Amy Writes

Because Matt baited me. Top 5 Celebrity Encounters: Rescuing Ron Howard from a horde of pesky journalists. Riding Spider-Man behind Steven Spielberg and being a minor part of his "entourage" for a few minutes Holding onto Garth Brooks' boot from my "seat" in the front row Escorting Will Smith to some interviews, and helping Jada find him. Having "Wayne" from the Wonder Years (when the Wonder Years was a big deal) walk away from a working set to have his picture taken with me. **And what I imagine Matt was thinking when he chose today's topic was that we need to let you all know that our good friend Jason Kennedy is hosting a new reality-game-dance-show-thing on ABC tonight at 8pm called Dance Machine. WATCH IT!!!**

It's a source of comfort. Something you have a hard time putting down. Maybe it puts a smile on your face. Maybe it makes you want to call a friend. Maybe it makes you feel like a kid again. It's that thing that you have to take one last look at before putting away, or recite in your head for the zillionth time before falling asleep. Whatever it is, you know the feeling. Its presence in your life at that moment fills you with nostalgia, sentiment, peace. It's a little reminder that indeed, everything is - or will be - okay. It's a Wednesday Warm Fuzzy! It would seem that I have a long list of warm fuzzy triggers, and I am choosing to share them with all five of my faithful readers. Tune in on Wednesdays for the next installment! I would love for you to join in! Share yours! Here is today's experience, the one that inspired my new tradition. The Setup: So today, I'm standing in the Christian bookstore and it happens. My eyes lock in on a book, my hands reach for

I was due for a checkup. (Last June) After making and canceling a few (five?) appointments in the last year, I finally got around to it. (yesterday) I am a healthy, young woman. (in my opinion) I left with a bagful of prescription samples and a few referrals for various procedures, specialists and tests. (I also left with an irrational fear of dying on the treadmill, which I have decided is NOT how I want to go.) So I'm off to have 17 vials of blood drawn. One down, of at least 6 more occasions to find childcare in the interest of my own well-being. Or, someone's idea of my own well-being. I thought I was getting along just fine. :)

Today was one of those days when God says: "THIS is why you have kids. You have kids because they're more effective than a mirror." I opted not to be Eden's piano teacher for a few reasons. Mainly, because, I didn't want to be her piano teacher. I desperately want her to learn, to embrace the gift that is music, to be able to connect with her soul and communicate the beauty inside of her to the world outside. I just didn't want to be the one fighting with her. I didn't feel like "because I said so" would motivate her as well as "because Dr. G said so." And that part was right. Those words, like they did with me 20 years ago, hold some serious weight. But the fighting? Oh, it's epic. I don't have to be her teacher. I have to be her practice buddy. Turns out, that's harder than being the teacher. Daily, I sit with her on the bench, patiently pointing out mistakes, counting along, singing the words. We talk about louds and soft

My darling husband Matt thinks we bloggers have nothing better to do than make lists at his whim. He has created Top 5 Friday for this purpose. He knows I can't resist making a list. So here is my list of Top 5 Sporting Events attended: UF wins 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. I was there. UF beats FSU in 1995, my first *really* big win in The Swamp. Westminster Academy beats Trenton in the 1993 Florida State Softball Championship. I hit the tying run in. Westminster Academy beats someone from Jacksonville in the 1991 Florida State Football Championship. The score was 6-3. It was in Daytona, and it was freezing. Matt- finish this one for me - what was the game where we all stood around in the stadium after our win and they switched the Jumbo Trons to the game that helped us out... that was cool. We don't remember the specifics, but I'm pretty sure it was watching Florida State lose on a very, very big screen, with a very very large number of people. I've also

To a 5-year-old who can't read yet, this sign posted near the elevator is interpreted: "If the stairs are fired, take the elevator."

When I was a kid, summer was all about camp. Tennis camp, Swimming camp, Volleyball camp, Basketball camp, Piano Camp (that was only once) and even two years of Space Camp. I thought my parents sent me to camps for the growth opportunities they provided. I could improve as an athlete! I would gain knowledge! I would make new friends and gather pen pals from all over the country! I was pretty sure it was all about me. But I'm older and wiser now and I've figured it out: camp was for mom. Camp was a blessed 15-30 hours a week - more for the overnights! - of mom-time. Last week was the first time in 3 - no, 5! - years that I've had a 3 hour block of time completely to myself when I wasn't on a plane or going to see a doctor. And even those doctor appointments, while blessedly kid-free, only last about an hour. I was staring down 5 of those blocks of time - Fifteen glorious hours of productivity. I'd been looking forward to them since I turned in those camp registratio

Call Waiting makes me grouchy. It shouldn't be called "call waiting." It should be called "call interrupting." That's all I have to say about that.

We're young, hip folks. I mean, this is what I like to believe. Come on! We work with youth! I teach piano to middle school girls. I teach Sunday School to high schoolers. Matt hangs out with middle schoolers and actually knows all the boys in youth group by name. I send text messages to my friends. I chat with my peeps online (thanks, cool parents! ) I write on Facebook walls. We know more celebrity trivia than anyone out of college should ever know. We watch a LOT of movies and can keep up with most conversations about TV (though we have to smile & nod mutely occasionally, or artfully change the subject before someone calls our bluff). Matt is addicted to OUR ipod. I know all the words to High School Musical 1 & 2. We have our fingers on the proverbial pulse. See, now, I am proving my own point. I have used that "finger on the pulse" phrase like 3 times this week, which just may mean I'm not as young and hip as I think I am. I think young hip people say some