Active

I guess the last post was a lie, because now that I'm blogging for Columbia I somehow am thinking about posts for this blog all the time. And am in fact blogging right now. So.

I was thinking of words that describe me today (for a project) and a new one occurred to me that I haven't used before: Active. Right now in this period of my life, I am damn active. I mean this in a couple of ways.

First off, lately I seem to be always in motion. I walk the dogs twice a day, I bike back and forth to work, and I stroll with the babies for an hour each day. While working, I am either on my feet or bending to lift and carry babies about. I also climb up the staircase to our 3rd floor apartment a minimum of 4 times a day, plus the stairs at the CTA 2 times a day, plus I take the stairs at school (4 flights). And then there are the weekend walks I take with my husband and the general strolling about my neighborhood that occurs each weekend as well. I am almost always in motion. Pretty cool.

The second way I am currently very active: I am wearing a lot of hats right now professionally. I am a Graduate Ambassador, a full time graduate student, a part time nanny, a part time teacher for Scientists for Tomorrow, a monthly puppeteer for open books... And soon I'll be adding monthly podcaster for Transistor, a fashion consultant for Milya's, and a member of the recently created Traders Row Neighborhood Association. I mean... Full Time graduate student is already a lot of work. But I am passionate about all this (and need money), so I'm going for it here.

The third way I'm feeling active is in friendships. I've very recently been making new friends (grad school related mostly), but I've also been reconnecting with old friends... In addition to spending time with my regular crew. Socially, I'm feeling a little "cup runneth over." It's great. It's maybe the only thing on this list that's a tad overwhelming to me, as on top of this I have husband, family, and dogs to focus a lot of love on too.

Anyway. Active man. Damn active.

Postcards from the Edge...

Sad to say that this blog is likely to go away soon. Not that I update it much, but I fear it will be even more neglected in a couple weeks.

The cool news that comes with this is that I'm the Graduate Ambassador for my program. I am tasked with blogging once a week about my experiences, plus the inclusion of at least one photo, plus uploading up to 50 photos per week to Flicker. I completed my first assignment recently - a profile of myself plus a self portrait. I'm not sure which one they'll select (I sent them three), but the one above is my favorite. It was supposed to represent what I'm studying and I'm eating an apple! Get it? GET IT? Cause I'm gonna be a teacher!

I had orientation for my program yesterday. The day started off with a meet and greet of all the graduate students. Everyone I met is going back full time like I am, is fully immersed in their area of study, is interesting and excited and passionate and... and. It was a good feeling. The first girl I met is in Creative Writing Nonfiction and lives at Addison and Southport, so I imagine we'll be fast friends.

After the meet and greet they showed us a documentary that a current student submitted to a bunch of competitions (and has been winning all of them). It was 20 minutes long and so beautiful and moving that the moment felt almost like an out of body experience. Like... holy shit. I'm here. There are creative people all around me who want to work and make genius things.

They also showed us videos of Manifest and the Graduate Arts Project called PGA (Please Generate Art). It's an 18 hole fully interactive golf course and they build full sets, lighting and install various kinds of art installations. Including performance art. I'm likely going to apply to be involved and see if I can sponsor a shadow puppet hole. They said they had over 2,000 people attend the show last year (it's inaugural show) and it will also be a great way to meet more people across departments.

The meeting with my personal program was very intensive, but exciting. We will be starting to think about our student teaching experience starting this fall and will immediately start doing field observations with tasked objectives. There is also a new program called, "Scientists for Tomorrow," which is an after-school program focused on teaching students about sustainability and alternative sources of energy. They received a grant to run it and no science experience necessary, so they are calling all education students to get involved immediately. I guess the students who were involved with it last year (before they got their grant) all got teaching jobs right out of the gate because of the science teaching experience on their resume. None of them are teaching science or pursuing it, but schools want people with science experience. I'll likely sign up for one day a week.

That means with my classes three days a week (10 hours), the grad ambassador hours I gave as my availability (3 hours), nannying (30 hours), and the science teaching job (an hour and a half)... I will be running back and forth between class and jobs for about 44 hours per week. And that doesn't include the field experience I'll be assigned each week (who knows how many hours) and all of the homework I'll have. So. I guess I should get my affairs in order and say goodbye to all of my friends now.

So this fall, winter and spring will be busy. Next summer I won't be nannying or any other type of job - I'll just be focused on school. And next fall I'll likely line up a tutoring gig, hopefully keep the ambassador gig, and if I like the science job hopefully get more hours doing that. All of that leading up to my 14 weeks of student teaching. And yes, I know it's crazy to be thinking about what jobs I'll have next fall.... but at this point I HAVE to have a plan for how I'll be bringing in a bit of an income while garnering sweet cred for my resume.

