My house regurgitated a child......

The dining room self cleaned itself on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Her bed is now unmade because she took the mattress pad she liked off of it. Her spot in the toothbrush holder is empty. We only forgot the toilet brush and bathroom rugs. The final run to WalMart cost me 39.90. I have successfully left my child at college.



We're off. Fill up the car -- with stuff and gas. Dad swung it through the car wash for her (only after asking me for quarters). Jeepie is happy she said - and she was so nervous and excited.

Typical dorm room - block walls - built in furniture - the moving in was easy - she is on the ground floor right off the lobby - less than 15 feet from the campus security office. The upperclassmen completed a final gracious act for the freshmen - they carried everything in for us.

Then we unpacked and put away. Two girls - their stuff - the rest of two families - a couple of grandparents - we stepped over and through and around. For the entire afternoon.

They should not need very much stuff (although Molly did forget the laptop charger)

I have no pictures of the explosion that was the unpacking.

A few more glimpses of the day --

In the chapel at the pledge and promise sevices. (Mom please - I am trying to tell you something - I think it was about a calculus book.) Look at the pipe organ in the upper corner - it is magnificent. The campus is small enough that you can hear the music majors practicing on it.

Taking MaryAnn's spraypaint challenge, I made these cute dorm room marker boards. (can't have my child take off without handmades. The color is off on the blue one, it is much more teal.

I spray painted two cheap picture frames. Used handmade paper (thank you -Beth) and the metal letters that were part of my birthday giftie from Vallen (thank you too). The other embellishments were things that I had. From the comments we heard, there will soon be others of these decorating the halls.

Abby was subdued, but somewhat happy. She is in charge of the paint in her new room and gets to pick dinner locations now. (more seafood - less Mexican) The two of them are incredibly close and this will be a tough few weeks for her.

The two monsters in the new room - notice the bear - thats Brady - Emily (new roommate) brought hers too and she also brough this tattered old quilt that she sleeps with. Bits of home in a new space.

One last glimpse of them- Molly has her back to us (center bottom) and Emily was about to wave to mom (red shirt to the right)

The sisters held each other tight - gotta say - this is now one of my favorite shots of the two of them.

It was a good day - she will be fine and so will we.

On the way home - Dad would start to ask about things she had - our new phrase became...."She may play hookie from class. She may stumble into the room drunk. But she will feed herself and bathe - at least we got that right. "

They have two days of team building and play - then a 5am practice on Wednesday - the only real worry she has is about time management with the demands of being and athlete.

Funny - the excitement she had about the entire scenario, made it okay for me to let go.

Oh and the worst part of the day - there had to be one, right. Dad was taking the stuff, that would not fit in to the room, back to the truck on the way to the chapel for the pledge and blessing and locked both sets of keys in the truck. That did almost cause me to nut up. Emily's dad managed to open it fairly easy. Thanks, Chris.

Ya'll have a great day.