today I was teaching in the grade four classroom, doing special ed while the class worked on creating advent wreathes when one of the students approached me and said, "Miss da Costa, have you ever seen Santa Claus?"

"pfft. Of course I've seen Santa," I replied, reflexively.

She looked doubtful and began to question me. "When?" she demanded, "where? what does he smell like?"

The rest of the class began to chime in with questions as well.

Since I am a fantastic storyteller (some people prefer to call us liars) I immediately responded, "Well," I began, "you know how some of the other teachers at school make fun of me because I'm really small?"

the children nodded

"well....." I trailed off, smirking at them.

"You are not an elf," one girl said with authority, and then lost her resolve, "...are you?"

"Of course I am!" I cried, "just look at me!" I pointed to myself. I was wearing bright red glasses, a flowy green skirt and patterned tights. To top it all off, I had on sparkly, sequined gold shoes. I held a foot in the air, "look! I didn't even have a chance to change my shoes before I left the workshop!"

"You're lying," she stated.

I just smiled. (This girl and I have an ongoing joke because on Halloween we were goofing around while decorating pumpkins and she started listing her favourite teachers in order. I was somewhere around 20th, which is pretty pathetic considering she's only been in school 5 years), "I can't share that information with you," I replied. That's the kind of stuff I'm only allowed to tell to my favourite students,

"You're my favourite! You're my favourite!" she cried, but I just smiled and walked away to talk to another student. But not before first blowing a bunch of bubbles into the air around her desk with the bubble wand I had taken to carrying around with me today. (very elvish of me, I thought).

She let it go for a few minutes (but not before thoroughly checking my ears for the telltale points) before coming up again and saying, "if you're really an elf, how many elves are there working in Santa's workshop?"

I sighed. "Do you really think I can count them? There are so many departments! There are elves who work with wood, and elves who work with plastic, and elves for things with wheels, and elves for things with string... there are the battery elves and the cookie elves and that candy cane elves and the hot chocolate elves... Elizabeth, there are SO MANY ELVES. I couldn't possibly count them all."

She seemed a bit satisfied. Until she demanded, "well, at least tell us some of their names."

So I did. "Well," I began, "my name is Kelsi, so that's one of s. And then there is an elf named Kendal, and one named Derek, and there's one named Blair, he's really cute," I put a hand over my heart, "and there's the elf named Mary! She always bakes us cookies with candy cane chunks instead of chocolate chips!"

"Alright, alright!" she stopped me, and I smiled and left the room.

After I left she approached her regular teacher and asked, "Miss da Costa's not really an elf, is she?"

But her teacher just smiled and said, "I guess we'll have to wait and see...."

It was even funnier because we just had a conversation at lunch about Santa and I said that I thought I might be reluctant to tell my future children about Santa if I were ever a parent, and then I went and spread a huge elaborate story about being an elf.... I was dressed for it, though. It was a crime of opportunity.


PS dear secret santa recipient: I hope you like glitter and poorly tied ribbon. there is a lot of it.

that is all.

This One.

HEY OCEAN!



so good so good.

I don't understand how important people (otherwise known as the provincial government) can place so little value on education.

My principal sat me (and the 2 other new teachers in the school) down and told us that before next year, the division will have to cut 50 permanent teaching positions, which means that people such as myself who are on probationary contracts that would have turned into permanent employment will instead be out of a job.

That's great news for November. It's even better because probationary contracts get evaluated 6 times in a year, and I have 3 in the next week even though I have no job next year so my evaluations don't mean shit.

BOOOOOOOO.

Anyone want to move abroad and live a life of adventure with me next year?

kthx

I was talking to my friend today, and she said that her friend once told her that it's impossible to carry a baby to term/give birth if you haven't had 1 miscarriage first.

personally, I think that's a load of bullshit, but she went on to say that she doesn't know a single person who didn't miscarry before successfully giving birth (including herself) but I still think it's a lie.

anyway, I'm right, right? (that is my question)

1. my parents' place



2. snowboarding with my sister


3. Australia


4. on summer vacation



boooooo mondays!

you gave me STP.
I would like to kiss you.

Who arrrrre you?

:D

xoxoxoxo

Kelsi

warning: this is a girly blog. you have been warned.

I have got wedddddings on the brain.

if I ever get married, this is what I want.

A short, sort of flowy wedding dress kind of like this one but without that boobfringelace crap:



those 15 ways to wear it AA dresses for the bridesmaids maybe in green:



or brown



ideally, actually, I would just like the white AA version of this dress worn in this style: for a wedding dress. I don't wanna be too fancy.

a cornflower bouquet



shoes like this:



an outdoor dancefloor the size of a soccer field.

an iPod with a wicked sound playlist hooked up to a badass sound system.

pizzas for a midnight snack.

supercasual laidback funtime.

additionally, a husband.

anyone else care to share?

5 day disneyland weekend. both those bags are mostly empty.

in contrast, my roommate is bringing one of these:



like, the big black one.


I'll say hi to mickey for you.