I feel like this week will be my farewell to summer. I'm lucky that this summer has been so sweet to me. It's easily been the best summer of my life. I've never had more fun, felt more independent or confident in my choices. It's been really excellent. We leave for Minnesota on Thursday night and I'll get to spend my last weekend of freedom with my best friends Annie and Brian. I don't think it could get much better than that.

Oh. Also. I won't be able to blog about my weight on my other blog, so... I've lost 29.6 pounds since I started this journey in June. I feel pretty good about that. I intend to keep on trucking through my graduate program. Honestly, I won't have time to eat anyway. :) I do have a very specific plan that I've laid out and Dan knows about because it feels like it's going to have to be that way if I want to continue to be successful. Luckily, the nanny job does give me time to exercise, either with the babies on a walk or while they sleep to an exercise tape. I'm glad that I'll have that built in time in my schedule. It seems like it's going to be necessary.

Okay. Here we (almost) go!

I've been meaning to blog what I typically eat each week, so don't read on if you don't care. here goes...

For breakfast:

non-fat Greek yogurt with fruit from the farmers market, plus one slice of brown rice bread with nut butter if I'm extra hungry.

For lunch on the weekdays:

tuna salad. Dressing made with reduced fat mayo, mustard & pickle juice. Salad part made with Broccoli, carrots, green and red cabbage, jicama, bell pepper, radish, celery & onion.

Lunch on weekends:

Two egg omelet with whatever veggies are left in the house.

Dinners:

Thai shrimp salad with edamame, peanuts, broccoli & carrot slaw, spicy peanut dressing, cilantro and green onions.

Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs with zucchini, squash, onions and spinach.

Chicken corn tortilla tacos with refried and black beans, onions, avocado, left over squash, peppers, and salsa.

Chicken salad with spinach, carrots, peppers, avocado, onions, and cilantro dressing.

Dessert: fruit peach freezes.

Sucesses

I've lost about 16 pounds in 7 weeks and am feeling really good. Here are some of the things I'm doing to continue to succeed each week:

1. Really treating this as a lifestyle change and not as a diet. A lifestyle change means permanence and taking the time to think about what I choose to put into my body at every meal.

2. Setting small, manageable goals for myself. This means celebrating as the amount lost goes up, but also celebrating when the number go down on the scale. It feels like I'm meeting goals much faster because of this.

3. Instead of purchasing different produce for each meal (so only planning to use it once) I plan all my meals for the week by what produce is in the fridge. This means I'm consistently using everything in my fridge and I'm also getting in 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day.

4. Tracking everything I eat. It's simple, but I am making much smarter choices because of this.

5. Tracking all of my exercise and participating in 30/30 and now the 45/30 challenge. I have exercised almost every day since June and it is starting to become routine.

It feels good that this is going so well and I am happy I've found something that works before school starts up. I have long term dates/goals in mind to help me move forward, but I'm trying mainly use my small goals as motivation.

Procrastination

This is my first procrastination blog of the summer. I feel like I've "made it." I'm really a student again! :)

Another really excellent Chicago weekend. Dan took me to see Horrible Bosses on Friday. It was a pretty decent flick, especially if you are a Charlie Day fan. There were a few too many female rape jokes for my taste, but I guess I already knew it was a part of the premise so what can you do.

Saturday we raced around our neighborhood in an attempt to do everything this city could make available to us. We started with lunch at the Folk and Root Festival while listening to this killer Latin band (unfortunately I didn't catch their name). It was hot as hell so we sat in the shade and watched all the early drunks dance in the sun. From there we walked back down to our hood for the North Center Carnival. It was in an area of North Center we'd never visited before and it quite seriously felt like stepping into another dimension. There was no one on the street (not even any cars) and all of the houses had this same creepy shape. It got really quiet too, especially for Chicago. Anyway, so as we are walking in "other Chicago" we start to see this giant Ferris Wheel up over the trees. The Carnival was giant - probably the largest one I've ever been to (including the mammoth carnivals I attended in Minnesota). It kept getting more surreal though - we got there right when it opened so we were the first people to wander through. All the rides were going and creepy music... it was amazingly intense.

After one too many rides, we headed home for a brief siesta. Then I jumped on my bike and pedaled back up to Folk & Root to meet Lydia for a Mambo lesson in the dance tent followed by an evening of Rockabilly music by Rosie Flores. Lydia bought me a couple sangrias and by the end of the night I was floating around the park.

