Let’s begin with Justin. It has been an adjustment with him going to university. I am trying to treat him like an adult, but he is not always acting like one. He leaves his dirty clothes and rubbish on the floor in his room. I am continually asking him to put things where they belong. He says, “Yes Mom”, but he does not actually put anything where it belongs.  Needless to say, his room at the end of the hallway is avoided. 

I think that most university students spend way too much time on YouTube watching ridiculous videos. Justin is no exception to this. The other night he told me that he identified with with being black and female. I assume that he watched something on YouTube and thought it would be funny to share that with me. I looked at him and said, “You are look male and caucasian!” He was amused by my comment and walked out of the kitchen. I do love this child’s sense of humor!  
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Have I told you this story? When Justin was about 5 years old, he liked cuddling with me. We were cuddling, and he looked up and said, “Mommy, we are having a moment!” I said, “Yes dear. We are having a moment” and laughed to myself. A little less than five minutes passed. “Mom, the moment is over! I am hot!” Of course, I let him get up, and I was laughing hysterically.

Aidan has been a very studious student through elementary school and this continues in middle school. He goes to class and then goes to study room after school. He eats dinner with us, and then spends about three hours studying in the evening. I suggested that he take Friday night off and come swimming. I could see the eyes darting back and forth. He was thinking if he could afford to do that. 
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I am more than glad that he is ambitious. I am not sure that it is normal to sit and study that much in grade 7. I am also thinking he is going to burn out with all the studying before he even gets to high school. I realize these are Canadian standards of what is normal for a 13 year-old boy to do as opposed to Korean standards. 

He also had a birthday this month! Chocolate cake, Andong chicken, and new airpods! He will be in his own little world for the next two months with those airpods.

Jordan has been a trooper over the past two weeks. He had COVID. He started to feel like crap on Saturday, running a fever and complaining a bit. He tested negative on Saturday, but positive rather late on Sunday afternoon. It was a weird week of sliding food into the library room. There would gasps of delight when the food was something he liked and absolutely nothing when the food was something that he did not like. Still, I love this child’s enthusiasm. He never complained, read every single comic book we have in the house, and he was able to deal with the heat in the room. I think my husband believes that the heat was going to help him sleep, so the temperature was turned up. I could see the relief on his face the following Sunday when he was told that he could eat with us. Lots of hugs were happening.
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Myself? It has been recommended that I put in a proposal for a new course. Many of my colleagues have been sweating through the paperwork to get new courses into the university’s portal system. I am working on something as we speak. And I am hoping to finish it this afternoon…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I love all that layed icing on this gingerbread tree! 

The weather here is too warm for me. I remember freezing in the Canadian wind, coming inside, warming up, and then falling asleep with hot chocolate and a sandwich. It’s actually a very good memory!

This has been an eventful month for the Kim Clan. Justin finished the Scholastic Aptitude Test last month. Aidan is getting ready to go to middle school. Jordan is campaigning for Students Council Vice-president. I finished a course on John Wesley with Nazarene Bible College, finished grading, and started winter session today. My husband is traveling between where we live in Sejong to Yangpyoung to teach at Acts. It has been a little busy!

Let’s begin with Justin. I have been watching this rather large man-child play games on the PlayStation for most of the day. Sometimes he comes out of the room with a huge smile on his face because he has won the game. Sometimes he is completely dejected because he has lost a game or couldn’t figure something out. Most of all, he is wasting time and waiting. 

Justin has been helpful when he is asked to do something. He accompanied me to the hospital last week to translate what the doctor said about my thyroid. He also accompanied my husband to the hospital when Hansung was undergoing an endoscopy. 

Aidan is also at an in-between age where sometimes he is becoming a teenager and sometimes he is a kid. When I was brining the turkey for Christmas dinner, he decided to take pictures of it. He spends an incredible amount of time on his phone despite my nagging and telling him that he could leave it alone for an hour. 

Both Aidan and Jordan are enjoying not being in school everyday. The COVID restrictions are limiting the number of students in the classroom. Aidan has been at home three days this week, and Jordan has been at home twice.
 
In addition to school, Jordan is campaigning for Students Council Vice-president. If he wins, he will represent grade 4 interests. It has been fun to watch him and everyone else get in on the campaign. On Sunday night, Jordan was practicing his campaign speech. (Yes, it was adorable!) His father recorded it on Monday night. The boys were also helping Jordan make posters. Jordan was very exciting to get his posters off to school this morning, and I was very proud.

Like I said in the introduction, I completed a course on John Wesley. In case anyone is wondering, John Wesley was the leader for the Methodist movement in England and the United States. It was a good course, but I wish I would have been able to take it at a different time when I was not swamped with grading to do! 

I started winter session today. It was a pleasure to meet my students and actually talk to them instead of meeting over zoom. I think we were all excited to be back in the classroom!

By the way, did I tell you that Justin got into Chungju University? I am so glad, and my husband and I can breathe easy knowing he is good hands.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have many reasons to enjoy this special season!