The End and The Beginning...

Yesterday was my last day of school:

I'm officially on maternity leave and I'm exhausted.

When I was younger, I enjoyed attention but as I 

get older, I am not comfortable with all eyes on me -

with the exception of while I'm teaching, of course -

so I took a deep breath and faced the day, one period at a time.

My students were adorable: they threw makeshift parties

(the most successful was complete with one 

Oreo Cookie creme pie for 28 kids but no plates or utensils), 

gifted me with thoughtful presents (my favorite being an 

unwrapped box from four sophomore boys containing a scarf, 

a pair of gloves, and five crumbled one dollar bills), and begged 

me not to go (for at least two more months, because that is 

how long, they feel, Bebe can comfortably stay in "da womb").

My co-workers were ridiculously sweet and helpful: 

the girls showered me with attention (and kept me company 

while I gathered my stuff from my classrooms) and the boys

all stopped by at the end of the day to carry all of my gifts,

books, folders, files, and bags of random items like emergency

flip flops to my car (after the girls ordered them to do so, 

of course).  My boss gave me a big hug and words of

encouragement, along with the sweetest gift for my little girl.

And then it was just me and my best friend left alone on the hall. 

The two of us pretended like it was any other day and not

the day that began a new phase in our relationship: nine months 

of long distance friendship (she lives an hour south of me and, 

well, I live in Hoboken.  Asking someone to enter or exit this 

town is like asking someone to sacrifice their sanity and 

perhaps a little bit of their soul as well); it takes getting

together to a whole new level of arranging.

So while we moved all of the comforts of my room to hers

next door (my ridiculous leather Lane desk chair, Bose 

speakers, collages of Virginia Woolf and Charleston House

post cards, and my mood lighting lamp), we made small 

talk and gossiped as if we would see each other come 

Monday, knowing full well that we won't.

But I'm not worried because I have a secret weapon

on order that will insure that our friendship will

survive this test of time and distance and I am

100% sure that it's a ringer: there's no way she can resist it.

All the effort it will take on my part is one text message

and I guarantee she'll hop directly in the car, fight the

traffic, pay the tolls, and brave the Pulaski Skyway Bridge

to get to me as soon as she can.  What is it?

Need you ask?  

(If so, see the above photo for a clue)

This is my 200th post here at LaPointe of It All;

I hope you've enjoyed the show so far.  

Stay tuned in the New Year as I take this blog in a new direction:

Baby in a 1 Bedroom: Parenting in a Paragraph or Less.

I promise it will be entertaining, 

even for those of you who aren't parents.

Remember, I might be having a baby but

I'm still trying to live out my teenage dreams.