Sunday was equally awesome. We decided to walk to the Neo-Futurists despite the blazing heat (not the smartest choice I'll admit). By the time we got to Ashland and Foster we were covered in sweat, so we ducked into Konak for some cold alcoholic beverages. I can't drink beer so I asked for a "goes down like a cold beer substitute" and was given Makers Mark with ginger ale. Best. Drink. Ever. We then stumbled over to the Neo-Futurists for TMLMTBGB with our friends Joe and Renee. They asked us how many times we've been to the show and honestly at this point I've lost count. Anyway, they gave us our name tags (I was Jesus!) and we grabbed my favorite seats in the house for the show. The scripts were largely excellent. I always think that one of the scripts was the "funniest I've ever seen," but last night took the cake with a script called "Deja Shit Fit." There was a new cast member (second time we've been there for a new cast member's first performance) and although she stumbled a bit, she was pretty damn good.

This week I started my kids on shadow puppetry and it was a huge hit. We spent probably 30 minutes of each class with the lights off, flashlights in hand, doing shadow puppet ceiling dancing to the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack on Monday. The puppet show is going to be to the song All is Love and when I asked them to describe what they saw in their heads while listening to the song, one of the students said, "It makes me feel all of the love in my heart." Awesome teaching moment. Wednesday we started building shadow puppets for the song and they are incredible. I'm hoping to record the performance because I have a feeling the video might cement any future teaching job down the road. I mean, these kids are K-3 and they have clouds on wires soaring across the shadow puppet stage. It was also one of my student's birthdays and he LOVES vampires, so I brought in the Juno soundtrack and had them do a shadow puppet ceiling show to the song Vampire. They kept saying, "this song is too happy to be about vampires Miss Danielle." And then they would chase after me while making scary noises.

Other things: this weekend Dan and I were talking about all the travelling we've been lucky enough to do over our first five years as a couple. We've been to Disney, OBX, Emerald Islad, Amelia Island, Wisconsin Dells (multiple times), Spring Green (multiple times), Minneapolis, Michigan, London (just me) and Ohio. Anyway, I was sort of lamenting to Dan that after going to London I realized that my image of foreign travel had changed a lot. I was happiest when I was on my own walking around Annie's neighborhood and completely unenthused by any of the "sites" that we visited. I also started talking about feeling a little sad that travel for us is going to become very strictly Minnesota, Ohio and OBX until I finish school. Then I sort of flashed back to the "the trip," the backpacking dreams I had for senior year of undergrad and how they never came to fruition. So I was talking about that... for a long time. And telling Dan how I still want to do it, but once we have kids it's definitely out of the picture. And he just looked at me and said, "Would you want to do this on your own?" And I said, "Yeah, to do it the way I'm imagining and to avoid European tourist trappings I think I'd have to." And he said, "Ok. I know you have the savings for it, so why don't you go over your school's spring break?" And that was that. I looked at Columbia's spring schedule and I would have nine full days of travel (plus two for the flights back and forth). I don't think that's enough to do a huge backpacking trip, but luckily eventually Dan would like to see Italy, Greece, Ireland and Scotland with me (so I can save those for another day). So right now I am planning a trip that would look like this: Fly into Paris (I've already been to London and it's the most centralized for the trip I'm planning), then 2 days in Bruges, 3 days in Amsterdam, 2 days in Luxembourg, and end back in Paris. I might swap out a day in Amerstam and a day in Paris to visit Ali's aunt and uncle on the southern shore of England... I just have to make sure it works with their schedule and that it will be an easy jaunt to add to the trip. Things also might change - I might decide to fly into Spain instead and then fly up to Amsterdam, then to Bruges, then to Luxembourg, then fly home from Paris. I know flights around Europe are cheap, but what I'm really worried about is doing a one way flight to Spain and a one way flight home from Paris. Many of the deal sites online are typically roundtrip excursions. So that's sort of a dream addition and will purely depend on what types of flight deals I find.

Anyway. It's been fun to think about. Recently Dan's office has been tossing the "furlough" word around though... so if he is given a bunch of forced days off I would likely put this trip aside for 2013 and take him on our dream American trip instead (rent a convertible, drive from San Francisco to San Diego along US Highway 1).

Okay... HAVE to finish studying for this exam and HAVE to start writing these two essays. Yikes.

De-Lerious

It's been a while, blog.

Things have been extraordinarily excellent pretty much from the moment I quit NMH. Which was just two and a half months ago, but might as well be another lifetime.

My brother was married in June. The wedding was beautiful and I felt so astounded by how much he's grown and he amount of love he has in his life. It's a nice feeling. I also spent a week in Ohio with my family the week before the wedding (the longest I've been there in 5 years). It was good to just spend time together without feeling rushed.

