merry christmas, 2012

One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.

~Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales

joy {life}

Today is Callum's last day of exams! So, yeah, once he gets through two or so hours of pre-algebra (gah), we're free! And then my mom comes! Super bonus!

I actually really like the way Callum's school does exams. At first I was like, uh, one exam a day? Pick him up at noon every day for the next five days? Please. But, it works. It's worked. And here's what I really like about it. Every day is special. From the 7th grade right up through the 12th, everyone takes the same subject each day. So Monday for example, every student took their science exam. Yesterday, all the languages. Each morning, the students gather as they normally do, for chapel, and on the first day of exams the second graders came and sang them a good-luck song! One club handed out goodie bags of candy, and there was a bit of a celebratory air in the midst of all that test-tension. After chapel, the kids took a break and then they had a last study hall before the exam started at 10. Students were dismissed at noon each day, or they could stay until 1 finishing their test. Afternoon help sessions were available for those who had questions with certain subjects (cough, math, cough). All-in-all, I was quite impressed with the whole process. But what's even better? We're all done! And tonight Ama comes. Christmas can really begin.