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.