I've been spending my summer bicycling around the city, studying for my prereq classes in coffee shops, and wandering around farmers markets. I feel very free and also serene for the first time in quite a long time. I hope it lasts. I've been eating healthier, exercising more frequently, and have been able to take real time for myself. All this well being has also led to a weight loss of 11 pounds in a little over a month.

Other things... We spent more time in ohio this weekend to see Dan's family. It was very relaxing and full of lots of long talks on the porch until well after midnight, visits from Xander and Cole, dog hugs, and swimming. A great way to spend the 4th. And always reassuring to spend so much time with my in-laws and to come back to Chicago wishing for a little more time.

I'm teaching puppetry this summer. Two weeks in (after two years away) and it immediately feels like being home again. The kids are very focused and are turning out very interesting work. It's getting me excited for classes this fall.

Tonight we sat on the porch at Ryan and Yo's place until well after dark. There was a great breeze, I drank ice tea and ate cold watermelon. We talked about life and family and the babies. And eventually Melissa and Bea showed up and I was sort of struck by how lovely all of their friends are and how deeply we've become a family of choice in the last year. It's neat. And Bea is a delight. She made a lot of memorable two and a half year old declarations.

Anyway. Life is good. I am in a really healthy place physically, mentally, and emotionally. I hope I can maintain this, because it is a great place to be.

Tiny Happy.

6 full work days to go!!!

I had my big pink bicycle tuned up this weekend. I only go to my neighborhood's bicycle shop once per season, but the kindly old Russian owner remembered me and my bicycle. "How could I forget?" were his exact words. I asked him if I could see baskets, as I will be commuting to work each day and will be carrying my lunch (and in the future my homework). He pulled out this amazing basket that quickly detaches for carrying with you while shopping. It was love at first sight. Even Dan had to agree that the basket contained magical powers.

It was nice to go home this weekend. To hug my dad and Jan and to be treated like an honored guest from a far away place. "This is Mitch's brother, from Chicago," they all said. It made me feel much fancier than I am. It was also fun to talk with my dad about grad school and our future plans. I told him all about our extensive budget plan. He was pretty impressed with the amount we've thought about it. To be honest, I'm impressed with the amount of time I've put into planning out every detail of it too. But I really want this. I want to work part time and be a graduate student. And when you want something... you figure it out.

On Sunday Dan made his famous (famous in our house, anyway) toasted gluten free sandwiches and then we took the dogs on a long walk all around Lincoln Square and Ravenswood. It was fun to see all the kids and families in Welles Park. It was a perfect Chicago type day. We got home after our longest jaunt this year and sat down and I looked at Dan and said, "Want to go to the movies?" and he said, "Duh!" and we got back up and walked to the Music Box to see Super. The organ player was there, regaling us with selections from South Pacific. The movie was great and as we walked home the sun set. It was a really excellent day.

Last night I figured out all the loan stuff. Even with the fellowship, we still feel like it's in our best interest to take out a small loan to cover extras. Thankfully I was awarded a federal subsidized loan, so the government will pay the interest while I'm in school. That was very nice of you, government.

This week is going to be Busy (with a capital B). We've got bookish nerd plans for tonight and Wednesday. Friday night is my friend Liz's birthday party. On Saturday we're taking Renee out for a pre wedding celebration. And on Sunday we're hanging out with Lydia. And next week... well, next week we've got a play on Wednesday, a concert on Thursday (and a friend in town), and then Brian and Clinton land in Chicago on Easter. I already feel tired.

Next week I'll also be registering for summer classes and training with Yolanda for Poppinsing. And I'm being interviewed by Columbia College as a Spotlight for their newsletter.

April has been crazy. But I like it. And sense only good things to come.

Nerds.

So everyday Columbia College sends me an email about different activities that I can be involved in if I like... like being a guest reader at the Printer Row Book Festival, or submitting work for an art show, or volunteering at a performance art venue, or spending my summer in Florence... it is so nerdy, but I am so happy that I am going to an art school. The next two years are going to amazing and I can't wait to get started. Cheers for art integration!!!

I'll be 29 when I finish my Masters. We imagine that if Dan is happy in his career around that time, that we'll likely start trying for a wee one. Eek! A plan! How brash of us!

Last night we hosted another "Sip & See." The babies met Emily, Holly and Janet. It's so fun to watch them be introduced to new people. I also practiced feeding Pippa and it went pretty well.

Nine work days left. To be truthful, it can't go quickly enough.

