Revision

I have a lot to write about, but here’s one to start off…

It’s so awesome when you get to spend time with a friend just talking and laughing and knowing that person likes you anyway. I say some of the dumbest things EVER, but your real friends don’t care. Friends like that are pretty rare.

Two humorous stories.

First, I’ve been listening to Russian CDs and tapes in my car on the way to class every week. Annabelle is in the car with me for an hour — there and back. She’s usually back there reading a book or looking out the window or playing with her lizards (you get the picture). Every once in a while she busts out a Russian word that I know I know I should know, but I don’t! She just yells out “KNIGA!” (book) or “MOLODETS!” (well done!). It’s hilarious. But it’s even more hilarious when there are witnesses. For example, today Gigi and Gavin were visiting and Gavin had picked up Annabelle’s piggy bank.

Gigi said, “Annabelle can Gavin play with your piggy bank?”

Annabelle — with great enthusiasm — yelled, “NYET!!!” It was so hilarious.

I am a huge REM listener. I think they’re one of the greatest bands of all time. But anyway … Andy and I had an REM CD in the car and we were listening to it on the way home from dinner with Gigi, Carlo and Gavin last week. The song “Imitation of Life” was on and Andy and I were singing and being silly and, suddenly, from the backseat, we hear this little voice doing the “come on! Come on!” chorus and the up and down vocal sliding of the word “cry” that the song has throughout. It was amazing and beautiful and awesome to hear her singing for one of the first times ever.