Summer Starts

We're starting to get into our summer groove. It takes about a week or so for everyone to figure out how to get along and what to do after nine months spent mostly apart during the day. I like some structure to the day mostly for my own comfort level, but also because I think too much down time leads to boredom and (for DS13) video games.

Not that I think boredom is bad. I think all kids (and even adults) need the time to re-group and think about something different. You can only do that if you have nothing to do. When we are all going 100 mph in different directions, it's hard to re-energize. Sometimes you don't even know how tired you are until everything stops.

Still, we have enough going on in small chunks that the summer will go by too quickly. Today is such a beautiful day here, full of the promise and potential of summer. And yet, I feel a sadness that it will pass quickly as it always does. I remember when the kids were small and the summer days seemed endlessly long and nightfall never came. It was as if we could never get them into bed fast enough after a day of activities, boredom, naps, meals and more meals, arguments, constant supervision, and never feeling as if anything got done. Did I enjoy that time? I don't remember! I know I felt they were growing too fast, and yet not fast enough. I was so tired and it was so much work.

And now it's not so much work and one is poised to leave the house and another is not far behind. Life is not constant and things change, but for now I will enjoy the summer time and try not to think too far ahead. It's all good.

Strawberry Picking

Yesterday we went strawberry picking at a local farm. We love our local farms, and try to support them as often as possible. This one particular farm has been around for a couple of generations, and like most smaller farms, has gone to u-pick and birthday parties in the barn and corn mazes to try and stay afloat. Still, the owners are down-to-earth types, not boutique farmers. (I'm thinking of the type that ditch the corporate world and run what I consider "designer" farms with speciality produce and cute gift "shoppes." Not that there is anything really wrong with that--more credit to them for trying this life--but it seems less authentic to me.) Hmm, that sounds like my immigrant roots are showing.

A few years ago, when I started out on this health journey with my family, I gave up strawberries unless they were local....which means we only eat them for a few weeks in June. I had read so many scary things about imported pesticide-laden strawberries and strawberries from big production farms out west that use migrant workers...things unfit to print. It really grossed me out.

Too bad, because strawberries are such a healthy fruit. A cup of strawberries contains more vitamin C than a cup of orange juice. They are rich in antioxidants and fight inflammation that can lead to a host of diseases.

Local berries usually have more flavor, since they are eaten soon after they are picked (in our case, just 1/2 an hour later!). If there are any left and they start to get too soft, I'll toss them into smoothies or yogurt.

Since the season is so short, we'll try to pick a few times a week and eat our fill. Maybe I'll try freezing some, to use later in the year in muffins or smoothies or even stirred into yogurt. It won't matter much that they'll be mushy after thawing.

Graduation

Graduation came and went. I didn't even cry, although husband did. I don't know, I think I'm sort of cryed out. And this is a good thing. It's good to be here, at this point in time.

Now I'm just trying to plan a graduation party. It's a little stressful since I don't usually throw parties, but it's OK to step outside of my comfort zone. And it's important to acknowledge this especially important milestone and invite the people that have been supportive and kind through our journey.

Now if they would just RSVP already!

Another Mother's Day

Mother's Day came and went and I'm always most grateful for the handmade cards containing thoughts and thanks from the kids. We're not into big gifts for these occasions, preferring token items of affection. Still, the following YouTube video sums it up best for me: it's the ordinary days of motherhood that are most precious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olSyCLJU3O0

Bloom Where You're Planted

The Scholarship School won. Well, we thought it would, just because it's too hard to turn down that kind of money. But DD18 has a very soft spot for the The Other School, so she wrote them a nice note declining admission but saying if she wasn't happy she'd reapply and hoped they'd accept her again.

I told her to "bloom where you're planted." But of course, we could always transplant her if necessary. I could not stand to see her unhappy.

Now, my next worry (you knew there would be one, didn't you?) is the roommate selection process. Unless we're still to receive more paperwork, the form only asks three simple housing questions. That doesn't seem right.

And, due to overcrowding, The Scholarship School has forced triples for 30% of the freshmen class. It's hard to remember back to my college days, but as a mother I think that's way too many kids in one small room. Not sure how DD18 will feel, but for now she is not worried. I'm thinking of her health, of course. More germs, less sleep.

This letting go process is very hard. Yes, I am a helicopter parent.

Decisions

We're still trying to decide between The Scholarship School and The Other School. (Well, there's a third attractive option as well as a very attractive waiting list option, but we're putting them out of our minds in order to simplify the decision.)

Seems like a no-brainer to choose The Scholarship School. Guaranteed free tuition for eight semesters as long as her GPA stays above 3.2. She can go abroad for a semester, and it's paid for. She can cross-register at other area colleges, including at The Other School, and it's paid for. She has no work-study. Any scholarships she might receive (which we won't know about until June) can be used towards room and board because of the laws concerning merit aid, which isn't true for grant monies.

The problem is that she loves The Other School. It's a beautiful campus, and some might argue "more elite." It feels like a victory to her to have been accepted, especially after the worries about her brain cancer and some of the possible problems she might have had with cognition. (And might still have, some day in the future.)

But it's so expensive. And we have other kids that will go to college. The math just doesn't make sense. Their view of what we can afford and what they think we can afford are very different. She will still go to its Admitted Students Day (even though I wonder if that's wise), if only to try to convince herself that she's better off at The Scholarship School.

Admitted Students Day

We spent yesterday at The Scholarship School. It was Admitted Students Day, and although DD18 was familiar with the school, it was a chance to see the school in all its glory. Most schools, I think, put their best foot forward for these events. Lawns are mowed, flowers are blooming, and everyone is really nice. They are trying to woo the student, and separate the parents from their hard-earned dollars. Well, that's not our problem here, so we could relax and let them try to impress us.

The Scholarship School is a Geek School. It has no pretensions to coolness, unless it's in a nerdy way. It has few winning sports teams, at least at the moment, so you wouldn't attend this school for its sport scene. But it does pride itself on easy access to professors and opportunities for undergraduate research. I do think DD18 would be happy there...the social pressures would be mimimal and most students enroll for the academics. It does not have a reputation as a party school, although I'm sure parties can be had if you want them.

We have another Admitted Students Day at another school in a few weeks, and then DD18 will have to make a decision. I know she's not looking forward to it...it feels like a life-changing big deal, but I tell her not to stress over it. It's a good problem to have, considering the kinds of problems she could have.