reason to leap

The locusts are singing their song again, reminding us all that summer is coming to an end. And with the end of summer comes change and challenge. 118 names to learn. Papers to grade. Kids to inspire. And of course, the return of the alarm clock. It's been off for three months, just the way I like it. 

Some wake-ups are easier than others. If you've ever left before dawn for a vacation, or had a first day of school, you know exactly what I mean. See, when you have something to look forward to, waking up is a breeze. 

So it's no wonder that I've been springing out of bed for the past two weeks. I have something to look forward to, something I've wanted for a very, very long time. 

I am pregnant. 

We aren't really telling people yet; it's still very early.  I know we're not out of the woods, but being in the woods by yourself is lonely. Very lonely. So I'm inviting you in. (If you know me in real life and you read this blog, shhhhhh.)

 After wanting this for so long, we're over the moon, but we are both very nervous. Nervous and anxious. Excited. Terrified. Blessed. Thankful. Apprehensive. Unbelieving. Awe-struck. Scared. The list goes on and on. 

I know that sometime in the near future, I may not be leaping out of bed.  But today, my friends, I am. Today, I am pregnant.

you've gotta hear this

It's a windows-down, blue-skies kind of song. It will make you smile. Promise. The best line: "She told me she loved me like fireworks."  mmmmmmmmm. 

Catch my Disease by Ben Lee.

Listen. Smile. Repeat. 

I didn't pick her

Since beginning this blog, I knew I wanted to write about my friend Jamie. But each time I tried, I fell short.  I've spent many hours in front of my computer, staring at a blank screen, trying to figure out a way to explain what she means to me. How much I value her. Cherish her.

The word "friend" doesn't work; she's so much more than that. And the funny thing is, I didn't pick her. She and her husband came into my life as part of a "package deal" when I began dating their best friend (now my husband).

That was seven years ago. Throughout those first few years, we were friendly, but I wouldn't say we were friends. We didn't have much in common, to say the least.  After all, I was 22, fresh out of college, and still trying to figure out how to do laundry correctly.  Jamie, on the other hand, was four years older, married, and preparing for children. I remember thinking, "Wow. She is so....adult-ish. She probably irons things."

And I know she was thinking, "Wow. This chick has a lot of growing up to do." And she was right.

I can't say exactly when it happened, but sometime over the past seven years, something changed. I stopped simply looking up to her, and started looking to her. Big difference. She went from being one of my husband's best friends to one of mine, too.

I don't know how she expertly manages her many roles: wife, mother of four (under four), daughter, sister, teacher, blogger, and of course, friend. Her plate is full, yet she executes each role with such grace and love.  It's truly astounding.

Why do I love her? I love her because she's the kind of friend who asks me the hard questions and remembers the answers. The kind of person who grabs my arm when she's talking about something that she's passionate about, and makes me feel it, too.  I love her because she won't let me off the hook if I say "I'm fine," when she knows I'm not. And she's asking, because she really, really cares.

She's the kind of friend who worries with me. Loves with me. Hurts with me. Hopes with me. She's the person I go to for advice, for comfort, and especially if I need to process something - she has an uncanny ability to verbalize exactly what's on my heart. When my dad had to have emergency open heart surgery, she was the first person I called.  During surgery, she sent me hourly text messages reminding me that we were one hour closer to seeing him.  You see, she knows exactly what I need, sometimes before I even know it myself.

It's hard to imagine what I ever did without her in my life. And I didn't even pick her.

25 things

I inherited a love of all-things-celebrity from my mother and grandmother. Hence, I adore Us Weekly magazine. One of my favorite features in each edition is the "25 Things About Me" section. So, in that spirit, here you go!

1.  In 1996, my friend and I bought a vintage tandem bike and rode it around town all summer. Because what high school freshman doesn't look cool on a tandem?
2. I don't like to exercise, so I don't do it.  I once grape-vined out of an aerobics class in college and never went back. Truth. 
3. I don't eat pork or ham because I was disgusted to see pigs roll in the mud at Upland Hills Farm in 1988. Yet I love bacon. Go figure...
4. In the past ten years, I have probably consumed no more than five glasses of soda. I love water!
5.  I caught the kitchen on fire four years ago while making bacon. (see above)
6. By the time I was four, I knew all the words to "Only Lonely" and "Shot Through the Heart" by Bon Jovi. I have the proof on a Beta tape. 
7.  Until high school, I thought ALL parents took a bath together every night. Mine did. 
8. I think that life should have a soundtrack in the background. 
9.  I get really nervous speaking publicly in front of adults, yet I have no problem acting like a fool, singing and dancing around  in front of my students. 
10. I never bought laundry detergent in college. I just used everyone else's! Confession!
11. I've known my best friend for 26 years. We take an annual picture in the same pose every year, and have done so since 1986. She knows me better than I know myself.

12. I can't wear nail polish because I will pick it off by the end of the day.
13. I am going to be an aunt for the first time in October, and I can't wait to meet my niece or nephew!
14. Growing up, whenever I couldn't sleep, my mom would sit on the edge of my bed and bounce it up and down. This was (and still is) the definition of comfort for me.
15.  I tend to think that deadlines don't really apply to me. 
16. By the time I was 18, I had been in 17 fender benders. Thus, I was voted "worst driver" in my high school class. 
17. I sang in Carnegie Hall when I was 17, but didn't realize what a unique experience it was until years later.
18. On the same trip (see above) I got my belly button pierced in NYC, which was forbidden by my parents. I had it in for three weeks until my mother caught me and chased me around the house, threatening to pull it out. 
19. Driving at night makes me very nervous. 
20. Living 220 miles away from my family is getting harder as the years go by. I miss them terribly. 
21. If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be sourdough toast and butter - real butter only. I don't eat margarine.
22. I used to think that everything happens for a reason, but I am starting to believe that isn't true.
23. My biggest pet peeve is when adults misuse their pronouns in writing (there / their / they're and your / you're)
24. I don't believe in "the one." I believe in good decision making based on locality. 
25. If I could hire one person to work in my household, I'd hire a cook.