There is a Jim on my desk! Get him off!
Roof
The house is ready for roof replacement. Now, it just needs to stop raining, so it can actually get done.
Dorm Room
Laura’s dorm room is fully unpacked. This is the area under her bed.
This is her desk area.
We had her start a list, so that we can buy or bring anything else that she thinks she needs. She did ask for a few things like another crate for under her bed, and we hope to be able to deliver those things to her in about a week. Laura is beginning to settle in, and her roommate arrives tomorrow.
Weird
The kids are not marching in the same band anymore. This is John from earlier in the week during Hickman’s marching band camp.
And, Laura is in the second row (green shirt) during her first day at SEMO’s marching band camp.
It is just weird.
College Drop-Off
To Laura –
Today, you begin your college career, and I find myself wondering how we got here so fast. Weren’t you just starting Kindergarten last week? You grew up in the blink of an eye, and I feel like I missed a lot even though I was there for every step.
I am not going to lie to you. I am not doing so well. Your Dad isn’t either though he hides it better than me. I have been trying to hold it in around you because I know that you are struggling too. You are facing a major change in your life and wondering if you have it in you to take the next steps. Kid, you do. You absolutely do.
While you are the mirror image of your Dad in how you think and act, you have a lot of me hidden in there. You are reacting to this change just like I did when I started college. You are nervous. You are timid. You are scared. However, what I know that you don’t is that you will soon realize that you are strong enough to do this on your own. Soon, you will realize that while you still need your Dad and me, you don’t need us like you did before. Please don’t feel any sadness when that day comes. Embrace it because that day tells your Dad and me that we did our job as parents, and our hearts will be filled with all the love and pride in the world.
As Dr. Suess said, “Kid, you’ll move mountains! Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So… Get on your way!” Southeast Missouri State University is your next mountain. Climb well. Climb fast. Climb hard. Call or text whenever you need your Dad and me. We will be there in whatever way that you need us. We love you to the moon and back.
Love, Mom
The Day is Here
Well, the day is here. Packing is nearly done, and we load the car later this evening. We leave for Southeast Missouri State University first thing in the morning for dorm move-in and set up. Marching Band begins tomorrow evening, and classes start August 19. I simply cannot understand how we got here so damn fast.