Snapshots

Sitting here awaiting my cousin Kryn who I will be taking out to lunch and to all the best Chicago shops. At work all week I've been getting a lot of congratulatory pats on the back for not only getting into graduate school, but getting the fellowship too. It feels good. It feels like a new chapter has begun in my life. One that I've been waiting for but didn't know exactly how it would pan out. Someone asked me what I'd do with my Masters when I'm done, and I truly felt excited to answer, "Not exactly sure yet. Teach, probably. What, who knows? I'll be able to teach a lot of different things. And my work as a Teaching Artist may afford me a neat job that I don't even know exists yet."

I can't explain really how much I knew while I was working 9-5 in an office in a non-arts capacity how much I felt like what I was doing was absolutely wrong for who I am. For what makes me- me. But I am meant to dig in the dirt with children and to help them shape a beautiful vision of their world and the future. And to help them craft crazy stories and direct little projects and to take work home with me and figure out how to map out the impossible (like having all 50 states on the floor of the classroom). I don't know exactly how I am meant to do this, I just know that I am not meant to be a professional. It feels too much like work to me and not enough like living/creating. We expect the next two years to be rough, even with part time jobs already lined up, fellowships secured, and a pretty decent federal loan I just found out I have been awarded. I got our rent lowered and we are cancelling our dog walking, which will save us some cash. And we are lucky in that we have a solid group of friends who live near us and like to spend their evenings at each other's houses making dinner/watching movies/enjoying company. We recently started a North Center bar hopping club. Not actual bar hopping - more of a "let's meet at a different bar in North Center each week until we find the one that belongs to us," sort of club. I can't wait to start nannying. It'll be hard, but rewarding. And I'll be helping out my friends and will be directly involved with the health/happiness of my godchildren. How cool is that?

I will say that I don't think I've ever felt such pride over a role given to me, but the role of GodParent makes me feel perpetually and unequivocally proud of myself. I feel like we've been really helpful and every time I see the babies I feel like each time they know me a little more. As in... well, not that they recognize me or say, "Oh, hello Aunt Danielle," but more that I am an okay person for them to be held by.

n epic nerdiness, and because I LOVE lists, here are all the things I'm excited for this summer:

1. Riding my bicycle to work. 2. Walking with Dan and the dogs around North Center as the sun sets. 3. The NorthCenter and Lincoln Square Farmer's Market. 4. Taking the babies for long walks around Welles Park in the afternoon. 5. Wearing whatever I want to work (hello sneakers & threadless t-shirts). 6. Hell, the possibility of getting my nose pierced or dying my hair, like a true young adult. :) 7. Teaching kids how to be puppeteers this summer!!! 8. North Center Bar Night with the ladies and Dan. 9. Being in a community of artists again. 10. Volunteering more at Open Books and starting to volunteer at 826 CHI. 11. Working significantly less hours per week. 12. Thrifting with Lydia. 13. MY BROTHER'S WEDDING! 14. 4th of July trip to Ohio. 15. Potential camping trip over Memorial Day Weekend. 16. The impending arrival of our new Tempurpedic Bed. 17. Free movies and music in the park. 18. Going to the library in Lincoln Square after work. 19. Did I mention babies?!?!?! 20. Picnics with the family.

Notice I didn't mention art fairs/street festivals. I'm sure I'll probably still go, but I feel sort of... I don't know... ambivalent right now. The street festivals always end up being tons of drunk people and crappy stuff that I could find on Etsy. The art fairs... well I love the Bucktown show and I'm sure I'll go to Renegade... but after 5 years (DAMN, WE'VE LIVED HERE FOR FIVE YEARS!) of attending the same fests every summer, it's a little bit of a "been there, done that." It's always the same artists hawking the same stuff that again, I know I can find on etsy. I'll go to Renegade likely to support all my artist friends, but I dunno, it seems more of an adventure to me to hit the flea markets in the suburbs and to scavenge the streets of Chicago for Garage Sales and Church Sales. I want to be surprised again. The art fairs used to surprise me. I sound like I'm talking about a bad marriage. :) Speaking of marriages... we are close to our 2 year anniversary and feeling more in love than ever. Awww, vomit. I recently redid his office space for $80 and he was so damn happy about it. And it looks really nice and now I think I have a good idea of how to approach the room if I want to continue to jazz it up for him. Love does silly things.

Drunken blogging ftw

I am pleasantly dunk and trying to blog on my iPhone. We shall see how this goes.

I found out Saturday that I got into Columbia College Chicago! They are giving me close to a full ride, so minimal student loans. And I'm going to be working as a nanny for my godchildren and teaching puppetry while going to school. Cue me putting back on my Bohemia hat! I'm so done with desk jobs. No more. Give me a room where I have to be "present" to work, please! I am done with checking out from work and eking out a life. I want to live! I can ride my bike to nanny, Damnit! Amazing.

