I am jealous of Jamie’s hair.
Almost every week, her hair seems to change — curly, straight, purple, shaved, all of the above. My hair’s been quite boring for the last 37 years, unless you count the times Dad decorated my head for Halloween.
Jamie and her family often sit near the front row at church so the twins can see the music. Romey and Finnegan are identical twins and will turn 3 on Mother’s Day this year. They are an absolute delight to watch dance as the music plays.
“They wake up singing to one another and sing for 30 minutes each night before they fall asleep. They love music so much.”
They seem particularly infatuated with Kaylea on the violin.
I am equally fascinated by Jamie’s latest hairstyle.
It was 68 degrees and sunny with a warm breeze when I drove to Jamie’s house to play catch with her and the twins. It was also 68 degrees outside when I noticed the Freeze Warning for tonight. Supposedly, the temperature will drop about thirty degrees by the time I pick up the girls from school.
Utterly ridiculous.
“I don’t know the last time I played catch,” Jamie said. “I did play ball in middle school. I started out in right field and then they moved me to catcher.”
Catcher is the one position on a field I’ve never played. After ankle surgery and knee surgery, I don’t have any desire to play it either.
We tossed the ball and I delighted in the sun and wearing a t-shirt. Romey and Finnegan ran around the yard keeping their distance. After ten minutes, on their own time, they came and joined the game of catch. Jamie tried to teach me how to tell them apart. My observational skills must be horrible because I kept mixing them up.
Until they threw the ball.
Romey is a righty. Finnegan is a southpaw.
“Throw the ball,” they echoed as they tossed it to me or to Jamie or to the purple flowers in the backyard.
I might have to carry around a couple baseballs at church so I can start telling the two boys apart.
Jamie told me how she found out she was pregnant with twins during an ultrasound at the Pregnancy Care Center.
“For the longest time, the technician was quiet. Finally, she said, ‘There are definitely two heartbeats in there.’ I started hyperventilating. As soon as I caught my breath, I asked all of the questions. And then the technician put her hand on my shoulder and said, ‘It will be okay. You can do this.’”
I asked about her big dream for 2018 and got an inspirational story in return.
“My grandfather, Granda I called him, was in the British Army and cut hair for the military in Northern Ireland, in Bessbrook. And then my mom owned her own hair salon on the north side of Springfield for 20 years. I’d walk there after school and fold towels. In middle school and high school, sometimes she’d let me shampoo people I knew. But I never wanted to do hair. Absolutely not. No way.
“I was in restaurant management for seven years and at the age of 32 went to hair school. I’ve been with Hudson Hawk for the last two and a half years and I absolutely love it.”
I was amazed at this story of calling and dreams and family.
The twins gave me high fives, saying “Hot sauce” as they did.
“Their dad taught them that,” Jamie laughed.
Jeff (Day #24) is the dad. I’ll have to ask him about “Hot sauce” at our next game of catch.
After 15 minutes of stories and catch, at the request of Romey and Finnegan, we switched to blowing bubbles.
“I bet this is the first game of catch you’ve had that ended with bubbles,” Jamie said.
I loved it.
High fives and hot sauce.
