So long 2015!

Well another year has come and gone and in all I'd say it was a good one. I had a few major life events, some happy some sad but overall I am pleased with the way things went in 2015!!

Tonight I am in my sister and her man's apartment watching my beautiful nephew sleep by the light of the Christmas tree while they enjoy a date night. Perhaps my most personally celebrated event of 2015 was his birth. The addition of sweet baby Robin to our family has breathed fresh life into all of us and I really feel like he has brought us all closer together. The love I feel for this little nugget is indescribable and the respect and awe I have for my sister for being one of the most natural and capable mothers I've ever met is also something that I am happy to experience. I'm so glad to be a part of this new family's life, both from close and far away. I am so grateful that Hilary indulges me and sends me daily pictures of Robin when I'm in Wemindji, and that my family makes such an effort to involve me in the daily goings on, so that it isn't so hard to be away from them and feel like I'm missing all the good stuff. 

2015 was also a year of personal tests that while stressed me out to the max, also showed me that I can handle pretty much anything that life throws my way, and that family and friends are always there to help me out. I am truly grateful for the kindness and generosity of my close friends and family this year, whom without, life would have been a major struggle. 

I hope to accomplish more professionally in the new year and start planning for the future a little more seriously. I love my life and my job and my students to bits and I want to make sure I am putting my best self out in the classroom. 

I am really looking forward to the new adventures 2016 has in store for me, as long as they don't involve any of the vehicular nature!!! So bring it on 2016,I'm  ready for ya!

Crazy Christmas!

Yay for Christmas! I am home in balmy Oakville, ready to get out my bikini and sunscreen - today was 15 degrees according to the themometer on my NEW VAN!! More on that later. While most are sad about a green Christmas this year, I am more than pleased. I'll be having my fair share of the white stuff for the next 5 months so I am in no rush to get out the shovel down south and participate in my hate-affair with snow. 

The Christmas concert went off not without a few hitches but otherwise was AWESOME! You could really tell how hard the students and teachers worked on practicing and putting forth a really great performance. I was so pumped to see our ABBA Christmas carols come to life on the stage and the kids and parents really seemed to enjoy themselves!

So after all that fun stuff was finished, I stayed behind at school on the Friday after the concert to get some last minute planning and organizing done for the new year. It felt good to leave the classroom ready for the new year and for the arrival of my student teacher! Yay!

Since I was flying down south this holiday, our scheduled flight didn't leave until Saturday afternoon so Friday for lunch Monika and I met with colleagues and friends Seth and David (shoutouts!) Together they are part of a exclusive sports watching and discussing gathering of the minds type group which, while I - a self proclaimed sports hater - still wish to infiltrate, and am working on doing so. After finishing in the classroom, Monika and I went for a fine steak dinner at Marsha and Jeremy's which was a really nice way to wind down the night. I spent the next few hours at home packing up last minute stuff and getting ready to leave on the flight the next day. 

Saturday rolled around and we took off shortly after 1pm. I was flying because as you know, I had no vehicle. If I did, I still would have flown because my recent accident on the James Bay Highway has turned me into a major (and rightly so) scaredy cat. Except for having to drive myself back up north next week, I promise I will never drive those roads in the winter again if I don't have to. I'm petrified and very sketched out at thought of having to drive that road again in bad conditions and I really hope that it will be okay when I have to make the trip back up!! Angels of the highway protect me!!

Anyways, the flights were relatively uneventful, I almost didn't make it home from Montreal due to a flight booking not existing for me to Toronto (thanks to Monika for saving the day and my sanity) and I got into Toronto just after 9pm!  

Since arriving in Oakville I have spent every day with Robin and my sister Hilary, seen tons of friends and family, squeezed in some baking, a movie, Christmas shopping AND BUYING A NEW VAN! I'm very happy to announce that I am the proud owner of another Grand Caravan. This time with a few more bells and whistles now that I know what I really need in a vehicle! I love it like I loved my old van and the process of buying it from such a distance was really made easy by the people at the dealership! Who knew you could buy a van from 1500+km away? Awesome. So now I am living the life with a fresh set of wheels and things couldn't be peachier. 

Anyways I am up late enough to wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that your holiday is as lovely as mine is turning out to be. Catcha in the new year!!

KooKoo Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas concert...