In two years I'll have a masters, a teaching license and certificates in elementary Ed, special Ed, and theatre k-9. Working with kids, creating curriculum... Ahhhhhhh! It's for me. I am that artsy fartsy teacher.

I gave my three weeks notice at work. I feel damn good. They have offered to take me back part time anytime I want if I need extra cash. Thy are all supportive, which is cool. They recognize that it's a step up and a huge opportunity. Which I did t expect to happen, but it's nice.

Since I found out and since I quit.... I just... I haven't felt this happy in a long time. This feels really right. Ryan took me out for champagne on Saturday and my husband took me to Sola for a celebratory dinner on sunday. Yesterday holly took me for lunch and Tonight our good friends Emily and Janet took us out for martinis. A week of celebration!

Tomorrow we go to Ryan and yolanda's house to babysit. This week feels like a blur. Dan and I both feel hopeful for the future. I think i needed to go back to the creative side of things to get the rest of me going again.

I want to be more social. I am normally, but I feel like work has killed that. Other than the baby hole we have mostly been hibernating since january. But now we have plans in advance for fun outings. We even have made weekly Corner Bar plans with Emily and Janet. North center yo.

Okay. I hope this makes sense when I read it tomorrow.

Haha!

Passed all five exams! Test taking genius, say I! This means I will find out about AUSL within the next two weeks.... And if I do get it I'll be playing nanny April-June!!!!! Feeling good!

Fortune

Heavy Things on my mind...

• Michigan. Specifically, Detroit's school cuts, collective bargaining, and the ability for the Governor to declare a "financial emergency" in any city and then strip that city of it's elected officials.
• Wisconsin. Probably don't need to expand on this one.
• My cousin Andy, his wife Sharon, and their newborn baby Quinn, who are on the Misawa airbase in Japan. Right after the earthquake they reported in as being okay, but since then the tsunami's have hit and we don't know for sure where they are. I know in my gut they are probably fine, he's a top gun fighter pilot after all, but mostly I'm scared for their baby.
• My Mom. Anniversaries are rough.

Exciting things on my mind...

• I get my test results back at 5pm tonight. Here's hoping that I pass all five exams and don't have to retake anything in April.
• I have my big interview tomorrow. My lesson plan is prepped and I've been reading it aloud to myself at work all day. I feel pretty confident about it and it would be amazing to know whether or not I "get it" by the end of March.
• Being a god parent. Since the babies came home, we've been pretty consistently going over to help every week. It feels really amazing to be able to be so involved in their early days. I keep thinking about when we first met them in November and how much they've changed and it brings tears to my eyes. And I've been having a lot of fun changing diapers (really!), changing clothes, swaddling, comforting crying babies, and learning how to give bottles. And really, watching Dan do all of those things is also an amazing experience. We have fallen in love with our godchildren and they've really inspired us to start thinking concretely and not just whimsically about having children. I think we're both ready.. Eek!
• Seeing HAIR on Saturday night. Let the sun shine in!!!
• My brother's wedding in June and the bridal shower in April.
• Making time to cuddle every night before bed, and setting our alarm a little early so we can cuddle before we get up every morning. :)

I guess that's about it. Which is actually quite a lot.

Oh Joy! Rapture! I have a brain.

Minneapolis was unexpectedly epic. The Ness Nest (as I am now calling it) is beautiful, calming, and already feels like a home away from home. It was so nice to spend quality time with Brian and to meet his new (extremely wonderful)BF.

We spent our day antiquing and at the Art Institute. We met the new friend at his work after hours (the Minnesota Opera) and he gave us a VIP tour. It included a trip up onto the roof at sunset and an impromptu performance of our favorite showtunes on the piano.

The Megabus trip home was awful. Truly just a bad experience. There was a white out style blizzard, the double decker bus shook under the influence of the wind, and at one point the highway had to close. We spent a good three extra hours winding down terrifying Wisconsin backroads, driving past cars flipped over in ditches. I don't blame the Megabus, but I doubt I'll be using them again. There were several points where I sat and prayed that they would pull over and tell us we had to get a hotel room for the night because the weather was too bad to drive.

Other news: I found out I made the "first cut" for AUSL. I have a second interview on March 12th that includes a 5 minute lesson plan and writing a critical essay response. I've got lots of prepping to do... eek! I've decided to do a five minute lesson plan on the American Flag for a 3rd grade classroom. Right now it's going well. I have lots of facts, now I just need to tie them all together for optimal fun.


