It's Christmas Time!

I can hardly believe that it is Christmas time and that the school year is wrapping up for the break.  It is delightful :)

I have absolutely loved this time of the year with my kids.  We have had a blast writing to Santa, making snowflakes, creating snowmen, and doing 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' as a Readers Theatre for the parents.  Tomorrow, I get to be in with the kids and we are having a sweet fun-filled day of Christmas fun.  I'm stoked.

The whole believing in Santa deal has been a bit of a conversation topic in the classroom these days.  While I was working with a small group of kids earlier this week, I overhead one of the kids say to another student,
"How dare you say Santa isn't real!  How dare you say Santa isn't real!"

I shook my head and hoped the question would never be directed at me.  However, the next day, it came...
"Miss Jacobson, is Santa Claus real?"

Um...alright, inside my heart even I still want to believe in the Christmas magic of Santa.  Nevertheless, some people consider telling children that Santa exists is a horrific lie.  Thus I responded with, "Well, what do you think?"  He obviously responded with, "Yes", and I said "There you go!"  And he seemed content with that, thankfully.

Later in the week a special delivery of cold letters from Santa, with glitter and snow, arrived at the school for the kids, I think they all were convinced he is very much real, and that makes me happy.

I am collecting an excellent repertoire of comical stories.  The students never cease to make me laugh out loud, shake my head, or make me scream inside.  In short, I successfully dealt with my first vomit situation, learned about following recipe instructions so that Science experiments work properly, and that I need to remind my class more than once then importance of being kind to each other.  Every day is a fresh start to something unexpected, and I love it.

Very Merry Christmas to you if you are reading this.  I plan to provide an update of something other than the teaching portion of my life.  I assure you all is well and I am enjoying life :)  God is good.

Until next time...
 JJ

Breathing a little easier...


Many who live on the island, or those who simply love the island, will know exactly what I mean as they read what I am about to write.  At this moment, I am experiencing that special feeling.  That moment of complete refreshment as I relax into a chair, gaze out of a slightly dirty or scratched window, stare out into the ocean, and feel the gentle motion of the ferry taking off into the open waters.  I feel as if I'm leaving every stress, every 'to do' list, and every worry behind me.  I can breathe easier.  I cannot hide the smile on my face.  In fact, I probably look odd, sitting here alone, smiling.  

I am going home.  

I am going home to my beloved island, home, family, friends, my beloved retreat.  Each time I take this journey, I travel to the place that renews my spirit, and I have often found my joy even causing happy tears to brim on my eyes.  Unfortunately, these cheerful feelings only accompany me one-way on this trip.  I have yet to feel this happiness travelling back to the mainland, and I find that I have to psych myself up each time for that trek back to the city lights, miles of traffic, and busyness.  I do suppose my perspective is completely biased, but I'm okay with that.  At least for now, my heart is overjoyed as I enjoy my cruise in solitude across the pacific at sunset.  I can hardly contain my excitement to first smell that  clean island air, to hug my family, and to stroll along my favorite beach breathing in the salty air.  

Yes, these are the moments I love.   

Happy Halloween!

Due to privacy, their faces are hidden.  
But you can still tell just how cute they are .

A fresh start...

Did you notice?

Yes, I changed my blog background yet again.  I feel it needed a little something...a little help...a little pizazz...something a little more 'grown up' and perhaps classy.

Today, I had my first TOC (teacher-on-call) job of the school year.  Teaching music all day.  Ha.

I was literally mobbed by a group of kindergartners who all wanted a 'high five' from me after I taught them a song that included a 'high five' in the actions.  It took a while to settle them down.

I was asked if the picture on my teacher ID was a picture of me as a baby.  It was taken in May.
Slightly surprised, I asked "Do I look like a baby in this photo?"
The Kindergartner replied, "Well, you're hair is darker."
"What color is my hair now?"
"Blonde."
Yes, thank you summer sunshine.


I was completely dumbfounded when playing a game with Grade Two's.  Three different pairs of students, who were suppose to have their eyes closed (and were also facing a wall), managed to correctly guess who  the student in the circle leading actions was, within 3 seconds each time.  Seriously...I thought I had an eye on them the whole time to make sure they weren't cheating...how did they do that?

The Grade Four's wanted to call me "Miss J'.  I also thought that was cool.

I managed to still appear more intellectual that a sixth grader.  Thank goodness.

I think I can do this.

I also ran over a frog today.  How does a frog not move out of the way of my giant wheel?  Still...I was surprisingly crushed.  My jaw hung open for a while after I saw its' flattened little body growing smaller and smaller in my review mirror.  Opps.

A Realization

About 30 minutes ago, I was standing in my kitchen making a cup of tea.  As I swirled my spoon around, I began pondering about tomorrow and mentally preparing myself for the first day of school. I have had many 'first days of school' and I was shrugging off tomorrow as almost one in the same of the many I have already experienced.

It then dawned on me.  Tomorrow, I get to start off the first day.  I get to be the teacher, I begin my career.

Yes, I put down my spoon and mug and began to excitingly jump up and down throwing my hands up in the air (yes, I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, saying 'ayo').  Rika laughed at me as I screamed 'I get to teach tomorrow' over and over again.  I finally came to the realization that my dream was coming true.  After 20ish years of dreaming of becoming a teacher, tomorrow - the dream begins.

