The Party Before the Storm.

So as of Wednesday, I am officially 29, in the last year of my twenties, as one of my students called, the party before the storm (it was a genius reference, really, as we had just finished up our unit on the Stock Market crash in 1929 and the Depression in the 1930's). Although I an avid birthday-celebrator, I wasn't really looking forward to my birthday this year. Not because of the age, because I really don't mind being 29. After all, I have everything on my "what I really want out of life" life-- a little cottage house, a blue Jeep Cherokee Sport, a big black dog, a superhot best best friend that I got to marry, an adorable son (bonus-- I have two adorable sons), and a job I enjoy. I have accmplished a lot in these 29 years. I wasn't looking forward to it because there was no celebration. Our funds are so very low right now that I cancelled the party we were going to host here and bowed out of my part of the party that was supposed to be joint venture with a fellow Februarian next week. In short, there wasn't anything to look forward to.

But, oh how I was wrong. Wednesday was awesome. Jason was super sweet and got up with Ethan in the am, so I could snooze a few more minutes before work. Anna Beebe, my carpool coworker, brought me flowers. One student made me breakfast and set everything up before I got to school (pancakes, strawberries and juice-- YUM!). My class celebrated Semicolon Appreciation Day, a day of my own invention, the excuse to celebrate my birthday, so we had muffins and juice and more pancakes and French toast. Then there were cupcakes and cake, but the best part came at last period. I was getting ready to give a quiz on To Kill a Mockingbird, when I was called out of the room. When I came back, the lights were off and the kids were gone-- until someone jumped out, shouted surprise and turned the lights on. There was a huge box on the desk. I hate opening gifts in front of people, but I had to. So as 28 students and 2 coworkers watched, I opened the box to find an autographed copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. I was floored. The thoughtfulness that went into this gift, the fact that these kids were a part of it, that they cared enough about me to do something so amazing. I'm not sure I have ever felt so loved. This was the book that changed my reading life; it was this book that showed me that books were more than just a distraction, but that they were meaningful in complex ways and different for different people. I was in tears as I tried explaining this to them and just in awe. They *get* it; they must have some understanding of why I teach literature to them and that is reason I teach.

I came home to more delicious cake, made by my best best friend/husband. My mom stopped by (and now that I am a mother, I realize that my birthday is just as important to my mom as it is to me) I had a pizza dinner with all of my boys and I went to bed a happy and fulfilled woman.

Life is good.