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About Me, March 2014

Sometimes it's "Pitcher Mars", quite recently, it's something that sounds like "Teacher Mouse". But mostly, I've been called Teacher Mars for some years now. I've been lead teacher in several Montessori pre-school classes, teaching children from 2.5 to 6 years old for some 40 hours a week. Here's me with siblings Felipe and Zoe. Felipe, who is now 10,
was one of my first students. His sister, Zoe, now 4 (who wasn't even born yet
when I first started teaching her brother), is one of my students now. Me, dissecting a hibiscus (in the Philippines, we call it gumamela) to see the different parts.
Flowers is one of my favorite themes. The World, too, and the different continents and countries.

In 2010, I set-up and opened my own Montessori pre-school in a small community, in a province, in the Philippines to let the children there "experience the Montessori difference". There, I was the school directress, lead teacher, teacher aide, admin staff, janitor, and a lot of other things. We ran 3 full classes a day, and I was lead teacher in all of them (fellow teachers would know what hard work and long hours this really means). When I wasn't "living" within the school, I took a 2-hour commute in the morning going to school, and another 2 hours in the afternoon going back home in Metro Manila. Everyday. But everyday, too, the children would make me feel everything was worthwhile. That's Aidan, 2.10, who suddenly sat beside me while I was reading Eric Carle's
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" at circle. That's Kiko, 4.2, giving me what he called "flying bubble kisses".

On some days though, I get to be... A fairy! I'm the one on the left with a blue flower on my hair. And a mermaid!

These days, I'm a new wife to the guy whom I have known since we were 11 years old, and whom I have been with for 11 years. On our wedding day, September 2013

I'm back to writing and blogging, too. And as I sit and write by my usual window, I have these guys with me... Our cats, Haku and Tobi. The CATsumoto brothers.

Also these days, I no longer run our own school, but I'm excited to run our own home, soon. Our house, it's going to be done in a few weeks! Just in time, too, because soon...

Soon, I'm going to be a mother. And of all the things I've been called so far, that's the one I'm most excited about. Mars M.
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