Creative Imaginations...


One of my favorite stories written by one of my students in our 'Story Structure' unit.  His spelling still needs some work, so there is a translation underneath if you can't figure out his own writing :

"Shrade"  (I'm not quite sure what the title means).

Wants apon atime there wus two ninjas.

1 ternd bad.

Varey bad.

They fitid.  The bad guy ascapt.

Good wan.

He was King aftr all.  He had the pawr to conchol the pawr fo litning.

TRANSLATION:

Once upon a time there was two ninjas.

One turned bad.

Very bad.

They fighted.  The bad guy escaped.

Good won.

He was king after all.  He had the power to conquer the power of lightning.

"The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time."

- Abraham Lincoln

Well...this picture is incorrect because by now, I've completed 6 full weeks of teaching and one more to go!  It has been quite a learning experience, but I have loved the opportunity to be working with a phenomenal teacher and a fun and quite energetic group of Grade One's.


When you spend the day with children who think you are one of the best artists they've ever seen, despite me drawing a monkey that looks like a pig, it does wonders for your self esteem.  Alright, well it hasn't been that dreamy.  But they do bring a smile to my face with their wonder, excitement and random outbursts.  Just on Friday I was told I sing like a brown woman and speak like a lady, who would have ever guessed?  I don't even know what that really means to a six-year old.


As my final year of schooling is promising to soon come to an end, I find myself experiencing that 'What's next?' anxiety that I never thought I would actually experience.  Other than graduating from high school and deciding which school to go to for bible school or university, this will be the first time I must really make a decision that will lead into the unfolding of many possibilities for the future.  A fresh new season...


Making decisions is not my forte, nor my favorite past time activity.  Somewhere along the line, I picked up this habit of wanting to make perfect choices in order to save myself any grief or pain.  While I have managed to escape any extreme repercussions from some of the 'bad' decisions I have made in the past, I realized I have to give credit to the Lord for His magnificent gift of turning difficult or hard situations into the beautiful experiences in which I have learned more about myself, others around me, and that most importantly, I can trust in my faithful Jesus.


I was reading in Hosea this morning and I read about the Lord's anger and wrath on the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness to Him and for their lack of recognition of how He had provided for them.

"I will also put an end to all her gaiety, her feasts of her new moons, her sabbaths and all her festal assemblies...I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she used to offer sacrifices to them and adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, and follow her lovers so that she forgot Me,' declares the Lord."   

- Hosea 2:11 & 13

As I finished these verses I was so engulfed with reading of His fury that the next few verses (despite having read them before), took me by surprise and immediately brought peace to my heart:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her...For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, so that they will be mentioned by their names no more...I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, then you will know the LORD." 

 - Hosea 2: 14, 17, 19 & 20

That is our Jesus (for those who believe in Him).  He is Forgiveness and Restoration, He is our Provider, the one who blesses and sustains us, demands and deserves our thanks and grateful hearts, our attention and appreciation.  However, despite the moments in life when we get caught up in comfort, confusion, disobedience, and 'forget' Him, how GOOD is He to still promise to woo us back to Him and speak kindly to us?


Later in chapter 6, Israel responds with this:

"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD.  His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."  

- Hosea 6:3

Amidst the nerves and unknown of the future months ahead and searching for a job and seeing 'what's next', deciding what steps to take in other situations in my life, hearing and praying for my friends and family struggling and experiencing various situations in their own lives, and amidst the destruction and sadness that is occurring in the world around me (such as in Japan), I am called to be on my knees in prayer and find that my only hope is found in a man named Jesus, who despite everything, promises to be faithful and refreshing in all circumstances. 


And I desire to hear His voice and to walk with Him.  And I desire to lose any fear and worry in 'making a wrong decision' and to just be willing to take steps forward and embrace His life and see where He leads.  How can we go too far wrong with such a God at our side?

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 

"This is the way; walk in it."  

Isaiah 30:21

"Life is hard. God is sovereign. God is good."

- John Piper

3 - 4

My very first cup of tea from Roll-up-the-Rim season was a bust,

but that was not the case tonight.

Tonight I went to Timmy's and bought three drinks.
One large steeped tea, two milk, one sugar.

One large green tea, with honey.

One medium French vanilla.

3 winners.

One coffee.

One donut.

One coffee.

Three happy friends.

Greetings...

I was sitting in Tim Horton's today making a list of all the student's in my class for an assessment. As I was remembering each student and writing down their name a thought popped into my mind and I was stunned.

I was making a list of my students...real children.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher. Which meant throughout my life, mainly my childhood, I forced my friends to be my 'students' and who knows what I even taught them. I also stood alone in my room, pacing my floor back and forth, talking to an invisible class. I remember sitting, as a young girl, and thinking really hard to to come up with enough unique names to create my own 'class list' and here I am, almost twenty years later with a real and legit class list of students.

Today, it made me excited to write each student's name down and actually have a face and a personality to go along with that name. Gone are the days when I simply threw a random first and last name together in order to have a class list to do attendance with my imaginary invisible class. Teaching...here I come.