Ninjas in the kitchen

"We don't need you to make fake ninja sounds, we need you to eat your dinner!"
-Dad, to Luke

Little Kids

I love my new brothers and sisters...and my old ones, too. ;) It is crazy with 4 kids, ages 8 1/2 - 5, running around constantly. But hey, I never cease to be amused!! :)

Christmas Eve
After waking up to a light on in the boys' room:
Luke: Look! I finished this Lego! (waves boat in the air)
Me: Luke, do you know what time it is?
Luke: Mmmmm, 4:30.

Watching "The Three Stooges"
Lexie: What are they doing to the man?
Brenda: I don't know, but that's a jackhammer!

Nicknames
Luke: Why do you call us names of food? Why can't you just call me The Hulk?
[Brenda has been Pickle for quite a while, Luke is Jalapeno, and the other two don't have nicknames yet.]

Lucas Lee, D.D.S.
Lexie: I want to lose my tooth now!
Luke: I can take it out! I'll use one of my tools! I'll use a wrench!!

Unclean
Mom: You need to take your socks off; they look kind of dirty.
Luke: I'll just turn one inside out.

Headgear
Me: Gio, you can't wear this to church. [I pull off his coonskin cap.]

Gotta love 'em! :)

I wish I knew German

“Break up” is a stupid phrase. Two tiny words to denote a total reversal of feelings, attitudes, actions, and thoughts. That’s why I wish I knew German. Apparently in German, words are added together to make a really long word that actually means one very specific thing. I’m not going to attempt it, even in English, but all that to say, I really hate the phrase “break up.”

By now you have guessed it: Amos and I ended our relationship of 3.3 months. However, just because our “relationship” ended does not mean that our friendship ended. On the contrary, it is doing pretty well.

So, why did we end this? ‘Cuz God showed me very clearly that we should not get married farther down the road. When Amos and I started dating in September, we both talked about and agreed upon the goal of dating to see if marriage would be an option. We talked about it then, and we continued to talk about it through our relationship. Both of our sets of parents were praying for us, along with many, many others.
Though I really enjoyed dating Amos and do not regret a single minute of it, I still had doubts. I thought about these very carefully, tried to justify them away, talked to Amos about a few of them, and so on…But something in the back of my mind still bothered me.
It was nothing Amos did wrong, it was nothing I did wrong. Rather it was God working through my thoughts and perceptions to show me that this was not right for us. And I had to respond to His leading.
I don’t know why I had to be the one to see it. I don’t know why.
I do know that I was very sad and did not want to hurt Amos. I did not want to hurt him, yet there was no other way.
So we broke up.
And I felt horrible. And Amos felt horrible.
There are no hard feelings between us. We are still friends, which will hopefully continue for a very long time.

Though it sounds cliché, I really do believe that God has worked this for our good. Because in my 22 years, I can look back and see how God has used so many hard things in my life for something good. That is not to say that I understand everything that He did, but I know that He loves me and I know that He loves Amos.

Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
-Isaiah 46:4 NKJV

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
-Psalm 147:3-5 NKJV

So how are we doing now? I am fine, and Amos is fine. God has been good to comfort us by talking with each other, with other close friends, and with Him. Yes, there is still missing going on. But once again, I do not regret one minute of it. As my friend Danielle said, “God led to you to date Amos and now He has led you away from him.”

God is good?
All the time!
All the time?
God. is. good.

Ctrl+Z

I sometimes wish Life had an "undo" button. Not to undo my decisions, but to undo the pain that must inevitably follow.

But God is the God of healing. What other gods heal? They all say, "Too bad for you!"
Actually, they don't say anything.


Bel bows down, Nebo stoops;
Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.
Your carriages were heavily loaded,
A burden to the weary beast.
They stoop, they bow down together;
They could not deliver the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.
“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
Who have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
And set it in its place, and it stands;
From its place it shall not move.
Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.
Remember this, and show yourselves men;
Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,
Who are far from righteousness:
I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation shall not linger.
And I will place salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory."
-Isaiah 46 NKJV

No regrets, but still sorrow

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
-Psalm 138:8 NKJV


I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
-Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV

Merry

Christmas Eve!!!

Relationships 101

Many of you have probably seen the video of 9 year-old Alec Greven talking about his new book, How to Talk to Girls. He has some pretty hilarious statements and interesting insights. You can read Amos' opinion of the video on his site. I agree with Amos that this is ridiculous and that little kids should not be focusing on such things. After all, they haven't even hit the double digits! Seriously, there are better things out there at that stage in life.

Well, today my 8 year-old sister Brenda was watching "White Christmas" with the rest of the little kids (Jayden, Lexie, and Gio). Lexie (age 6) asked Brenda a question, and this is what transpired:

Lexie: Do they like each other?
Brenda: Yes.
Lexie: Do they love each other?
Brenda: Yes.
Lexie: Do they love love each other?
Brenda: Well, I don't know if they love love each other. But they love each other enough to get married.
Lexie: Oh.
Brenda: But you have to get engaged before you get married. But you can still break up if you want to.

Oh wow, my little sister. Why does she know this? How does she know this? I give up.
I don't know.

