, a being. You taught me to play hard, sleep hard, and love hard. To do everything with all of your being. To make the most of every, single moment... to love people (unless they yap just a little too much) and to never being anything but yourself.

I miss you so much, my little naughty-pants. You brought so much happiness into my life. You were the best dog I could ever have imagined. Thank you for being mine and letting me and so many others love you.

Love you forever and always and then some,

Jessie

Thank you Maya... for being you.

We love you and carry you in our hearts.