an update about what I've been up to:

School: so I started in January at Cleveland State University. you might recall my original plan was to return to school to get an advanced degree in physics so I could teach college level and do research, but then I started substitute teaching and fell in love with teaching kids! I know, right? Who would have thought. I especially love teaching math grades 7-12, probably because math is one of my favorite subjects. So I'm now in a post-bacc program to get my teaching license for 7-12 math, then a Master's. They do have a master's program for math where you get a master's degree along with your initial license, but I didn't have enough of the math pre-requisites. In the time it takes to get those, I can also take my licensure classes so that's what I'm doing. Then I'll continue doing the Master's program at night.

This semester I am taking 3 classes; two education classes and one math class. School is challenging but I am handling it. Mercury Man is helping a lot, and he saved most of his books so this semester I didn't have to buy any books! because I use his books for my education classes and my calculus class, the book lessons are online. Over summer I am also taking 3 classes, then in the fall it'll be 5. after that the most I'll take is 2-3 classes until I'm done in '12. Best of all, because no one wants to be a math teacher anymore apparently they are throwing money at anyone who does!! and who promises to teach in the hood for a while. I already sub for an inner city school system and plan to get a permanent teaching job with them when I get my certification anyway. In the fall I'll get a scholarship, which will help a lot!

Subbing: Ok so I LOVE teaching. I really like it and it does not seem like work when the kids are engaged and learning. I like the older kids, the grades 6-8 and then the high schoolers. I always thought before I actually started doing this that I would prefer teaching little ones, like k-3, but I don't. That age group...ugh. They cry a lot and they whine, and they are always touching me/my hair, that age group needs a lot of attention. The older kids need attention too but they are more independent.

It is challenging subbing in the hood but I don't treat them any different than I do my own kids, and I have the same high expectations of them as I do my own kids. and they respond to that too. I have had seasoned teachers ask me how I get results out of kids they had written off and it's because I don't expect them to fail. I recognize their intelligence and expect them to learn, to do their work, and act like they have some sense in the classroom. and they do.

plus I can be fun sometimes. I am a stern teacher but also goofy and the kids in the schools I regularly sub for have learned that if they get me laughing I have a hard time stopping. I rarely let them set me off but once or twice a month we might have a good laugh fest. You'd be surprised at how much this helped me with classroom management, it's like once the kids saw I was 'human' they could deal with the times I had to put the hammer on them LOL.

putting the hammer down = smashing rowdy behavior flat, nipping it in the bud. I do not play. I sometimes hear the kids saying that in the hall: Mrs BL does not play! I think they respect that and it helps a great deal in classroom management because they know it is time to learn. time to settle in and do their work.

Sleep: I have been sleeping so well lately. In part due to the medication I am on but also due to my getting back into an exercise schedule (I am training for a half-marathon in May) and eating regularly again, especially breakfast. Sleep is one of the loveliest things in the world. aaaaaaaaaaaah.

Surprises: I filed the paperwork for my name change last month and go stand before the judge next month. In a month it will be official, my new name. I'm excited about it, real excited. this is something I have been thinking about for a few years and finally, I did it. They make you wait a while before it's official, which is kind of like WTF but whatever, I understand it's not a rash decision. They gave me a list of places I might want to contact about the name change which is very helpful because some places I didn't think of yet.

More: Almost done packing up the bookstore at the old location, just have a few pieces of furniture to pick up. I have a lot of the stuff at my house, just piles and piles of books:

The new location is nice in that it is close to home. I only have to pay partial rent on it until we re-open, which is nice. I'm planning a Spring opening in April, here's a little tease of my now empty front window:

More: Winter is going ok. A combination of therapy and meds has me feeling for the first time in my adult life, fully happy and un-depressed in winter. I have PTSD and it took a lot of therapy for me to connect that a lot of the traumatic things that happened to me in childhood and as a young adult happened in winter and that is a big part of why I hated winter so. I don't love winter now or anything just yet, but it is bearable. and I am actually able to see the beauty in it:

More: I am no longer a vegetarian! This is a huge event in my life because I became one at 14 and just started eating meat again last year around Thanksgiving time. It just felt right to me, in the same way not eating meat felt right to me. So far I like mostly birds and seafood but lately also have gotten into pork:

though I still make and eat lots and lots of vegetarian meals! as Scott is still a vegetarian and Todd is mostly. here's some falafel Mercury Man made:

More: My kids are awesome. The boys are getting just HUGE, Scott put his hand over my face the other day horsing around and his hand covered my entire face LOL. Todd is gaining on me height-wise and he's only 12!! Soon I will be the shortest person in the house. Both are doing well in school and very much into their activities. Iyende is going into her 2nd year living in her own apartment, she is an amazing young lady and I so proud of her. She goes back to school in the summer and will be going to CSU with me, that will be so fun! When I was first at CSU I used ot bring her to school with me often so it will be neat to be with her there now that she's a student too.

More: Planning our Renewal Vows! We're finally going to do it this year in June. This is our 11th year married, 14th year being together, and 16th year knowing each other. Sometimes it feel like forever that Mercury Man has been in my life, sometimes it feels like we just met last week. I love this man so, and he loves me so. Plus he's so cute

We are going to have a short and simple ceremony at one of the beaches right by Lake Erie, then on to the reception and party where we will dance the night away. Then we're going to Montreal for our honeymoon, which is exciting because we never had a honeymoon, on our wedding day we just went to the courthouse and then both went to work!! I've been to Montreal before and it is a lovely city, Mercury Man has never been but he is eager to see it. Both learning french now so we aren't too inept at communicating when we get there.

I am in a good place in my life. I am happy, and content.