Jayden

Jayden: "Jennica, ask me a question about electric eels."
Me: "What do they do?"
Jayden: "If you get too close to them, they shock you, and your skeleton can show through 'cuz it hurts so bad."
[I try not to laugh.]
Jayden: "It's true! I saw it on a movie."

The Caf Cookie

A few weeks ago, I got lunch in the cafeteria. Amos was working, but I thought I'd bring him a cookie. I wrapped 3 cookies in a few napkins and stuck them in the pocket of my capris. I didn't want to put them in my to-go box 'cuz then they would get pizza sauce on them or something. So into my pocket they went.
I found Amos near the crosswalk, but he didn't want a cookie. Oh well, too bad for him, I'd just eat them myself! ;) I told him goodbye and got in my car to go home to eat my lunch and do more homework. I decided I didn't want to wait till I got home, so I took out the cookies and ate a few. I got home, took all of my stuff out of the car, went in the apartment, ate lunch, did homework, etc.
The next night, I was going to go hang out with Amos. I decided it was a little too cool to wear my athletic shorts, so I found my capris from the day before. I headed to the door, and as I slipped my keys into my pocket, I felt something.
What is this? A napkin? Why do I...oh.
I had left my third cookie in the pocket of my capris!!! Ooops. I had taken the capris off, folded them, and put them away, all with the cookie inside!!! It would have been even funnier to find the cookie in a few months when the weather warms up again, but I for one am glad that I found it before the ants did. :)

Christmas Photo Booth

Hollywood, The Grove

Crumbling soon...

as in Thursday or Friday:
The Story of the Caf Cookie!!

"...dear me, let us be elegant or die."

Amos and I went to the Christmas concert at school last night and had a great time! As I was hurrying around, trying to get ready and eat dinner in the short amount of time I had, I was reminded of other girls.
In Little Women, one of my favorite books, the two oldest girls are getting ready to go to a party. (You can read the passage below; I love it!!!)

Any way, I was rushing around trying to get ready and decided to put this as my facebook status:
Jennica feels like Jo from Little Women. At least she doesn't feel like Meg; SHE had her bangs burnt off. ;)
My friend Hannah responded with this comment: At least you don't feel like Beth - she died.


On New Year's Eve the parlor was deserted, for the two younger girls played dressing maids and the two elder were absorbed in the all-important business of `getting ready for the party'. Simple as the toilets were, there was a great deal of running up and down, laughing and talking, and at one time a strong smell of burned hair pervaded the house. Meg wanted a few curls about her face, and Jo undertook to pinch the papered locks with a pair of hot tongs.
"Ought they to smoke like that?" asked Beth from her perch on the bed.
"It's the dampness drying," replied Jo.
"What a queer smell! It's like burned feathers," observed Amy, smoothing her own pretty curls with a superior air.
"There, now I'll take off the papers and you'll see a cloud of little ringlets," said Jo, putting down the tongs.
She did take off the papers, but no cloud of ringlets appeared, for the hair came with the papers, and the horrified hairdresser laid a row of little scorched bundles on the bureau before her victim.
"Oh, oh, oh! What have you done? I'm spoiled! I can't go! My hair, oh, my hair!" wailed Meg, looking with despair at the uneven frizzle on her forehead.
"Just my luck! You shouldn't have asked me to do it. I always spoil everything. I'm so sorry, but the tongs were too hot, and so I've made a mess," groaned poor Jo, regarding the little black pancakes with tears of regret.
"It isn't spoiled. Just frizzle it, and tie your ribbon so the ends come on your forehead a bit, and it will look like the last fashion. I've seen many girls do it so," said Amy consolingly.
"Serves me right for trying to be fine. I wish I'd let my hair alone," cried Meg petulantly.
"So do I, it was so smooth and pretty. But it will soon grow out again," said Beth, coming to kiss and comfort the shorn sheep.
After various lesser mishaps, Meg was finished at last, and by the united exertions of the entire family Jo's hair was got up and her dress on. They looked very well in their simple suits, Meg's in silvery drab, with a blue velvet snood, lace frills, and the pearl pin. Jo in maroon, with a stiff, gentlemanly linen collar, and a white chrysanthemum or two for her only ornament. Each put on one nice light glove, and carried one soiled one, and all pronounced the effect "quite easy and fine". Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.
-Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, excerpt from chapter 3

Thanks, Lydia

This is me..taken and copyright by good friend and photographer, Lydia Takeoka. Click on her name to check out her photography blog!

Student Teaching

About 5-6 weeks from now I will be in the classroom, working with my first choice of a master teacher! I will be teaching for 8 weeks at Saugus High School! Tomorrow is a meeting with the English department head; I am hoping that goes well. I know I don't look my age, and I didn't even major in English in college, but hopefully his view of and confidence in me will not swayed by these things. We shall see!

Several things will happen between now and then, however:
Teaching Performance Assessment part 2 is due on Friday (I should be working on that right now....)
Reading is due in at least 2 classes
A few papers need to be written
A 3-week unit plan needs to be executed
Going home 13 days from today
Going to Christmas Concerts on Friday
Tutoring needs to be done
A few presents need to be bought/made
A flight needs to be taken to Nebraska and back :D

Crazy times!

But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!
-II Chronicles 15:7 NKJV