If I don't make AUSL, then I am hoping that Columbia College comes through. If it does, I'll likely begin nannying for a certain pair godchildren to earn some part time money and take classes at night. And in the case of going the CC route, I'd also be teaching puppetry this summer for Pulaski. Which is about the best way I can imagine to spend a summer. It's nice that I feel pumped about either option. Both will provide me with very different experiences. Columbia College will be harder financially, since I'll be paying for school. AUSL will be harder in that it's a five year commitment. But I feel good about both options and I think I'd be happy going either way.

I also randomly had a job interview for a position I applied for in January. It's an Education Manager position at a large regional theatre in Ohio. The pay is a little higer than my salary now, which would be great. I'm still waiting to hear back about whether I make the second round of interviews, in which case we'd start thinking a bit more concretely about potentially moving back to Ohio. The job is amazing. I'd be creating my own education theatre programs and expanding on the ones they already have in place. We could also afford a house and we'd likely start working on making a little family if we go this route. We're trying to not get too pumped about it, because it might not come through. Their HR lady said they had several interviews to complete and that most of them were with people from NYC. So we'll see. I think I could compete with Ohio applicants, but NYC people might just have been credentials than I do. But it's an interesting option.

We spent some time with the godchildren this week. I changed some diapers and we both each had a night of rocking babies to sleep. It's a pretty incredible experience and I feel really lucky that we are able to be involved. I think it has made us both a bit baby crazy, but that's okay.

I think that's about it in the way of news. My bridesmaid dress came in for Mitch's wedding and it's absolutely gorgeous. Ali's dress is also amazing and the resort they've chosen at Lake Geneva is incredible. It's going to be a great weekend with family. I can't believe it's just 3 months away.

I'm feeling a bit too nostalgic to write about this yet. Until I do, here are some magic photos.

Whirlwind

I'm still a bit winded from what I can only describe as a killer weekend. I'm still attempting to get my head back on straight. It doesn't help that I have a math test tonight that I am unprepared for AND that I am wearing high heel shoes in the first time since... well, forever. But they are also the cutest of all shoes (and surprising comfortable despite the 3 inch heel), so we move on.



When I got home from work on Friday Dan had prepared an early Valentine's Day meal (steak, mashed potatoes and green beans). He also surprised me with an electric neck massager, because I get a lot of tension in my neck when I'm stressed. We watched new episodes of our favorite sitcoms and went to bed early, as he was driving me to the test site the next morning.

Saturday was full of test taking. It was a long, painful, and tiring event. I had thought ahead and took some excedrin before the first test and right before the second test. I also wore stick on heat pads on my back and shoulders (I am apparently an elderly woman). I think I did well, but with standardized tests you can never really know for sure. I feel relatively positive about the Writing Subsection and the Language Arts Subsection of the first test. The Math section is anybody's guess. I was more prepared because of my math class, but there were still some math areas where I wasn't confident. And surprisingly, the Reading section gave me more difficulty than I expected. They actually told us that this would happen, but it still surprised me. The problem is that there are usually two "correct" answers, but one is BETTER than the other. So I did a lot of vacillating between what I "thought" was right and what the test "thought" was right. We'll see.

The second test of the day (content area) covered Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, Health, Music, Art, Dance and Drama. For this test the math was actually the easiest portion. The toughest questions were about the subject matter in terms of teaching pedagogy. I haven't taken classes in teaching theory, so I had to do a bit of guess work. Normally you take this test halfway through your second year of graduate school, so there's that. Anyway, I think this one could go either way.

I finished the second test 2.5 hours early, so I was suddenly done and without a ride. I called Ryan to let him know I'd finished up and then headed to a pub across the street from the school, where I managed to drink four glasses of wine before he picked me up. We had some fun searching for Huck Finn's Donuts and then had a nice post test talk on the drive back to Chicago. When I got home Dan was waiting with a bouquet of roses and a pint of mint chocolate chip. That man, he knows me.

I spent Sunday in a daze, running about Chicago looking for a nice pair of shoes and tights for the interview. We also briefly stopped by to say hello to the babies and walked a bit in Lincoln Square. It seemed that everyone was outside, what with the weather in the low 50's. We enjoyed a bit of overdue vitamin D.

This morning was the interview. It was very different from what I was expecting. They asked me to spend the first ten minutes briefly summarizing my background. The other fifty minutes was a very intense decision making session where they asked me what I would do in various situations. I think I did well. I answered honestly and I think I made some points that they weren't expecting. I was able to cover my experiences at Shakes, Columbia College and Northwestern, which I think makes me look pretty fancy. And I also talked about my experiences with Blackbird and Open Books, which seemed to impress them a great deal.

And now... more waiting. I get the test results mid-March and they said I'll hear back about whether I have a second interview sometime in the next four weeks. All this waiting makes a girl pretty nervous.