Holy moly I am tired but very excited for tomorrow!  Tomorrow is the annual MES Christmas Concert, and this year there is a very awesome twist.  As you may know, Meghan, Monika and I rewrote some of ABBA's classics to reflect a holiday theme.  I have never been more proud of something in my entire life. The lyrics are off da chain (as the kids say) and I have seen a couple of practice performances so far and I am loving the enthusiasm and dedication from these kids! It's going to be awesome.  I will post some videos after tomorrow.

Otherwise I have been very busy in a few areas of life. Allow me to list the ways in which I have been busy.

SOCIAL: I had my 2nd Annual Ladies Whine and Cheese night.  It was a lovely group of ladies and some new faces.  We had some seriously delicious wine and cheese and some good laughs! It was a Friday night which is always iffy because people are dead tired but otherwise it was still pretty fun.  I also attended my good friend Shelby's goodbye party (mixed with another couple Devon and Courtney who are also leaving Wemindji for greener - literally - pastures).  It is so sad to see Shelby go but I am really happy that she landed a great spot on a supply list down South, so good luck to her and I can't wait to see her again in March!  All December I have been participating in a daily small-gift Secret Santa exchange which was so much fun! I drew the name of a teacher and friend Tiffany and had so much fun planting little gifts every day in her room.  I also got a great Secret Santa of my own who totally spoiled me and seemed to know exactly what I needed each day!  Thanks Marsha!  It was so much fun and everyone who participated was really thoughtful and took great effort to make their person feel special.  

SCHOOL: Last night was our staff Christmas party and dinner.  It was held at the Community Center (aka the old grocery store lol) and it was an awesome night!  We played games, ate delicious meals and had the gift exchange!  I drew the name of a new staff member, Science Chris, and had a great time looking for the perfect gift (coffee/caffeine-themed science gifts, super fun).  A coworker Amanda pulled my name and I got truly the most amazing gift.  A teepee lamp! It is GORGEOUS and has my name on it and I was about to cry I was so touched.  The Elf on the Shelf Sylvain totally took over the classroom this December and I had a blast coming up with fun stuff for Sylvain to do and bring the kids.  They loved it and it was really nice to see them so excited.  I am also gearing up to welcome my student teacher from Bishop's University, Christine.  We have been communicating frequently and she seems like a very down-to-earth, prepared, fun and creative teacher-in-training.  The kids are pumped to have another teacher in the classroom and it will be fun to pass on what knowledge of education I have, as well as surely learn from her!  We at the Cree School Board also participated in a solidarity strike for Quebec teachers a week ago (see last post).  It was a Wednesday and I slept in and avoided picketing hehehe.  I lost a day of pay but know that our voice was heard and hopefully an agreement can be reached.

HOME: Since I don't have a vehicle currently, I will be flying home for Christmas! I am flying out on Saturday afternoon with a whole bunch of teachers and while there is a full flight leaving on Friday afternoon, I am quite happy to be leaving Saturday instead.  This is why.  I hate to rush.  I am glad that I get time on Friday after the concert to "close up" my classroom and home, do last minute things, prepare for the week we come back and just leave feeling settled instead of rushed.  I am VERY much looking forward to coming home to Oakville and spending as much time with family and friends as possible and of course ROBIN AND BOBO.  I love them both almost equally (I will not tell you who is the winner, that's not fair to either of them) and can't wait to snuggle in shifts with both of them.  

VEHICLE: Well, lots has happened on the vehicle end since I last checked in. From afar, I have managed to buy myself a brand new van! Who knew you could do that from a distance of 1500+km!! I was originally shopping for my dream truck but in the end decided that it was really out of my price range.  So I settled for a slightly better version of my first van. It is not white.  I am happy with this van because I always loved my van and it is much more affordable and as long as I don't drive at Christmas aka bad driving conditions, I don't need the heavy duty features that made a truck so attractive.  I will also be getting myself some much better winter tires than I previously had because as we all know, my last set of winter tires were absolute crap.  That being said I do have to drive my van back up here after New Years which I am really not looking forward to but I will just be taking it extremely slow and steady and also travelling in a convoy with some friends for added safety.  

Anyways, Happy Holidays to you and yours and I hope that if I am South I will see YOU!

Love Aidan 

Best "candygram" ever!

Adorable mini kamiks from a student!|! I will be hanging these from my new rearview mirror! 

Staff Dinner

Indian Tacos and Chinese food YUM

I love it!! 

So long Shelby!! 

Moose cookies for tomorrow's Christmas Tea! Right before all the antlers broke off...