The 8th grader in me....

So those of you that know me really well, know that I used to have an obsession with Mariah Carey. From the moment I first saw her sing on tv sometime around 8th grade, I have been obsessed! Hence the name of our first born girl.

Just a little background. I have ran out and bought every single one of her albums on the day it came out (except this last one, which I will hopefully get sometime soon). Every year on her birthday (March 27th), I would think of her and secretly wish her Happy Birthday. (Ironically, I was set to be induced on that very day with Brinlee, but then I went into labor 5 days early). Anytime I have seen her on a magazine cover or noticed her inside, I would buy it on the spot and had been saving them in a huge stack for years. I think I finally got rid of them right before we moved here. Right now she is on the cover of Allure and I used some self restraint at the grocery store the other day and didn't buy it, even though I really really wanted to!

Sometime around 10th grade, my dad was watching Mariah perform on tv and I had just come home from probably a cheerleading practice or game or something and he said, pointing to the tv, "Do you know who this is? She kind of reminds me of you." When I came around and looked at the tv, it was Mariah!! I was like, DUH DAD, that's Mariah Carey. I guess because we both had big long bushy curly hair and kind of full cheeks...who knows?! Also, those of you that know me, know that I have some pretty crazy dreams at night. I have had SO MANY recurring dreams about Mariah. A lot of the time we are really good friends and are usually out shopping together or having lunch. A couple of times there have been really dramatic moments where she has called me in tears or come over to visit and needed to "talk". I always used to wake up from those kinds of dreams and think, maybe someday we'll really be friends. HA HA HA!

After I graduated HS and dropped out of beauty school, I did a lot of temp work in the Portland area. One of my jobs was receptionist for a real estate company. I was there for about 2 months, but did not want the permanent position and so they asked me to train the "new girl". Long story short, this chick was from NY and had gone to HS with Mariah Carey. She was one grade younger and said that her cousin, Brenda, was really close friends with Mariah. I totally tried to scheme and get info, but I think she thought I was weird. LOL!!! (I AM WEIRD!!!)

My sweet sister, Jackie, gave me my first opportunity to see Mariah live in concert in Las Vegas. We were living in Orem at the time and my Mariah was just 6 weeks old when Jackie called me and asked me if I was sitting down. I said "yeeeaaahhh....?" She said "You are never going to believe what just happened! I just won 2 tickets to the Mariah Carey concert from the radio and I want you to have them!" Bless her heart, she had been on the phone for days trying to win them for me and she finally did and we had AWESOME seats. We were just to the side of the stage, just 6 rows back. She even let Will go with me while she and Paula baby-sat tiny Mariah. The concert was March 21, 2000 (a week before her birthday) so I made a sign that said "Happy Birthday, Mariah" and on the other side it said "My baby, Mariah Capri, born Feb. 5, 2000." During one of first songs, she pointed and waved at my sign! I could have died! I ended up taking 4 full rolls of film during the concert (Boy, I wish we'd had a digital...LOL). And at the very end she came out for an encore and most people had already started leaving, so I moved toward the front our section that was nearly empty to get a closer look and she walked out from back stage right in front of my section. I had to decide whether I wanted a close up picture or put my hand out to shake hers, as she had it up touching the others that had gathered beside me. I decided that a picture would last longer, so I snapped one really quick and just as I was about to reach my hand out, she turned to go back on stage. A few weeks after the concert, I had the sign sitting against the wall in our bedroom and Will goes "Happy Birtday?" I was like, "Huh?" YEP, the sign was mis-spelled!!! HOW EMBARASSING! She was probably pointing and laughing at my sign....GRR!

Anyway, Mariah has been going through a rough couple of years and I have maintained that she'll "get over it" and I think she just might be. I saw her for the first time in a really long time on SNL a few weeks ago and I was totally impressed. She didn't look hideously immodest, as she has been looking and actually sounded GREAT! It had been a long time since I felt that way about her. When she closed the "Idol Gives Back" show last Wednesday night, I was starting to feel excitement about seeing her perform. THEN, last night it was Mariah Carey night on American Idol and I totally felt like an 8th grade girl. The first person she "coached" was my fav, David Archuleta and I was amazed at how down to earth and friendly she was being. I felt a sense of weird overwhelming pride in my chest. As the night wore on, it was getting worse! By the time Kristy Lee Cook had her turn, I was seriously in tears. I just kept thinking how CRAZY it would have been to have to opportunity, not only just to meet Mariah Carey, but also get to sing for her and have her give you advice!!!!! I would have absolutely freaked OUT!