This week will likely bring more whirlwinds. I'm trying to ride it out and to not let myself get down or stressed out. Pushing through seems to be the current motto.

So it goes...

I have two five hour tests tomorrow. Think lovely thoughts for me! I've known I'd be taking the tests for a little over seven weeks. To prepare I signed up for a math course (meets twice a week for two hours at a time) and I've attended two test workshops (3 hour sessions each). As far as plain old studying for the test... well, I did that a lot for the first two weeks, and this week. But those four weeks in the middle - well, they were spent on math class, math class homework and workshops. I feel like I probably should have prepared more than I did, but it's too late now. I do feel like I have a good grasp of the majority of the subjects. It's just math and science that have been weighing me down.

I have my first interview (of hopefully two) for AUSL coming up soon. This is one of the four things I've been waiting on, so very exciting!!!

So you say you want a resolution...

It has been a long while since I've thought about blogging. A few reasons:

1. My dearest of friends, Mr. Brian Ness, gave me a perpetual journal/calendar/box of good things. I update it daily. Although it's just a sentence per day, it contains wonders.

2. I have started carrying a notebook again, for all my reflecting/doodling/list building needs. It fills me up.

3. I have had a mixture of absolutely nothing to talk about and things that I want to say that are so huge I don't know how to contain them.

4. I track what I eat each day in a thingy (app?) on my fancy phone. Alas, what I eat today blogs now seem even more meaningless.

All this being said (my husband claims this is my favorite phrase), I miss the blog-o-sphere. I liked the idea of an online trail of breadcrumbs that led to better self awareness.

So here are some things.

I am tired of resolutions. If January is an example of things to come, then I can say without a doubt that THINGS CHANGE quickly and unexpectedly. Making a list in January that is for the whole year just doesn't work for me anymore. So instead of yearly resolutions, I'm making monthly goals. Each month I'll assess and adjust.

Here are my goals for February:

1. Stop using the words "exercise" and "workout." These words imply to me that won't enjoy the activity. Instead, this month I want to dance with Dan, stroll with friends, and to play with the dogs. I want to jump in the snow and stretch in the morning and just before bed. I want to feel strong.

2. Stop using the word "diet." I make constant attempts to do this but it never sticks. This month I want to focus on making healthy choices. Less cheese, less meat, less snacks, more tea, and more veggies. I can say I am content with the amount of fruit I eat (yay)!

That's it. Play more and focus on making healthier choices.

Other things:

I have been applying for jobs, grad school, and any other opportunity that strikes my fancy. Nothing to lose, lots to gain. I'm currently playing the waiting game and trying not to let it get the better of me.

I am very excited to say that husband and I were recently made godparents to some very awesome babies. It feels really good to be loved and trusted enough to be asked to take on this responsibility. We spent our weekends in January helping out the family and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. We feel good that we can sort of fit into their routine. It warms the heart to take a seat (and a baby) and quietly spend an afternoon. Husband and I seem to have mutually caught the baby bug even more so than before. I think we would start working on making babies right now if it weren't for a few pesky factors in the way. Seeing my husband caring for the babies makes me even more excited (if that's possible) that I married him. He's a natural. Favorite baby moments- anytime a baby farts, Dan singing No One is Alone, Dan and I singing a Beatles/ Ben Folds medley, and babies curling up against my shoulder.

More on the couple front- Last week we saw Les Miserables. It's in his top three of beloved musicals (the others being RENT and Jesus Christ Superstar). It tickles me to think these choices stem from a love of historical storytelling, a love of classic rock, and that he identified (and even dressed) like Mark in high school. The show was excellent and we were both giddy and wide eyed by the end. Next month he is taking me to one of my favorite musicals - HAIR (others being Godspell and Wild Party).

Other news- I'm traveling to Minneapolis next weekend for a play date with the darling Brian. I'll be staying at his new house and planned activities include antiquing, drinking around his dinner table, and just enjoying each other's company.

I have a stellar idea for a new blog. I've been kicking it around for a few month, rolling it over and seeing whether it's something I'd want to actually commit to. If I do it, it'd involve traipsing about the city/state/country to collect stories. I think doing it depends on whether or not I get into grad school/get a new job/move. If I don't get any of these things, then the new blog will definitely take off.

On the work/school front- This month has dumped a lot on my plate and I am trying to keep my head above water. Thankfully I have supportive friends who see me through- who are even picking me up from my test this weekend for a "detox" car ride.

Okay. This is longer than I intended. I don't know how long I'll keep it up. I miss my online community- specifically the sweet Aileen who always has helpful things to say.